Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes
Abstract Invasive species are a major threat to island biodiversity, and their eradications have substantially contributed to the conservation of island endemics. However, the consequences of eradications on the trophic ecology of native taxa are largely unexplored. Here, we used the eradication of...
Published in: | Current Zoology |
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Oxford University Press (OUP)
2021
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab038 http://academic.oup.com/cz/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/cz/zoab038/38619673/zoab038.pdf https://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/68/2/211/43057781/zoab038.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/cz/zoab038 2024-09-15T18:32:05+00:00 Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes Nunes, Sara F Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo Ji (计翔), Xiang Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology M. Mota-Ferreira ARDITI—Madeira’s Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation LIFE+Berlengas Interreg Europe project INVALIS—Protecting European Biodiversity Invasive Alien Species 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab038 http://academic.oup.com/cz/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/cz/zoab038/38619673/zoab038.pdf https://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/68/2/211/43057781/zoab038.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Current Zoology volume 68, issue 2, page 211-219 ISSN 2396-9814 journal-article 2021 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab038 2024-08-05T04:34:07Z Abstract Invasive species are a major threat to island biodiversity, and their eradications have substantially contributed to the conservation of island endemics. However, the consequences of eradications on the trophic ecology of native taxa are largely unexplored. Here, we used the eradication of invasive black rats Rattus rattus and European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus from the Berlenga Island, in the western coast of Portugal, as a whole-ecosystem experiment to investigate the effects of the eradication of invasive mammals on the trophic niche and body dimensions of the island-restricted Berlenga wall lizard Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis over a 2-year period. Our results suggest an expansion of the isotopic niche and an intensification of the sexual dimorphism of the lizard following mammal eradication. Additionally, we found considerable variability in isotopic niche across the island and detected evidence of sex-specific and season-modulated nutritional requirements of this threatened reptile. Our findings support that the eradication of 2 of the planet’s most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressures—for example, prey availability and habitat structure—to which lizards are exposed have substantially changed post-eradication. Our study emphasizes the scientific value of island eradications as experiments to address a wide range of ecological questions and adds to the increasing body of evidence supporting substantial conservation gains associated with these restoration interventions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Oxford University Press Current Zoology |
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Open Polar |
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Oxford University Press |
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croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Invasive species are a major threat to island biodiversity, and their eradications have substantially contributed to the conservation of island endemics. However, the consequences of eradications on the trophic ecology of native taxa are largely unexplored. Here, we used the eradication of invasive black rats Rattus rattus and European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus from the Berlenga Island, in the western coast of Portugal, as a whole-ecosystem experiment to investigate the effects of the eradication of invasive mammals on the trophic niche and body dimensions of the island-restricted Berlenga wall lizard Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis over a 2-year period. Our results suggest an expansion of the isotopic niche and an intensification of the sexual dimorphism of the lizard following mammal eradication. Additionally, we found considerable variability in isotopic niche across the island and detected evidence of sex-specific and season-modulated nutritional requirements of this threatened reptile. Our findings support that the eradication of 2 of the planet’s most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressures—for example, prey availability and habitat structure—to which lizards are exposed have substantially changed post-eradication. Our study emphasizes the scientific value of island eradications as experiments to address a wide range of ecological questions and adds to the increasing body of evidence supporting substantial conservation gains associated with these restoration interventions. |
author2 |
Ji (计翔), Xiang Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology M. Mota-Ferreira ARDITI—Madeira’s Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation LIFE+Berlengas Interreg Europe project INVALIS—Protecting European Biodiversity Invasive Alien Species |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nunes, Sara F Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo |
spellingShingle |
Nunes, Sara F Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
author_facet |
Nunes, Sara F Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo |
author_sort |
Nunes, Sara F |
title |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title_short |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title_full |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title_fullStr |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title_sort |
trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab038 http://academic.oup.com/cz/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/cz/zoab038/38619673/zoab038.pdf https://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/68/2/211/43057781/zoab038.pdf |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Current Zoology volume 68, issue 2, page 211-219 ISSN 2396-9814 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab038 |
container_title |
Current Zoology |
_version_ |
1810473838412038144 |