Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes
Main Author: | |
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Publication Date: | 2021 |
Other Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | eng |
Source: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Download full: | http://hdl.handle.net/10451/51012 |
Summary: | 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 planets most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressuresfor example, prey availability and habitat structureto 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. |
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Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopesfood-websinvasive species eradicationOryctolagus cuniculusPodarcis carbonelli berlengensisRattus rattustrophic seasonalityInvasive 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 planets most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressuresfor example, prey availability and habitat structureto 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.Oxford University PressRepositório da Universidade de LisboaFerreira Nunes, SaraMota-Ferreira, MárioSampaio, MartaAndrade, JoanaOliveira, NunoSampaio e rebelo, RuiRocha, Ricardo2022-01-26T18:11:25Z2021-052021-05-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10451/51012engSara F Nunes, Mário Mota-Ferreira, Marta Sampaio, Joana Andrade, Nuno Oliveira, Rui Rebelo, Ricardo Rocha, Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes, Current Zoology, 20211674-550710.1093/cz/zoab038info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-11-08T16:55:18Zoai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/51012Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T22:02:15.536501Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
title |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes |
spellingShingle |
Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes Ferreira Nunes, Sara food-webs invasive species eradication Oryctolagus cuniculus Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis Rattus rattus trophic seasonality |
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 |
author |
Ferreira Nunes, Sara |
author_facet |
Ferreira Nunes, Sara Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Sampaio e rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Sampaio e rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo |
author2_role |
author author author author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Ferreira Nunes, Sara Mota-Ferreira, Mário Sampaio, Marta Andrade, Joana Oliveira, Nuno Sampaio e rebelo, Rui Rocha, Ricardo |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
food-webs invasive species eradication Oryctolagus cuniculus Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis Rattus rattus trophic seasonality |
topic |
food-webs invasive species eradication Oryctolagus cuniculus Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis Rattus rattus trophic seasonality |
description |
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 planets most problematic invasive vertebrates led to changes in the lizard trophic niche and sexual dimorphism in just 2 years. This suggests that the ecological pressuresfor example, prey availability and habitat structureto 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. |
publishDate |
2021 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2021-05 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z 2022-01-26T18:11:25Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/51012 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/51012 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Sara F Nunes, Mário Mota-Ferreira, Marta Sampaio, Joana Andrade, Nuno Oliveira, Rui Rebelo, Ricardo Rocha, Trophic niche changes associated with the eradication of invasive mammals in an insular lizard: an assessment using isotopes, Current Zoology, 2021 1674-5507 10.1093/cz/zoab038 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Oxford University Press |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Oxford University Press |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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RCAAP |
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RCAAP |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799134572476104704 |