Pabijan Maciej, Palomar Gemma, Antunes Bernardo, Antoł Weronika, Zieliński Piotr, Babik Wiesław
Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research Faculty of Biology Jagiellonian University Kraków Poland.
Institute of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Biology Jagiellonian University Kraków Poland.
Evol Appl. 2020 Mar 13;13(5):857-878. doi: 10.1111/eva.12940. eCollection 2020 May.
The Anthropocene has witnessed catastrophic amphibian declines across the globe. A multitude of new, primarily human-induced drivers of decline may lead to extinction, but can also push species onto novel evolutionary trajectories. If these are recognized by amphibian biologists, they can be engaged in conservation actions. Here, we summarize how principles stemming from evolutionary concepts have been applied for conservation purposes, and address emerging ideas at the vanguard of amphibian conservation science. In particular, we examine the consequences of increased drift and inbreeding in small populations and their implications for practical conservation. We then review studies of connectivity between populations at the landscape level, which have emphasized the limiting influence of anthropogenic structures and degraded habitat on genetic cohesion. The rapid pace of environmental changes leads to the central question of whether amphibian populations can cope either by adapting to new conditions or by shifting their ranges. We gloomily conclude that extinction seems far more likely than adaptation or range shifts for most species. That said, conservation strategies employing evolutionary principles, such as selective breeding, introduction of adaptive variants through translocations, ecosystem interventions aimed at decreasing phenotype-environment mismatch, or genetic engineering, may effectively counter amphibian decline in some areas or for some species. The spread of invasive species and infectious diseases has often had disastrous consequences, but has also provided some premier examples of rapid evolution with conservation implications. Much can be done in terms of setting aside valuable amphibian habitat that should encompass both natural and agricultural areas, as well as designing protected areas to maximize the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the amphibian community. We conclude that an explicit consideration and application of evolutionary principles, although certainly not a silver bullet, should increase effectiveness of amphibian conservation in both the short and long term.
人类世见证了全球范围内两栖动物的灾难性衰退。众多新出现的、主要由人类引发的衰退驱动因素可能导致物种灭绝，但也可能将物种推向新的进化轨迹。如果两栖动物生物学家认识到这些因素，就可以采取保护行动。在这里，我们总结了源于进化概念的原理如何被应用于保护目的，并探讨了两栖动物保护科学前沿的新思想。特别是，我们研究了小种群中遗传漂变和近亲繁殖增加的后果及其对实际保护工作的影响。然后，我们回顾了景观层面种群间连通性的研究，这些研究强调了人为结构和退化栖息地对遗传凝聚力的限制影响。环境变化的快速步伐引发了一个核心问题，即两栖动物种群能否通过适应新环境或迁移栖息地来应对变化。我们悲观地得出结论，对于大多数物种来说，灭绝似乎比适应或迁移栖息地更有可能。话虽如此，采用进化原理的保护策略，如选择性育种、通过迁移引入适应性变体、旨在减少表型与环境不匹配的生态系统干预或基因工程，可能会在某些地区或对某些物种有效对抗两栖动物的衰退。入侵物种和传染病的传播往往带来灾难性后果，但也提供了一些具有保护意义的快速进化的典型例子。在预留宝贵的两栖动物栖息地方面可以做很多工作，这些栖息地应包括自然和农业区域，同时设计保护区以最大限度地提高两栖动物群落的系统发育和功能多样性。我们得出结论，明确考虑和应用进化原理，虽然肯定不是万灵药，但应该会在短期和长期内提高两栖动物保护的有效性。
