Publications
59 results found
Garcia-Gonzalez F, Ripple WJ, Malo AF, 2024, Scientists' warning to humanity for long-term planetary thinking on biodiversity and humankind preservation, a cosmic perspective., Bioscience, Vol: 74, Pages: 82-85, ISSN: 0006-3568
Malo AF, Taylor A, Díaz M, 2022, Native seed dispersal by rodents is negatively influenced by an invasive shrub, Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol: 45, Pages: 53-67, ISSN: 1578-665X
Native seed dispersal by rodents is negatively influenced by an invasive shrub. Refuge–mediated apparent competition is the mechanism by which invasive plants increase pressure on native plants by providing refuge for generalist consumers. In the UK, the invasive Rhododendron ponticum does not provide food for generalist seed consumers like rodents, but evergreen canopy provides refuge from rodent predators, and predation and pilferage risk are key factors affecting rodent foraging and caching behaviour. Here we used a seed removal/ seed fate experiment to understand how invasion by an evergreen shrub can alter seed dispersal, seed fate and early recruitment of native trees. We used seeds of four species, small and wind–dispersed (sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus and European ash Fraxinus excelsior) and large and animal–dispersed (pedunculate oak Quercus robur and common hazel Corylus avellana), and monitored seed predation and caching in open woodland, edge habitats, and under Rhododendron. In the open woodland, wind–dispersed seeds had a higher probability of being eaten in situ than cached seeds, while the opposite occurred with animal–dispersed seeds. The latter were removed from the open woodland and edge habitats and cached under Rhododendron. This pattern was expected if predation risk was the main factor influencing the decision to eat or to cach a seed. Enhanced dispersal towards Rhododendron cover did not increase the prospects for seed survival, as density of hazel and oak saplings under its cover was close to zero as compared to open woodland, possibly due to increased cache pilferage or low seedling survival under dense shade, or both. Enhanced seed predation of ash and sycamore seeds close to Rhododendron cover also decreased recruitment of these trees. Rhododendron patches biased rodent foraging behaviour towards the negative (net predation) side of the conditional rodent / tree interaction. This effect will potentially
Lozano J, Guntiñas M, Cisneros R, et al., 2021, Biogeographical patterns and diversity in the diet of the culpeo (<i>Lycalopex culpaeus</i>) in South America
<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>Here we describe the dietary patterns of the culpeo (or Andean fox) at a biogeographical scale. We also analyze the influence of exotic lagomorphs on its diet and explore differences between culpeo subspecies. We selected 17 mutually comparable diet studies, which include 19 independent diet assessments. Then, we extracted and standardized the values of the different diet components from these studies and calculated the relative frequency of occurrence (RF) of the ten main trophic groups that we found. Further, we calculated the Shannon-Wienner H’ trophic diversity index.</jats:p><jats:p>The results showed that small mammals (41%), lagomorphs (21%), invertebrates (12.4%) and large herbivores (7.3%) were the most consumed groups. A factorial analysis of all trophic groups rendered four orthogonal factors that were used as response variables in relation to a set of environmental predictors. Altitude correlated with most factors (i.e. trophic groups). Exotic lagomorphs were consumed in lowlands, in higher latitudes and in regions showing high values of the human footprint index, replacing in these areas native fauna as the main prey. There were no differences in diet between the two main culpeo subspecies analysed, <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>.<jats:italic>c. culpaeus</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>.<jats:italic>c. andinus</jats:italic>.</jats:p><jats:p>Finally, the best explanatory models (GLM) of trophic diversity selected, using the Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), showed that the most diverse diets were those composed of large herbivores, edentates, carnivorous species, birds and herptiles (i.e. amphibians and reptils), in areas of high rainfall located in protected areas. Neither latitude nor altitude seemed to have an effect on the trophic diversity of the culpeos, as they were not retained by the final
