Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity'

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Conservation Biology and Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 8647

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Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: animal population genomics; conservation genetics, phylogeography
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Dear Colleagues,

The anthropogenic destruction of biodiversity has been ongoing for centuries or even millennia in many areas of the Old World, but it has never been more intense than it was in the past century. The development of increasingly energy-intensive human populations, the expansion of cultivated plants and domestic animals, the diffusion of alien and invasive species, and the impacts of technologies are accelerating transformative processes of natural ecosystems at an unprecedented and uncontrollable rate. It is very important to make the theoretical and practical tools of conservation sciences available for the protection of the biosphere so that the biological evolution of populations can continue, generating new adaptations and contrasting extinctions.

Research on conservation biology is at the heights of its activity, boosted by unprecedented possibilities of collecting and modelling big data in the ecology of ecosystems and populations, population genomics, as well as microevolution and co-adaptation processes between components of the biosphere and the technosphere. We can now manage international institutions and regulatory instruments, as well as potential financial resources, though they are often inadequate for the implementation of conservation projects in the "Real World" of biodiversity. Therefore, we invite anyone interested to contribute their papers to the realization of the special issue in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity'.

Prof. Dr. Ettore Randi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • population genomics and diversity
  • heterozygosity
  • inbreeding
  • hybridization
  • adaptive introgression
  • natural selection
  • speciation
  • bottleneck and population fragmentation
  • genetic drift
  • gene flow
  • extinction risk
  • evolvability
  • paleogenomics
  • phylogeography
  • conservation units
  • ecotypes
  • phylogenetics and systematics
  • eDNA
  • non-invasive genetic sampling
  • environmental monitoring

