Parallel to this shift in forest cover, the species found within forests are changing rapidly over time. The species that make up forest communities fluctuates naturally as forests recover over time, as well as with to human activities (eg. when species are introduced to new areas, when a species is driven to local extinction or when populations move to avoid disturbances or changes in climate).
By Haley Arnold Every year vast areas of land are deforested. At the same time, some previously deforested areas regrow - either as naturally regenerating “secondary forests” or as plantations [1,2]. Long-standing patterns of forest losses and gains have led to an increase in secondary and plantation forests relative to old “primary” forests which have been undisturbed for centuries.
Parallel to this shift in forest cover, the species found within forests are changing rapidly over time. The species that make up forest communities fluctuates naturally as forests recover over time, as well as with to human activities (eg. when species are introduced to new areas, when a species is driven to local extinction or when populations move to avoid disturbances or changes in climate).
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We are looking for a local part-time research assistant (paid) to work for 2 months (March and April 2020) on projects on fish behaviour and environmental change in Trinidad. The projects will focus on predatory pike cichlids (Crenicichla frenata) and their guppy (Poecilia reticulata) prey.
You will assist a small research team from the University of Bristol run behavioural experiments in the field at the University of West Indies, St Augustine campus, and help with catching fish in the streams and rivers of the Northern Range. We are looking for someone resident to T&T who is enthusiastic, has an interest in ecology and evolution, is prepared to spend 2-3 days per week in the field, sometimes working long hours, and ideally has previous experience of fieldwork. Being a competent driver with valid licence and being 25+ years old (for hire car insurance reasons) would be good but not essential. If you are interested, please contact me, Dr Amy Deacon ([email protected]), with a copy of your CV, a covering letter detailing your motivation for applying and contact details of at least one referee. Any queries about the position should also be directed to Dr Deacon. Deadline: Monday 10th February 2020 (midnight). Amy had the pleasure of awarding her Zoology Research Project student Naomi Favrod-Coune with the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club Elisha Tikasingh Prize for Best Performance in Zoology at this year's Faculty of Science and Technology Prize Giving Ceremony. Naomi also won the Environmental Management Prize for the Best Zoology Project, for her work on the exploratory behaviour of wild and ornamental guppies. Congratulations Naomi - and all the best for the future!
Two members of the Biodiversity & Behaviour Group attended this year's Caribaea Initiative Conference - Haley Arnold presented some of her PhD work on succession and functional traits in abandoned cocoa estates, while James Josaphat spoke about his MSc project on the effect of recreational disturbance on freshwater macroinvertebrates in Trinidad rivers. Both Haley and James gave excellent talks and got lots of positive feedback.
It is a fantastic annual conference which this year took place in the Dominican Republic between 15-17 May. Last week I was interviewed by local journalist Shereen Ali about our work on recreational disturbance of T&T's rivers. I think she did a great job at getting the central messages of the research across and raising awareness of the potential impact we can have on aquatic biodiversity (see bottom of post for downloadable pdf of article).
This week Professor Anne Magurran attended the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) in Copenhagen, accompanied by a film that was produced by Steve Smart of the School of Biology to explain what the BioTIME project is all about. The video features some great presenting skills from Dr Iain Matthews, and some rather shaky amateur camera work from me! I think it gives a nice impression of what my fieldwork in Trinidad's Northern Range is really like, and what the project is all about... The BioTIME fieldwork team were asked to feature in promotional film for The University of the West Indies, Faculty of Science and Technology. We were happy to oblige and spent an hour or so in the rain re-enacting collecting a data logger several times over. The results can be seen below (we feature in the first minute of the video). Originally posted on the Biodiversity & Behaviour Research Group website. Largely ignored as a lowly ‘drain fish’ in its native land, many Trinidadians are surprised to discover that the common guppy forms the basis of entire careers for hundreds of international biologists. However, as ‘the home of the guppy’, Trinidad provided the ideal venue for the 5th International Conference of Poeciliid Biologists, which took place at The University of the West Indies in June 2012. This conference was chaired by Professor Indar Ramnarine and co-chaired by Dr Amy Deacon of the Behaviour and Biodiversity Research Group with additional help from former BBRG member Dr Dawn Phillip and BioTIME assistant Raj Mahabir. Academics from throughout the world were brought together on this beautiful island to share their passion for all aspects of the biology of poeciliid fish. The Behaviour and Biodiversity Research group was well-represented, with the attendance of many past and present members. Amy described her work on the invasive spread and colonisation ability of the guppy, Mora spoke about behavioural responses to novel environments in guppies, Al explained how guppies acclimate to different thermal regimes and Alfredo presented his work on transgenerational effects