Brouard MJ, Knowles SCL, Dressen S, et al., 2020, Factors affecting woodland rodent growth, JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Vol: 312, Pages: 174-182, ISSN: 0952-8369
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- Citations: 3
Guntiñas M, Lozano J, Cisneros R, et al., 2020, Ecology of the Culpeo (<em>Lycalopex</em> <em>culpaeus</em>): A Review of Knowledge and Current Gaps
<jats:p>A deep review of the existing literature on the culpeo ecology is carried out, using scientific articles, book chapters and web resources. For information published before 1988, the synthesis made by a previous report was used. For subsequent information, bibliographic searches were carried out through the main servers, considering all of the generic names used to define the species so far. From this update, new general patterns on ecology, behavior and conservation concerns about culpeos are described. Gaps in current knowledge have been identified and new lines of research are proposed.Most of the studies focused on diet, conflicts with the species in livestock areas, and on the use of space and habitat. We found an incomplete, poor justification for all of the proposed subspecies and their supposed geographical distribution, as well as a scarcity of studies on genetic issues, population dynamics and conservation concerns. It is remarkable that vast regions in South America holding culpeos lacked basic information on the species.Diet studies describe a marked trend towards resources selection at the local level, which supports the view of the culpeo as a facultative trophic specialist. In addition, it has been confirmed that in the high Andes the culpeo is also a top predator that may regulate carnivorous communities, as well as that in arid environments culpeos can act as important seed dispersers. The assessment of the conservation status of the species differs among regions, although there is no sufficient information to reach clear conclusions in most cases. Even so, in Ecuador and Colombia the species has been listed as &lsquo;Vulnerable&rsquo;. Direct persecution and habitat alteration are considered to be the most important threats that the species is facing in many countries, although other risk factors such as climate change could also have serious consequences for the canid at the global scale.</jats:p>
Expósito-Granados M, Castro AJ, Lozano J, et al., 2019, Human-carnivore relations: conflicts, tolerance and coexistence in the American West, Environmental Research Letters, Vol: 14, ISSN: 1748-9326
Carnivore and humans live in proximity due to carnivore recovery efforts and ongoing human encroachment into carnivore habitats globally. The American West is a region that uniquely exemplifies these human-carnivore dynamics, however, it is unclear how the research community here integrates social and ecological factors to examine human-carnivore relations. Therefore, strategies promoting human-carnivore coexistence are urgently needed. We conducted a systematic review on human-carnivore relations in the American West covering studies between 2000 and 2018. We first characterized human-carnivore relations across states of the American West. Second, we analyzed similarities and dissimilarities across states in terms of coexistence, tolerance, number of ecosystem services and conflicts mentioned in literature. Third, we used Bayesian modeling to quantify the effect of social and ecological factors influencing the scientific interest on coexistence, tolerance, ecosystem services and conflicts. Results revealed some underlying biases in human-carnivore relations research. Colorado and Montana were the states where the highest proportion of studies were conducted with bears and wolves the most studied species. Non-lethal management was the most common strategy to mitigate conflicts. Overall, conflicts with carnivores were much more frequently mentioned than benefits. We found similarities among Arizona, California, Utah, and New Mexico according to how coexistence, tolerance, services and conflicts are addressed in literature. We identified percentage of federal/private land, carnivore family, social actors, and management actions, as factors explaining how coexistence, tolerance, conflicts and services are addressed in literature. We provide a roadmap to foster tolerance towards carnivores and successful coexistence strategies in the American West based on four main domains, (1) the dual role of carnivores as providers of both beneficial and detrimental contributions to