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2008 KiB  
Article
Contemporary Survival Selection Fails to Explain Observed Patterns of Phenotypic Divergence Between Suburban and Forest Populations of the Cuban Endemic Lizard, Anolis homolechis
by Annabelle Vidal, Frank Cézilly and Roger Pradel
Biology 2024, 13(12), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121019 - 5 Dec 2024
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Although urbanization is a major threat to biodiversity, some native species have managed to persist in urban areas. Populations of such species often show phenotypic differences with their rural counterparts. A crucial question is whether such differences result from different selection regimes between [...] Read more.
Although urbanization is a major threat to biodiversity, some native species have managed to persist in urban areas. Populations of such species often show phenotypic differences with their rural counterparts. A crucial question is whether such differences result from different selection regimes between habitats. As previous studies showed that suburban and forest populations of Anolis homolechis differ in both body size and sex ratio, we tested the effect of urbanization on adult survival in those populations based on a long-term capture–marking–recapture survey and replicated design. We assessed the evidence for directional and stabilizing selection on size in two suburban and two forest populations by modeling apparent adult survival and recapture probability separately. Adult survival did not differ between habitat types. In addition, there was no evidence for size-related differential selection on adult survival between habitats. However, irrespective of habitat, we found significant stabilizing selection on female size, whereas male survival was independent of size. Overall, sex had a significant effect on survival independent of habitat type (monthly survival probability: 0.80 for males vs. up to 0.89 for females of optimal size). We discuss our results in relation to the potential mechanisms involved in the observed phenotypic differentiation of A. homolechis and other lizard species in areas transformed by urbanization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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18 pages, 1927 KiB  
Article
Spatial Patterns and Environmental Control of Polychaete Communities in the Southwestern Barents Sea
by Dinara R. Dikaeva and Alexander G. Dvoretsky
Biology 2024, 13(11), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13110924 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 521
Abstract
The Barents Sea region is influenced by an increased inflow of warm Atlantic water, which impacts all components of the local ecosystem. Information on the state of benthic communities is required to predict alterations in the food web’s structure and functioning. The spatial [...] Read more.
The Barents Sea region is influenced by an increased inflow of warm Atlantic water, which impacts all components of the local ecosystem. Information on the state of benthic communities is required to predict alterations in the food web’s structure and functioning. The spatial distribution of polychaete communities was investigated in relation to environmental conditions at nine stations along the Kola Transect (70°00′–74°00′ N, 33°30′ E) in April 2019. A taxonomically diverse fauna containing 114 taxa was found, with 95 identified at the species level. The fauna was composed predominantly of boreo-Arctic species (63%), followed by boreal (22%) and Arctic species (13%). The polychaete abundance and biomass exhibited considerable variability, ranging from 910 to 3546 ind. m−2 and from 3.4 to 72.7 g m−2, with average values of 1900 ind. m−2 and 18.7 g m−2, respectively. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct polychaete communities differing in dominant species composition, abundance, and biomass. The southern region featured the most abundant community, the middle part exhibited the highest diversity, and the northern area presented the community with the highest biomass. These spatial variations in community structure corresponded closely to the distribution and properties of water masses within the study area. Multivariate analysis identified depth as the primary driver of diversity indices, with higher values observed at shallow water sites. Salinity and water temperature together explained 46% of the variation in abundance, reflecting warming effects and showing positive or negative effects, depending on the taxa. Furthermore, an increase in water temperature had a positive impact on the contribution of boreal species to the total material, while exerting a strong negative effect on the overall community biomass, underscoring the potential of polychaetes in biological indication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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18 pages, 7772 KiB  
Article
Vegetation Succession for 12 Years in a Pond Created Restoratively
by Chang-Seok Lee, Dong-Uk Kim, Bong-Soon Lim, Ji-Eun Seok and Gyung-Soon Kim
Biology 2024, 13(10), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13100820 - 13 Oct 2024
Viewed by 781
Abstract
The Najeoer Pond was created in a rice paddy as a part of a plan to build the National Institute of Ecology. To induce the establishment of various plants, the maximum depth of the pond was 2.0 m, and diverse depths were created [...] Read more.
The Najeoer Pond was created in a rice paddy as a part of a plan to build the National Institute of Ecology. To induce the establishment of various plants, the maximum depth of the pond was 2.0 m, and diverse depths were created with a gentle slope on the pond bed. When introducing vegetation, littoral and emergent vegetation were first introduced to stabilize the space secured for the creation of the pond, whereas the introduction of other vegetation was allowed to develop naturally. In this pond, floating, emergent, wetland, and littoral plants have been established to various degrees, reflecting the water depth and water table. As a result of stand ordination, based on vegetation data obtained from the created Najeoer Pond and a natural lagoon selected as the reference site, the species’ composition resembled that of the reference site. Diversity, based on vegetation type, community, and species, tended to be higher than that of the reference site. The proportion of exotic species increased due to the disturbance that occurred during the pond creation process but continued to decrease as the vegetation introduced during the creation of the pond became established. Considering these results comprehensively, the restorative treatment served to increase both the biological integrity and ecological stability of the pond and, thus, achieved the creation goal from the viewpoint of the pond structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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11 pages, 3999 KiB  
Article
Unusual Patterns of Lateral Scutes in Two Olive Ridley Turtles and Their Genetic Assignment to the Thai Andaman Sea Populations of Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz, 1829
by Patcharaporn Kaewmong, Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, Korakot Nganvongpanit and Promporn Piboon
Biology 2024, 13(7), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070500 - 4 Jul 2024
Viewed by 967
Abstract
Two stranded Lepidochelys-like sea turtles were rescued from the Thai Andaman Sea coastline by veterinarians of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), one in May of 2019 and another in July of 2021. They were first identified as olive ridley turtles ( [...] Read more.
Two stranded Lepidochelys-like sea turtles were rescued from the Thai Andaman Sea coastline by veterinarians of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), one in May of 2019 and another in July of 2021. They were first identified as olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), as the external appearance of both turtles was closer to that species than the other four species found in the Thai Andaman Sea. In fact, when carefully examined, an unusual pattern of the lateral scutes on each turtle was observed, specifically symmetric 5/5 and asymmetric 5/6, both of which are considered rare for L. olivacea and had never been reported in the Thai Andaman Sea. In contrast, this characteristic was more common for the closely related species, Kemp’s ridley (L. kempii), although this species is not distributed in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Thus, we further investigated their genetic information to confirm species identification using two molecular markers, namely the mtDNA control region and nDNA RAG2. The results from the mtDNA control region sequences using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) indicated that both individuals exhibited a higher percent identity with L. olivacea (99.81–100.00%) rather than L. kempii (94.29–95.41%) or any other species. A phylogenetic tree confirmed that these two turtles belonged to the L. olivacea clade. Moreover, the results of RAG2 also supported the mtDNA result, as both individuals shared the same RAG2 haplotype with L. olivacea. Thus, we have concluded that the two turtles with unusual lateral scute patterns exhibited genetic consistency with their original species, L. olivacea, which has brought attention to the importance of exploring rare phenotypes in sea turtle populations residing in Thai Seas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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17 pages, 2719 KiB  
Article
Phylogenetic Analysis of Rare and Endangered Tulipa Species (Liliaceae) of Kazakhstan Based on Universal Barcoding Markers
by Maxim Sutula, Ayan Kakanay, Dilnur Tussipkan, Samatulla Dzhumanov and Shuga Manabayeva
Biology 2024, 13(6), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13060365 - 22 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1324
Abstract
In Kazakhstan, the genus Tulipa is represented by 35 species, 18 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan and protected by the state. Recent studies of tulip specimens from regions bordering Kazakhstan emphasize the significance of species inventory and [...] Read more.
In Kazakhstan, the genus Tulipa is represented by 35 species, 18 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan and protected by the state. Recent studies of tulip specimens from regions bordering Kazakhstan emphasize the significance of species inventory and report the discovery of several hybrids. In this study, eight tulip species were identified based on morphological characteristics and using DNA barcoding methods. Molecular genetic markers, including nrDNA (ITS) and cpDNA markers (rbcL, matK), of the studied species were sequenced and analyzed using the Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis methods. Our work demonstrates that DNA barcodes based on the ITS, rbcL, and matK marker regions have successful practical applicability, with ITS being the most informative at the intragenic level. However, for distinguishing closely related taxa, the most effective approach would be to use a combined dataset of sequences from multiple DNA markers. The results showed discrepancies in the placement of several taxa (T. kaufmanniana, T. patens), likely due to introgression and natural spontaneous hybridization. The molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests the existence of a previously undescribed hybrid between T. patens and T. alberti. Further detailed population studies are needed to validate this hypothesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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18 pages, 1175 KiB  
Article
eDNA Metabarcoding- and Microscopic Analysis for Diet Determination in Waterfowl, a Comparative Study in Vejlerne, Denmark
by Anna-Sofie Lützhøft Svendsen, Louise Bach Nielsen, Jakob Braüner Schmidt, Dan Bruhn, Line Holm Andersen and Cino Pertoldi
Biology 2023, 12(9), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12091272 - 21 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1931
Abstract
Understanding diets and structural food webs are keys to the apprehension of ecological communities, upon which conservation and management biology are based. The understanding of grazing and habitat choice for waterfowl is one of the most important topics for avian ecologists today and [...] Read more.
Understanding diets and structural food webs are keys to the apprehension of ecological communities, upon which conservation and management biology are based. The understanding of grazing and habitat choice for waterfowl is one of the most important topics for avian ecologists today and can, to some degree, be answered by dietary analysis. Droppings collected from four waterfowl, the Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope), Greylag goose (Anser anser), pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) and Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) in Vejlerne (Denmark), were analysed microscopically and through eDNA metabarcoding with the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) to accumulate knowledge about the diet of these waterfowl. In total, 120 dropping samples were microscopically analysed, of which the eDNA metabarcoding analysis was done on 79 samples. The prey items were identified according to the taxonomic level of species, and a qualitative method, frequency of occurrence (FO) and FO calculated as a percentage, was used in order to compare the results from the two methods. As neither of the methods was able to encompass all species discovered when combining the two methods, it was concluded in this study that the two methods can support each other in a dietary analysis of waterfowl, but not replace one another. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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Review

