Article (Scientific journals)
Similar local and landscape processes affect both a common and a rare newt species
Denoël, Mathieu; Perez, Amélie; Cornet, Yves et al.
2013In PLoS ONE, 8 (5), p. 62727
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Keywords :
amphibian decline; commonness; ecological modelling; flagship species; rarity; umbrella concept; rare species; common species; ecological processes; biological conservation; conservation biology; agricultural landscape; fish introduction; pollution; nitrogeneous compounds; nitrites; ammonium; orthophosphates; nutrients; fertilizers; water quality; water depth; macrophyre cover; vegetation; connectivity; past landscape; historical landscape; buffer zones; pond; wetlands; Pays de Herve; Vesdre Basin; Belgium; Wallonia; crested newt; Triturus cristatus; smooth newt; Lissotriton vulgaris; ecology; amphibien; triton crêté; triton ponctué; écologie du paysage; espèce parapluie; mare; alien species; introduced species
Abstract :
[en] Although rare species are often the focus of conservation measures, more common species may experience similar decline and suffer from the same threatening processes. We tested this hypothesis by examining, through an information-theoretic approach, the importance of ecological processes at multiple scales in the great crested newt Triturus cristatus, regionally endangered and protected in Europe, and the more common smooth newt, Lissotriton vulgaris. Both species were similarly affected by the same processes, i.e. suitability of aquatic and terrestrial components of their habitat at different scales, connectivity among breeding sites, and the presence of introduced fish. T. cristatus depended more on water depth and aquatic vegetation than L. vulgaris. The results show that environmental pressures threaten both common and rare species, and therefore the more widespread species should not be neglected in conservation programs. Because environmental trends are leading to a deterioration of aquatic and terrestrial habitat features required by newt populations, populations of the common species may follow the fate of the rarest species. This could have substantial conservation implications because of the numerical importance of common species in ecosystems and because commonness could be a transient state moving towards rarity. On the other hand, in agreement with the umbrella species concept, targeting conservation efforts on the most demanding species would also protect part of the populations of the most common species.
Research center :
AFFISH-RC - Applied and Fundamental FISH Research Center - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Denoël, Mathieu  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Perez, Amélie;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Biologie du Comportement
Cornet, Yves ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Unité de Géomatique - Télédétection et photogrammétrie
Ficetola, G. Francesco;  University of Milano-Bicocca > Department of Environmental Sciences
Language :
English
Title :
Similar local and landscape processes affect both a common and a rare newt species
Publication date :
May 2013
Journal title :
PLoS ONE
eISSN :
1932-6203
Publisher :
Public Library of Science, San Franscisco, United States - California
Volume :
8
Issue :
5
Pages :
e62727
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
SPW DG03-DGARNE - Service Public de Wallonie. Direction Générale Opérationnelle Agriculture, Ressources naturelles et Environnement [BE]
ULiège FSR - Université de Liège. Fonds spéciaux pour la recherche [BE]
Funding text :
Contrat de rivière du sous-bassin hydrographique de la Vesdre
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since 06 May 2013

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