Lozano J, Olszanska A, Morales-Reyes Z, et al., 2019, Human-carnivore relations: A systematic review, BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, Vol: 237, Pages: 480-492, ISSN: 0006-3207
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- Citations: 73
Malo AF, Gilbert TC, Riordan P, 2019, Drivers of sex ratio bias in the eastern bongo: lower inbreeding increases the probability of being born male, PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, Vol: 286, ISSN: 0962-8452
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- Citations: 7
Colchero F, Jones OR, Conde DA, et al., 2019, The diversity of population responses to environmental change, ECOLOGY LETTERS, Vol: 22, Pages: 342-353, ISSN: 1461-023X
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- Citations: 43
Lacy RC, Malo AF, Alaks G, 2018, Maintenance of genetic variation in quantitative traits of a woodland rodent during generations of captive breeding, CONSERVATION GENETICS, Vol: 19, Pages: 789-802, ISSN: 1566-0621
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- Citations: 5
Malo AF, Martinez-Pastor F, Garcia-Gonzalez F, et al., 2017, A father effect explains sex-ratio bias, PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, Vol: 284, ISSN: 0962-8452
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- Citations: 24
Pozo RA, Schindler S, Cubaynes S, et al., 2016, Modeling the impact of selective harvesting on red deer antlers, JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, Vol: 80, Pages: 978-989, ISSN: 0022-541X
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- Citations: 8
Virgos E, Lozano J, Cabezas-Diaz S, et al., 2016, A poor international standard for trap selectivity threatens carnivore conservation, BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION, Vol: 25, Pages: 1409-1419, ISSN: 0960-3115
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- Citations: 15
Conde-Gomez R, Malo AF, Alaks G, et al., 2015, Different breeding strategies affect sperm morphometry in <i>Peromyscus leucopus</i>, 19th Annual Conference of the European-Society-for-Domestic-Animal-Reproduction (ESDAR), Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages: 48-48, ISSN: 0936-6768
Tejedor I, Salamanca J, Malo AF, et al., 2014, Within-sample variability of sperm head morphometry in several Alcelaphinae antelopes, 18th Annual Conference of the European-Society-for-Domestic-Animal-Reproduction (ESDAR), Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages: 96-96, ISSN: 0936-6768
Godsall B, Coulson T, Malo AF, 2014, From physiology to space use: energy reserves and androgenization explain home-range size variation in a woodland rodent, JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Vol: 83, Pages: 126-135, ISSN: 0021-8790
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- Citations: 31
Lozano J, Malo AF, 2013, RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HUMAN ACTIVITY AND RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE OF SOME BIRD SPECIES IN THE PARAGUAY RIVER (PANTANAL, BRAZIL), ARDEOLA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY, Vol: 60, Pages: 99-112, ISSN: 0570-7358
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- Citations: 1
Malo AF, Godsall B, Prebble C, et al., 2012, Positive effects of an invasive shrub on aggregation and abundance of a native small rodent, Behavioural Ecology
Malo AF, Taylor A, Coulson T, 2012, Rhododendron cover biases seed dispersal by rodents: A novel mechanism for refuge-mediated apparent competition (Submitted)
Lozano J, Malo AF, 2012, Effects of human presence on a bird community formed by 15 species living in the Paraguay River (Pantanal, Brazil)(Submitted)
Godsall B, Coulson T, Malo AF, 2012, Relative contributions of individual-level and habitat factors to home range size in a wild rodent (Submitted)
Bonal BS, Corder J, Dickie L, et al., 2011, IUCN Technical Guidelines Review on the Management of Ex Situ Populations for Conservation: Why, when and how to establish an ex situ population, CBSG news, 22
Lozano J, Malo AF, 2011, Conservation of European wildcat (Felis silvestris) in Mediterranean environments: a reassessment of current threats, Mediterranean Ecosystems: Dynamics, Management and Conservation, Editors: Williams, ISBN: 978-1-61209-146-4
Bonal BS, Corder J, Dickie L, et al., 2011, IUCN Technical Guidelines Review on the Management of Ex Situ Populations for Conservation: Why, when and how to establish an ex situ population, CBSG News, 22
Malo AF, Martinez-Pastor F, Alaks G, et al., 2010, Effects of genetic captive breeding protocols on sperm quality and fertility, Biology of Reproduction, Vol: 83, Pages: 540-548