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14 pages, 1152 KiB  
Review
The Utility of the Koala Scat: A Scoping Review
by Stephen D. Johnston, Lyndal Hulse, Tamara Keeley, Albano Mucci, Jennifer Seddon and Sam Maynard
Biology 2024, 13(7), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070523 - 15 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1245
Abstract
The use of samples or scats to provide important ecological, genetic, disease and physiology details on free-range populations is gaining popularity as an alternative non-invasive methodology. Koala populations in SE Queensland and NSW have recently been listed as endangered and continue to face [...] Read more.
The use of samples or scats to provide important ecological, genetic, disease and physiology details on free-range populations is gaining popularity as an alternative non-invasive methodology. Koala populations in SE Queensland and NSW have recently been listed as endangered and continue to face anthropomorphic and stochastic environmental impacts that could potentially lead to their extinction. This scoping review examines the current and potential utility of the koala scat to contribute data relevant to the assessment of koala conservation status and decision making. Although we demonstrate that there is great potential for this methodology in providing details for both individual wild animal and population biology (distribution, abundance, sex ratio, immigration/emigration, genetic diversity, evolutionary significant unit, disease epidemiology, nutrition, reproductive status and stress physiology), the calibre of this information is likely to be a function of the quality of the scat that is sampled. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in 'Conservation Biology and Biodiversity')
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