No abstract

1. Species diversity is declining more rapidly in freshwater ecosystems than in any other, but the consequences for genetic diversity, and hence evolutionary potential, are poorly understood. In part this reflects limited use and development of modern molecular tools and genetic approaches to address conservation questions in rivers, lakes and wetlands. As widespread, diverse and functionally important organisms, freshwater macroinvertebrates are ideal candidates for genetic approaches to reveal, for example, the conservation consequences of demographic histories and past disturbances. However, the availability of microsatellite markers for this group is very limited.2. Using next generation sequencing, microsatellite markers were developed for Isoperla grammatica (Poda, 1761), Amphinemura sulcicollis (Stephens, 1836) and Baetis rhodani (Pictet, 1843) to enable conservation genetic investigations of these widespread invertebrate species. Fifty-two robust microsatellite loci were developed (18, 21 and 13 per species), all with high levels of allelic diversity (7-27, 3-16, 5-13 alleles per loci, respectively).3. These tools will allow assessment of genetic structure, dispersal and demographic resilience in these model species as a function of environmental change and variation, thereby aiding freshwater monitoring and conservation. The authors urge further capacity building to support genetic applications to the conservation biology of other aquatic organisms.

No abstract

Bats are primary consumers of nocturnal insects, disperse nutrients across landscapes, and are excellent bioindicators of an ecosystem's health, however four of the seventeen Great British species are listed as declining. In this study we aim to investigate the link between bat guano morphology and diet, specifically looking at the ability to predict 1) species, 2) dietary guild, and 3) bat size, using guano morphology alone. Guano from 16 bat species sampled from across Great Britain were analysed to determine various morphological metrics. These data were coupled with diet data obtained by an extensive literature review. It was found that guano morphology overlapped too much to make predictions on the species of bat which deposited the guano, however, in some cases, it could be used to indicate the dietary guild to which the bat belonged. In general, guano morphology seems more correlated to diet than species. This enables the identification of the most important prey taxa within a local environment; a crucial step for informing conservation strategies.

A low-coverage genome was generated for each of four environmental key-species of macroinvertebrate taxa for the primary purpose of microsatellite marker development. De novo assemblies and microsatellite markers were designed for the freshwater species Isoperla grammatica, Amphinemura sulcicollis, and Baetis rhodani but have not been completed for the common shiny woodlice Oniscus asellus. Here, the data is made available, and the methods and pipeline are described which led to the creation of this resource. As widespread and functionally important organisms, which are often neglected in favour of studies on vertebrates, this data will be a useful resource for further research.