Here we use Peromyscus mice from a captive breeding program experiment to test the effects of three genetic breeding protocols -minimizing mean kinship (MK), random breeding (RAN) and selection for docility (DOC)- and inbreeding levels on sperm traits and fertility. Earlier in generation 8 one DOC replicate went extinct, due to poor reproductive success. By generation ten, spermatozoa from DOC mice had higher acrosome and midpiece abnormalities, which were shown to be strong determinants of fertility, as well as lower sperm production and resistance to osmotic stress. We also assessed the determinants of fertility in a comprehensive manner, including male and female components. First, the probability (P) of siring litters is determined by sperm numbers, sperm viability, and midpiece and acrosome abnormalities. Second, the P of siring 1 vs. 2 litters is determined by tail abnormalities. Lastly, the total number of offspring is influenced for by female size and proportion of normal sperm, showing the relative importance of different sperm traits on fertility. On average, males with 20% normal sperm sired one pup per litter and males with 70% normal sperm sired 8 pups per litter. Interestingly, proportion of normal sperm was affected by docility but not by inbreeding at relatively low levels. However, inbreeding depression on sperm motility was detected. In the MK group, the inbreeding depression effect not only affected sperm motility but also fertility: an inbreeding increase of f=0.03 reduced sperm motility by30% and translated into an offspring reduction of 3 pups in second litters. A genetic load of 48 fecundity equivalents was calculated.
Eggert LS, Powell DM, Ballou JD, et al., 2010, Pedigrees and the Study of Wild Populations: The Horses of Assateague Island National Seashore, Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol: 5, Pages: 963-973
Recently, a number of papers have addressed the use of pedigrees in the study of wild populations, highlighting their value in conservation management. We used this approach in our study of the horses (Equus caballus) of Assateague Island National Seashore, one of a small number of free ranging animal populations that have been the subject of long-term studies. This population grew from 28 in 1968 to 175 in 2001, causing negative impacts on the island ecosystem. To minimize these effects, an immunocontraception program was instituted, and numbers are slowly decreasing. However, there is concern that this strategy may negatively affect the genetic health of the herd. We found that while mitochondrial DNA diversity is low, nuclear diversity is comparable to that of established breeds. Genetic data were used to verify and amend maternal pedigrees that had been primarily based on behavioral data. Paternity was inferred using genetic data along with National Park Service records of the historic ranges of stallions. The resulting pedigrees enabled us to examine demography, founder contributions, rates of inbreeding and loss of diversity over recent generations, as well as the level of kinship among horses. We then evaluated the strategy of removing individuals (using non-lethal means) with the highest mean kinship values. While this increased the retained diversity of the founders and decreased the average kinship between individuals, it disproportionately impacted the sizes of the youngest age classes. Our results suggest that a combined strategy of controlled breeding and immunocontraception would be more effective than removing individuals with high mean kinships in preserving the long-term health and viability of the herd.
Lozano J, Malo AF, 2010, Determinantes de la densidad de la garcita verdosa (Butorides striatus): Es util como especie indicadora de presion antropica, Iniciacion a la Investigacion, Vol: 5, Pages: 1-5
Malo AF, Coulson T, 2009, Heterozygosity-fitness correlations and associative overdominance: new detection method and proof of principle in the Iberian wild boar, MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Vol: 18, Pages: 2741-2742, ISSN: 0962-1083
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- Citations: 6
Malo AF, Coulson T, 2009, HFCs and associative overdominance: new detection method and proof of principle in the Iberian wild boar, Molecular Ecology, Vol: 18, Pages: 2741-2742
Malo AF, Gomendio M, Garde JJ, et al., 2009, What does testosterone do for red deer males?, Proceedings of the Royal Society London B, Vol: 276, Pages: 971-980
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