Terrestrial Habitat Predicts use of Aquatic Habitat for Breeding Purposes — A Study on the Great Crested Newt (<i>Triturus cristatus</i>)

Gustafson, Daniel; Malmgren, Jan C.; Mikusiński, Grzegorz

doi:10.5735/086.048.0504

Cited by 21 publications

(26 citation statements)

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“…As data on Landscape Ecol (2015) 30:937-954 939 pond size and quality were not available, we assumed the carrying capacity to be positively related to the amount of suitable terrestrial habitat in a 250 m radius around the pond (Table 1, terrestrial habitat). Gustafson et al (2011) indeed showed that the amount of suitable terrestrial habitat within a few hundred meters from the pond explained the presence of great crested newt in agricultural landscapes. Ponds with less than 2.5 ha of terrestrial habitat within the 250 m buffer zone were considered unsuitable for great crested newt.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Is green infrastructure an effective climate adaptation strategy for conserving biodiversity? A case study with the great crested newt

et al. 2015

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Context Increasing the amount of green infrastructure, defined as small-scale natural landscape elements, has been named as a climate adaptation measure for biodiversity. While green infrastructure strengthened ecological networks in some studies, it is not known whether this effect also holds under climate change, and how it compares to other landscape adaptation options. ObjectivesWe assessed landscape adaptation options under scenarios of climate change for a dispersallimited and climate-sensitive species: great crested newt, Triturus cristatus. Methods A spatially-explicit modelling framework was used to simulate newt metapopulation dynamics in a case study area in the Netherlands, under alternative spatial configurations of 500 ha to-berestored habitat. The framework incorporated weather-related effects on newt recruitment, following current and changing climate conditions. Results Mild climate change resulted in slightly higher metapopulation viability, while more severe climate change (i.e. more frequent mild winters and summer droughts) had detrimental effects on metapopulation viability. The modelling framework revealed interactions between climate and landscape configuration on newt viability. Restoration of ponds and terrestrial habitat may reduce the negative effects of climate change, but only when certain spatial requirements (habitat density, connectivity) as well as abiotic requirements (high ground water level) are met. Conclusions Landscape scenarios where habitat was added in the form of green infrastructure were not able to meet these multiple conditions, as was the case for a scenario that enlarged core areas. The approach allowed a deduction of landscape design rules that incorporated both spatial and abiotic requirements resulting in more effective climate adaptation options.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Is green infrastructure an effective climate adaptation strategy for conserving biodiversity? A case study with the great crested newt

et al. 2015

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“…Although the great crested newt has been the subject of several studies (Edgar and Bird 2006, Karlsson et al 2007, Denoël and Ficetola 2008, Gustafson et al 2011, our knowledge of the species' habitat requirements is still incomplete. First, the majority of the studies have been conducted in Central and Western Europe, where the species occurs in a human-modified landscape that is affected by agricultural intensification, expansion of infrastructure and fish stocking (e.g.…”

Section: Aims Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pellet et al 2007, Denoël and Ficetola 2008, Gustafson et al 2009, Hartel et al 2010, Gustafson et al 2011, Gomez-Rodriguez et al 2012; but see Joly et al 2001;Denoel and Lehmann 2006). Presence-absence data are useful to assess distribution patterns of species and to detect changes in them.…”

Section: Aims Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these studies, the quality of forested vegetation on the surrounding breeding ponds has rarely been investigated in detail. In Fennoscandia, the species occurs at its northern range margin and generally occupies a forest-dominated landscape where the factors affecting the distribution and abundance of the newts are likely to be different, in comparison with the southern European populations (Gustafson et al 2006, Skei et al 2006, Gustafson et al 2009, Gustafson et al 2011.…”

Section: Aims Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This status calls for intensive research on the environmental factors that govern the distribution and abundance of newt populations, which is a prerequisite for effective conservation and management planning (Edgar and Bird 2006, Denoël and Ficetola 2008, Gustafson et al 2011. In Europe, the species is currently classed as critically endangered in the Czech Republic (Vlašín 2003), Austria (Gollmann 2007) and Belgium (Belgian Species List 2015), endangered in Finland (Terhivuo and Mannerkoski 2010), Switzerland (Schmidt and Zumbach 2005), Hungary (Vlašín 2003) and Slovakia (Vlašín 2003) and vulnerable in Norway (Dolmen 2010), Estonia (Red Data Book of Estonia 2008), the Netherlands (Creemers 2003) and Romania (Cogălniceanu and Rozylowicz 2015).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation biology of the great crested newt in managed boreal forests in Finland

Vuorio¹

2016

Diss. For.

