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The study site for the Western Leopard Toad, Sclerophrys pantherina in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (a). There are two disjunct populations—the City of Cape Town (CoCT) population and the Overstrand population shown by the green shading (b). The sampling area for this study (blue shading) was located within the CoCT (c). Colour figure online. (Photograph: Filipa Domingues)
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Genetic diversity provides the capacity for species to evolve in response to environmental change, and its importance in assessing the status of species is well established. However, there is a paucity of genetic monitoring studies. The Endangered western leopard toad (Sclerophrys pantherina), endemic to South Africa, is a good candidate for geneti...
Citations
... Genetic monitoring, coupled with environmental assessments, offers valuable insights into population dynamics and informs adaptive management strategies (Schwartz, Luikart, and Waples 2007;Stephens, Tolley, and Da Silva 2022). For instance, identifying population sinks like JSP2 suggests targeted interventions to enhance habitat quality and promote population persistence, such as adding synthetic liners or adjusting physical characteristics. ...
The decline of biodiversity, particularly among amphibians, is strongly associated with habitat loss and fragmentation. Vernal pools are a critical ecosystem for many pool‐breeding amphibians, but they are often overlooked in wetland protection guidelines. Mitigation efforts include vernal pool creation and restoration, but these efforts have varying success in replacing lost functions. This study investigates the success of created vernal pools through long‐term environmental monitoring of wood frogs and spotted salamanders (2014–2023) and integrates population genetics to assess the local population health of the wood frog. First, we monitored and compared environmental parameters and reproductive success of indicator species between natural and created pools in a Pennsylvania state park. We then used microsatellite loci to assess within‐ and between‐pool measures of genetic diversity, population structuring, and gene flow for wood frogs. We found two carefully designed created pools positively contributed to local amphibian population persistence by maintaining similar measures of genetic diversity as compared to natural pools. On the other hand, one poorly created pool was genetically distinct and acted as a population sink. Although our findings offer valuable insights, they are based on a limited sample and may not fully represent the broader landscape. However, by integrating genetic information into long‐term monitoring datasets, our interdisciplinary approach enhances our understanding of amphibian population dynamics in vernal pool ecosystems. Our findings imply that the most important factors for restoration practitioners to consider when creating or restoring vernal pools are hydroperiod (12–35 weeks), volume (> 50 m³), depth (≥ 30 cm), and surrounding forest land cover (> 60%). These variables are better predictors of indicator species success than pool type (i.e., natural or created). Ultimately, this study emphasizes the need to accompany restoration efforts with long‐term monitoring programs that can be used to make adaptive management decisions in an era of extreme environmental change.
... In Mexico, for example, genetic monitoring focuses on crop wild relatives where gene flow with genetically modified organisms and improved varieties is a concern (Rivera- Rodríguez et al., 2023;Rojas-Barrera et al., 2019;Wegier et al., 2011). In South Africa, genetic monitoring programmes typically focus on threatened species (e.g., da Silva & Tolley, 2018;Labuschagne et al., 2016;Stephens et al., 2022) or species of cultural and/or economic interest (e.g., de Jager et al., 2020;Miller et al., 2020). Moreover, Sweden recently initiated a national genetic monitoring programme (Andersson et al., 2022;Johannesson & Laikre, 2020) with species such as cod, salmon and moose, which are heavily harvested, to help prevent their collapse (Dussex et al., 2023;Johannesson & Laikre, 2023). ...
Under the recently adopted Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 196 Parties committed to reporting the status of genetic diversity for all species. To facilitate reporting, three genetic diversity indicators were developed, two of which focus on processes contributing to genetic diversity conservation: maintaining genetically distinct populations and ensuring populations are large enough to maintain genetic diversity. The major advantage of these indicators is that they can be estimated with or without DNA‐based data. However, demonstrating their feasibility requires addressing the methodological challenges of using data gathered from diverse sources, across diverse taxonomic groups, and for countries of varying socio‐economic status and biodiversity levels. Here, we assess the genetic indicators for 919 taxa, representing 5271 populations across nine countries, including megadiverse countries and developing economies. Eighty‐three percent of the taxa assessed had data available to calculate at least one indicator. Our results show that although the majority of species maintain most populations, 58% of species have populations too small to maintain genetic diversity. Moreover, genetic indicator values suggest that IUCN Red List status and other initiatives fail to assess genetic status, highlighting the critical importance of genetic indicators.
