Projecting the current and potential future distribution of New Zealand’s invasive sturnids

Atsawawaranunt, Kamolphat; Whibley, Annabel; Cain, Kristal E.; Major, Richard E.; Santure, Anna W.

doi:10.1007/s10530-024-03246-0

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 82 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This species has undergone multiple concurrent and sequential bottlenecks across its globally invasive range, and yet has established itself across a diverse array of environments. 17 , 19 , 27 , 28 Thus, this system provides the opportunity to study the factors underlying invasion success, rapid adaptation, and population persistence. Further, the common myna is a relative of the European starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ), another globally invasive passerine with a similar introduction history.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genome of a globally invasive passerine, the common myna, Acridotheres tristis

Stuart,

Johnson,

Major

et al. 2024

DNA Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In an era of global climate change, biodiversity conservation is receiving increased attention. Conservation efforts are greatly aided by genetic tools and approaches, which seek to understand patterns of genetic diversity and how they impact species health and ability to persist under future climate regimes. Invasive species offer vital model systems in which to investigate questions regarding adaptive potential, with a particular focus on how changes in genetic diversity and effective population size interact with novel selection regimes. The common myna (Acridotheres tristis) is a globally invasive passerine and is an excellent model species for research both into the persistence of low-diversity populations and the mechanics of biological invasion. To underpin research on the invasion genetics of this species, we present the genome assembly of the common myna. We describe the genomic landscape of this species, including genome wide allelic diversity, methylation, repeats, and recombination rate, as well as an examination of gene family evolution. Finally, we use demographic analysis to identify that some native regions underwent a dramatic population increase between the two most recent periods of glaciation, and reveal artefactual impacts of genetic bottlenecks on demographic analysis.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genome of a globally invasive passerine, the common myna, Acridotheres tristis

Stuart,

Johnson,

Major

et al. 2024

DNA Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Fragile futures: Evaluating habitat and climate change response of hog badgers (Mustelidae: Arctonyx) in the conservation landscape of mainland Asia

Abedin,

Mukherjee,

Kim

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The small mammalian fauna plays pivotal roles in ecosystem dynamics and as crucial biodiversity indicators. However, recent research has raised concerns about the decline of mammalian species due to climate change. Consequently, significant attention is directed toward studying various big flagship mammalian species for conservation. However, small mammals such as the hog badgers (Mustelidae: Arctonyx) remain understudied regarding the impacts of climate change in Asia. The present study offers a comprehensive analysis of climate change effects on two mainland hog badger species, utilizing ensemble species distribution modeling. Findings reveal concerning outcomes, as only 52% of the IUCN extent is deemed suitable for the Great Hog Badger (Arctonyx collaris) and a mere 17% is ideal for the Northern Hog Badger (Arctonyx albogularis). Notably, projections suggest a potential reduction of over 26% in suitable areas for both species under future climate scenarios, with the most severe decline anticipated in the high‐emission scenario of SSP585. These declines translate into evident habitat fragmentation, particularly impacting A. collaris, whose patches shrink substantially, contrasting with the relatively stable patches of A. albogularis. However, despite their differences, niche overlap analysis reveals an intriguing increase in overlap between the two species, indicating potential ecological shifts. The study underscores the importance of integrating climate change and habitat fragmentation considerations into conservation strategies, urging a reassessment of the IUCN status of A. albogularis. The insights gained from this research are crucial for improving protection measures by ensuring adequate legal safeguards and maintaining ecological corridors between viable habitat patches, which are essential for the conservation of hog badgers across mainland Asia. Furthermore, emphasizing the urgency of proactive efforts, particularly in countries with suitable habitats can help safeguard these small mammalian species and their ecosystems from the detrimental impacts of climate change.

show abstract

Predicting current and future habitats of Adjutants under climate change for implementing strategic conservation measures in South and Southeast Asian landscapes

Abedin,

Mukherjee,

Singha

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The storks (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae) represent a captivating avian group distinguished by their heavy-wading nature, long legs, elongated necks, and robust bills. The South and Southeast Asian region boasts the most diverse population of storks, necessitating immediate conservation efforts to preserve their habitats and shield them from the escalating threats of global warming. Within the genus Leptoptilos, three distinct species exist, two of which—the Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) and the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus)—have garnered attention as threatened according to the IUCN Red List. Nevertheless, recent strides in localized conservation efforts have prompted the tagging off these imperiled species to the ‘Near-Threatened’ category, citing population upswings. However, the assessment overlooks the crucial aspects like ramifications of climatic shifts and anthropogenic-induced habitat fragmentation. Hence, this study endeavors to assess climatic impacts via an ensemble approach to species distribution modeling. The findings unveil alarming trends for both adjutants across South and Southeast Asia. The Greater Adjutant (GA) is projected to undergo a severe decline of over 95% across all future scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585 in both time periods) from its current suitable extent of 38,686 km2, which represents only 5.91% of its total extent. On the contrary, the Lesser Adjutant (LA) experiences a spatial relocation towards Southeast Asia under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, resulting in a decline of over 20% from its present suitable range of 239,490 km2, which accounts 22.59% of its IUCN range. Furthermore, the resulting habitat fragmentation, propelled by climatic alterations, is severe, with the GA losing numerous viable patches entirely and the LA experiencing fragmentation in its habitat. Furthermore, given the overlapping ranges of both adjutant species, the current scenario yields a niche overlap value of 0.370. Therefore, the present study advocates for the reassessment of both GA and LA, urging their IUCN assessment under threatened category. Furthermore, strategic conservation measures are proposed in this study, involving local communities, non-governmental organizations, and governmental entities, to safeguard these remarkable avian species.

show abstract

Projecting the current and potential future distribution of New Zealand’s invasive sturnids

Cited by 4 publications

References 82 publications

The genome of a globally invasive passerine, the common myna, Acridotheres tristis

The genome of a globally invasive passerine, the common myna, Acridotheres tristis

Fragile futures: Evaluating habitat and climate change response of hog badgers (Mustelidae: Arctonyx) in the conservation landscape of mainland Asia

Predicting current and future habitats of Adjutants under climate change for implementing strategic conservation measures in South and Southeast Asian landscapes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About