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This study focuses on the population and behavioral ecology of the endangered great crested newt in its natural forest habitat in Finland. I also explored the characteristics of the smooth newt and compared the two species. They are closely related but occur with different abundances in the same environments.Hatching success and survival of eggs were modelled using a combination of field and literature data. Eggs that were laid in the early season produced the best hatching results. This success rate dropped dramatically in combination with a decreasing water level. Terrestrial habitat characteristics, such as the amount of herb-rich forests, clear-cuts and broad-leaved trees, were related to the breeding success of the newts. Both newt species distinctly favored forests with high understory vegetation cover. Both the common and the rare species showed largely similar habitat use, however the rare species avoided clear-cut areas and was more abundant on sites where shelter was provided by the canopy and field-layer vegetation, especially when the distance to the pond increased.Four spatially and temporally different habitat and landscape scenarios were explored to model the extinction and colonization dynamics of the great crested newt. Intensified timber harvest and a shorter logging rotation were shown to decrease the connectivity between ponds.Overall, the results suggest that particular attention should be paid in conservation planning to the spatial arrangement of the habitat patches, especially if the intensity of the human impact is predicted to increase. The conservation effort must be targeted at securing the source ponds in the core area and the enhancement of connectivity between the habitat patches of the newts. As the hatching success of the great crested newt is strictly regulated by climatic factors, temperature and water level, a considerable future threat for the species might come with climate change.

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Generating and testing ecological hypotheses at the pondscape with environmental DNA metabarcoding: A case study on a threatened amphibian

et al. 2019

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Background Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring, but has unrealized potential for ecological hypothesis generation and testing. Aims Here, we validate this potential in a large‐scale analysis of vertebrate community data generated by eDNA metabarcoding of 532 UK ponds. Materials & Methods We test biotic associations between the threatened great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and other vertebrates as well as abiotic factors influencing T. cristatus detection at the pondscape. Furthermore, we test the status of T. cristatus as an umbrella species for pond conservation by assessing whether vertebrate species richness is greater in ponds with T. cristatus and higher T. cristatus Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) scores. Results Triturus cristatus detection was positively correlated with amphibian and waterfowl species richness. Specifically, T. cristatus was positively associated with smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), common coot (Fulica atra), and common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), but negatively associated with common toad (Bufo bufo). Triturus cristatus detection did not significantly decrease as fish species richness increased, but negative associations with common carp (Cyprinus carpio), three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) were identified. Triturus cristatus detection was negatively correlated with mammal species richness, and T. cristatus was negatively associated with gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Triturus cristatus detection was negatively correlated with larger pond area, presence of inflow, and higher percentage of shading, but positively correlated with HSI score, supporting its application to T. cristatus survey. Vertebrate species richness was significantly higher in T. cristatus ponds and broadly increased as T. cristatus HSI scores increased. Discussion We reaffirm reported associations (e.g., T. cristatus preference for smaller ponds) but also provide novel insights, including a negative effect of pond inflow on T. cristatus. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the prospects of eDNA metabarcoding for ecological hypothesis generation and testing at landscape scale, and dramatic enhancement of freshwater conservation, management, monitoring, and research.

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Terrestrial Habitat Predicts use of Aquatic Habitat for Breeding Purposes — A Study on the Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)

Cited by 21 publications

References 51 publications

Is green infrastructure an effective climate adaptation strategy for conserving biodiversity? A case study with the great crested newt

Is green infrastructure an effective climate adaptation strategy for conserving biodiversity? A case study with the great crested newt

Conservation biology of the great crested newt in managed boreal forests in Finland

Generating and testing ecological hypotheses at the pondscape with environmental DNA metabarcoding: A case study on a threatened amphibian

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