of fatty acid nutrition in mosquitofish. BBRG’s own Anne Magurran was one of three keynote speakers. She opened the first session with an historical overview of guppy science in Trinidad, beginning with its supposed ‘discovery’ by Robert John Lechmere Guppy in 1866 and the subsequent use of the Northern Range as a natural laboratory which continues into the present day. The second keynote speaker was another frequent visitor to Trinidad, Professor David Reznick of the University of California, Riverside, who theorised about the origin of the poeciliid ability to give birth to live young, offering a fascinating evolutionary genetics perspective. On the final day, the audience was wowed by Professor Jens Krause of Humboldt University in Berlin, and his use of guppies and robotic fish to explain swarm behaviour and intelligence in a whole range of species – including humans. The conference concluded with a series of exciting fieldtrips designed to give delegates a true taste of Trinidad – including leatherback turtle watching, a trip to the world famous Asa Wright Nature Centre and an afternoon swim at the beach, followed by the Trinidadian version of fish and chips – ‘bake and shark’ (although being ecologically responsible fish biologists, bake and kingfish was the preferred choice!) Finally, delegates enjoyed a spectacular hike up the Turure river, which ended at a series of beautiful waterfalls… It was a real treat to snorkel with wild guppies in the pools, watching the famous courtship behaviours that many of the visiting academics had only ever seen in laboratory fish tanks. The 6th International Conference of Poeciliid Biologists will take place in 2014, and will be chaired by Dr Darren Croft and Dr Safi Darden at the University of Exeter. I co-wrote this press release for the paper 'How reproductive ecology contributes to the spread of a globally invasive fish' published in the journal PLoS one: Think twice before setting free unwanted pet fish, say scientists. The release of a single female guppy into the wild can generate entire new populations, even with no males present, according to new research. New research by biologists at the University of St Andrews and the University of the West Indies on this popular ornamental species, reveals how its ability to keep on reproducing has earned the guppy its reputation as one of the world’s most invasive fish. The study, published today (Monday 19th September 2011), reports that the apparently harmless release of guppies into the wild has led to the fish being found in every continent with the exception of Antarctica. The guppy, whose native home is Trinidad and the north-eastern fringe of South America, is now present in over 70 countries worldwide. Since a single female guppy can establish a viable new population, the research demonstrates that even well-intentioned releases of discarded pets can contribute to the loss of biological diversity. St Andrews lead researcher Dr Amy Deacon commented, “Our findings show that the range of the guppy has expanded dramatically since the early 1900s”. The scientists began by surveying hundreds of fish biologists around the world. Responses confirmed that the two most important routes of guppies finding their way into the wild are the escapes of ornamental fish, and deliberate introductions designed to control the larvae of mosquitoes that spread malaria. In places such as Southern India, guppies are routinely released into water troughs, wells and small ponds for mosquito control. Although self-contained at first, heavy rains and flooding mean that the fish eventually find their way to streams and rivers where they come into contact with native fish. Dr Deacon continued, “Usually only one or a few fish are released. We know that the vast majority of species introduced to a new habitat in this way are unable to survive, let alone establish a population, which left us with a huge question mark.” To try to solve this mystery, the researchers conducted a simple experiment, in which single wild female guppies were placed into outdoor tanks. After two years, they discovered that almost all of the tanks contained populations of guppies, each founded by just one female. Dr Deacon explained how this finding might explain their success as an invasive species, “Sperm storage is an excellent adaptation for living in constantly changing habitats, and it might also explain the guppies’ global success. Female guppies can store sperm in their reproductive tracts for many months after mating, and this enables single fish to establish populations, even when no males are present. “We also found that these populations kept all of the important behaviours that wild guppies have, so they would be well-equipped for surviving in a new environment.” Dr Deacon continued, “Our study shows why we should be cautious when releasing exotic species. “Seemingly harmless activities such as a child freeing a few pet fish or a concerned householder using guppies to control mosquitoes, can ultimately contribute to the reduction of biodiversity in freshwater habitats across the world.” The research, published by the journal PLoS ONE, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the European Research Council. This press release led to several features in the print and online media, including: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-14972053 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2039857/A-brood-apart-Household-pet-fish-favourites-turn-tropical-terrors-released-wild.html http://news.stv.tv/tayside/270928-plenty-of-fish-effect-down-to-single-wild-females-say-scientists/ http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/a-solitary-female-guppy http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=4324 http://www.neatorama.com/2011/09/22/one-female-guppy-is-enough-to-invade-an-ecosystem/ |
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