... It can also create new problems, such as when urban pollution induces de novo mutations in organisms(Somers et al., 2004;Yauk & Quinn, 1996) linked to diseases such as cancer. From a policy perspective, the spectrum of evolutionary responses to urbanization can thus range from positive to negative, creating tensions around the functioning of urban ecosystems, the management of wildlife in urban centers, and the contribution of pollution to health that need to be weighed in decision-making.3.3 | Sustainable agricultureIntensive agricultural practices have diverse consequences, including widespread pollution and eutrophication(Delabre et al., 2021;Fu et al., 2022;Glaros et al., 2022;Moss, 2008), disrupting species interactions(Knipler et al., 2022;Porter & Sachs, 2020;Stephens et al., 2022), and creating strong selection pressures on pathogens, parasites, commensals, insects, weeds, and their consumers(Baidya & Bagchi, 2022;Madeira et al., 2022;Nova et al., 2022;Ortiz et al., 2021) (SDG 9, SDG 12). The evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds and pesticide resistance in insects are examples of a growing problem that can only be tackled by incorporating evolutionary dynamics and insights into optimizing the use and regulation of pesticidesKreiner & Booker, 2023). ...
Given the multitude of challenges Earth is facing, sustainability science is of key importance to our continued existence. Evolution is the fundamental biological process underlying the origin of all biodiversity. This phylogenetic diversity fosters the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change, and provides numerous resources to society, and options for the future. Genetic diversity within species is also key to the ability of populations to evolve and adapt to environmental change. Yet, the value of evolutionary processes and the consequences of their impairment have not generally been considered in sustainability research. We argue that biological evolution is important for sustainability and that the concepts, theory, data, and methodological approaches used in evolutionary biology can, in crucial ways, contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss how evolutionary principles are relevant to understanding, maintaining, and improving Nature Contributions to People (NCP) and how they contribute to the SDGs. We highlight specific applications of evolution, evolutionary theory, and evolutionary biology's diverse toolbox, grouped into four major routes through which evolution and evolutionary insights can impact sustainability. We argue that information on both within‐species evolutionary potential and among‐species phylogenetic diversity is necessary to predict population, community, and ecosystem responses to global change and to make informed decisions on sustainable production, health, and well‐being. We provide examples of how evolutionary insights and the tools developed by evolutionary biology can not only inspire and enhance progress on the trajectory to sustainability, but also highlight some obstacles that hitherto seem to have impeded an efficient uptake of evolutionary insights in sustainability research and actions to sustain SDGs. We call for enhanced collaboration between sustainability science and evolutionary biology to understand how integrating these disciplines can help achieve the sustainable future envisioned by the UN SDGs.
... The species currently occurs in two disjunct populations, in the city of Cape Town and the Overstrand, and is presumed extinct around Betty's Bay and Kleinmond (de Villiers 2004;Measey & Tolley 2011). The habitat surrounding known breeding sites in the Overstrand is considerably less transformed than those to the west (Measey & Tolley 2011;Stephens et al. 2022). Throughout its range, S. pantherina is naturally sympatric, but rarely syntopic, with the Raucous Toad, Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838(de Villiers 2004. ...
... Placing the study of inbreeding and inbreeding depression in a social context could have practical implications for conservation. Inbreeding and inbreeding depression are growing concerns for conservationists because habitat loss and habitat fragmentation can increase the frequency of inbreeding (Andersen, Fog, & Damgaard, 2004;Bani et al., 2022;Keller & Largiader, 2003;Stephens, Tolley, & da Silva, 2022), contributing to an increase in extinction rates of local populations (Keller & Waller, 2002). Most such populations have little history of inbreeding, and we suggest that social interactions may determine the extinction risk of such populations over ecological time until they either go extinct, habitat fragmentation is reversed, or they reach a new evolutionary equilibrium adapted to the higher frequency of inbreeding (Fig. 2). ...
Inbreeding and inbreeding depression are important topics in evolutionary biology and conservation but relatively peripheral to the field of animal behavior. Here, we make a case for why the field of animal behavior should take a greater interest in inbreeding and inbreeding depression. Social interactions, including cooperation, competition, and communication, can have important consequences for our understanding of inbreeding and inbreeding depression. We review studies that examine inbreeding in a social context. This work shows that social interactions can moderate the severity of inbreeding depression by either exacerbating or buffering against the fitness costs of being inbred. Furthermore, social interactions can mediate indirect genetic effects associated with inbreeding—even passing the costs of inbreeding onto outbred individuals. We discuss how a social perspective on inbreeding can advance both our understanding of inbreeding and inbreeding depression and provide an experimental tool to address fundamental problems in the study of animal behavior.
