Biodiversity Conservation in Wales, U.K.: DNA Barcoding Applications and Implications
In this paper I present the results of a research review study completed while a fellow at the Madog Center for Welsh Studies at the University of Rio Grande. The particular emphasis will be DNA barcoding efforts and related applications. Wales is the first country in the world to successfully barcode all of its native flowering plants and conifers. Resultantly, many research projects and conservation initiatives have been developed using DNA barcoding as the primary platform. These include efforts aimed at better understanding pollinator-plant interactions using barcoding to identify source plants of pollen grains being carried. Also, the technology is being applied to guide landscape restoration programs by identifying plant seeds preserved in soil profiles. More practical applications include the identification of species, such as the hawkweeds, which are very difficult to distinguish based on morphological characters. I conclude with a brief discussion on the uses of DNA barcoding in conservation and environmental management efforts in the United States and potential implications for biologists.
Plant Conservation Under the Endangered Species Act: Proposals to List Three Plants as Endangered and Designate Critical Habitat
In August of 2013, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list three plants from the Southeastern US - Physaria globosa (Desv.) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz (Short’s bladderpod), Helianthus verticillatus Small (whorled sunflower), and Leavenworthia crassa Rollins (fleshy-fruit gladecress) - as endangered and to designate critical habitat for these species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (the Act). I will present information about these species’ distribution and habitats, threats and conservation efforts affecting them, and the process by which species become protected under the Act.
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Ecological Services Field Office, Cookeville, Tennessee.
123 • Jesse M. Wood, John E. Quinn IV
A Multi-Scale Analysis of the Effects of Local- and Landscape-Level Habitat Variables on Avian Cavity-Nesting Species Occupancy
In the last four decades, the southeastern United States has experienced a regional land-cover transformation trend of forest-cover loss, driven by urban development and land-use demands, with the pine-and-mixed-hardwoods Piedmont region experiencing the greatest net change of the eastern ecoregions. The Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) and other avian cavity-nesting species are among the most threatened as their reproductive success is thought to depend on mature old-growth pine stands. Thus data are needed to aid in development of conservation strategies of suitable remaining habitat, especially in novel urban and managed ecosystems. We conducted point-count surveys and utilized unmarked package in program R to compare binomial-binomial N-mixture models to determine the relative effect of patch- and landscape-scale drivers of species occupancy. The occupancy of Brown-headed Nuthatches (S. pusilla) in urban and peri-urban landscapes suggest that many urban ecosystems are of unexpected high quality and may provide an important refugia for biodiversity. Patch-level variables like density of pines and patch area and landscape-level variables like amount of pine habitat within 500m and system type were featured in the strongest predictive models of nuthatch occupancy. By contrast, the best occupancy models for the widespread generalist Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) species primarily featured indicators of patch-quality like canopy cover, canopy height, and stand density. By identifying factors that limit or predict occupancy for ecologically sensitive species, we can build a comprehensive model of species occurrence and contribute to regional conservation efforts of both habitat and biodiversity, even in human-dominated systems.
A Survey of Potential Threats and Population Dynamics of the Evergreen Quillwort (Isoetes hyemalis)
Quillworts are spore-bearing lycophytes with grassy, spikelike leaves and are native mostly to swampy, cooler parts of North America. Isoetes hyemalis, commonly known as the evergreen quillwort, is a member of the Isoetaceae. The species ranges sporadically through the Coastal Plain and Piedmont physiographic provinces of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. This species has been proposed for protection by the Center for Biological Diversity under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Currently, there are only two small populations of Isoetes hyemalis in the state of Georgia. Neither of these populations are on conservation land. The purpose of this research is to survey the remaining habitats of Isoetes hyemalisin the state of Georgia, to identify patterns in genetic variation within and among different populations, and to determine any present threats. Two of the objectives of this research effort are to define and map where Isoetes hyemalis occurs using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify what may be controlling its distribution and current threats. We will be using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify and sequence selected DNA markers. Next we will analysis and compare ecological and evolutionary questions within the Isoetes genus in the Southeastern States. This research will provide information that can be used to prioritize conservation efforts.
