Passive acoustic monitoring offers promising solutions for monitoring elusive amphibian species, but the method’s effectiveness for detecting rare or potentially extinct amphibian species remains poorly evaluated. We conducted observer surveys along transects and deployed autonomous recording units (ARUs) at 19 stations across three localities in Panama during two rainy seasons (2022, 2024) to detect species of conservation concern that were thought to have been extirpated following disease related declines in 2005-2008, including the potentially extinct Rabb’s treefrog Ecnomiohyla rabborum. Using template-based pattern matching and expert validation of acoustic data, we documented four conservation-priority species: Silverstoneia nubicola, Oophaga vicentei, Triprion spinosus, and Ecnomiohyla veraguensis. Three of these species were previously presumed extirpated from the study localities following chytridiomycosis-related declines; one (E. veraguensis) was a new distribution record for the species. ARUs detected common species at twice as many stations compared to observers on transects, though pattern-matching efficiency varied substantially (35-97%) depending on call characteristics with repetitive patterns performing better than single notes. Bd prevalence in the amphibian community was 21% with continuing evidence of Bd-related frog deaths. The current amphibian abundance (mean 5.82 amphibians/100m transect) may indicate partial recovery of amphibian communities approximately 20 years post-epizootic decline. While we found no evidence of Ecnomiohyla rabborum, our results validate ARUs as an effective tool for detecting rare arboreal Ecnomiohyla species and for monitoring amphibian recovery. The persistence of presumed extirpated populations highlights the value of continued acoustic monitoring and suggests the potential evolution of disease resistance in some species.

Objective: We used passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and automatic detection of spawning splashes to examine the timing and environmental drivers of spawning in river herring (Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis). Methods: Acoustic recordings of spawning splashes were collected from March to May 2021 in the Choptank River, Maryland, using an AudioMoth recorder. Recordings were analyzed using a random forest model on the Rainforest Connection ARBIMON platform to determine hourly presence-absence of splashes. Result: At a seasonal scale, our results suggested two peaks in spawning activity: early March and mid-April, corresponding with the known phenologies of Alewife and Blueback Herring. Hourly patterns in spawning activity suggested distinct diel cycles, with spawning most concentrated at dawn. In contrast, sonar fish counts collected for 1 week during the season indicated that migration occurred throughout daylight hours. We also found a potential relationship between spawning activity and the presence of great blue herons Ardea herodias. Conclusion: Overall, our results demonstrate that PAM can be an efficient and affordable method for studying the spawning ecology of anadromous fish.

Conservation interventions are central strategies for achieving sustainable development goals given the inextricable dependence of humanity on nature. Current debate centres on whether interventions such as marine protected areas (MPAs) promote co-benefits or trade-offs among multiple goals such as poverty alleviation, food security and protection of marine resources. Resolving this question is hindered by a lack of quantitative impact evaluations of concurrent ecological and social co-benefits of MPAs. Here we use a statistical matching approach to examine whether MPAs are associated with co-benefits or trade-offs between reef fish abundances and measures of human well-being, including income, diet and food security in the Mesoamerican region. We find that highly protected areas (HPAs) with stringent fishing restrictions tend to support high mean abundances and stable or increasing trends in fish abundances compared with unprotected sites and ‘general use zones’ of MPAs. At the same time, indicators of income and food security were elevated in communities near MPAs, especially HPAs, compared with communities far from MPAs. Finally, proximity to MPAs and to reefs with high fish abundance were both positively associated with well-being across space. Together, these results provide quantitative evidence of co-benefits for fish and people associated with MPAs, highlighting the potential value of MPAs in achieving multiple sustainable development goals.

1. Given the sharp increase in agricultural and infrastructure development and the paucity of widespread data available for making conservation management decisions, a more rapid and accurate tool for identifying fish fauna in the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, the Amazon, is needed. 2. Current strategies for identification of freshwater fishes require high levels of training and taxonomic expertise for morphological identification or genetic testing for species recognition at a molecular level. 3. To overcome these challenges, we built an image masking model (U-Net) and a convolutional neural net (CNN) to classify Amazonian fish in photographs. Fish used as training data were collected and photographed in tributaries in seasonally flooded forests of the upper Morona River valley in Loreto, Peru in 2018 and 2019. 4. Species identifications in the training images (n = 3,068) were verified by expert ichthyologists. These images were supplemented with photographs taken of additional Amazonian fish specimens housed in the ichthyological collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. 5. We generated a CNN model that identified 33 genera of fishes with a mean accuracy of 97.9%. Wider availability of accurate freshwater fish image recognition tools, such as the one described here, will enable fishermen, local communities and community scientists to more effectively participate in collecting and sharing data from their territories to inform policy and management decisions that impact them directly.

Protected areas (PAs) are the primary strategy for slowing terrestrial biodiversity loss. Although expansion of PA coverage is prioritized under the Convention on Biological Diversity, it remains unknown whether PAs mitigate declines across the tetrapod tree of life and to what extent land cover and climate change modify PA effectiveness1,2. Here we analysed rates of change in abundance of 2,239 terrestrial vertebrate populations across the globe. On average, vertebrate populations declined five times more slowly within PAs (-0.4% per year) than at similar sites lacking protection (-1.8% per year). The mitigating effects of PAs varied both within and across vertebrate classes, with amphibians and birds experiencing the greatest benefits. The benefits of PAs were lower for amphibians in areas with converted land cover and lower for reptiles in areas with rapid climate warming. By contrast, the mitigating impacts of PAs were consistently augmented by effective national governance. This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of PAs as a strategy for slowing tetrapod declines. However, optimizing the growing PA network requires targeted protection of sensitive clades and mitigation of threats beyond PA boundaries. Provided the conditions of targeted protection, adequate governance and well-managed landscapes are met, PAs can serve a critical role in safeguarding tetrapod biodiversity. An analysis of 2,239 terrestrial vertebrate populations shows that they decline more slowly in protected areas than outside protected areas, but the benefits vary across vertebrate classes and depend on the regional context of the protected area.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has emerged as a transformative tool for applied ecology, conservation and biodiversity monitoring, but its potential contribution to fundamental ecology is less often discussed, and fundamental PAM studies tend to be descriptive, rather than mechanistic. Here, we chart the most promising directions for ecologists wishing to use the suite of currently available acoustic methods to address long-standing fundamental questions in ecology and explore new avenues of research. In both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, PAM provides an opportunity to ask questions across multiple spatial scales and at fine temporal resolution, and to capture phenomena or species that are difficult to observe. In combination with traditional approaches to data collection, PAM could release ecologists from myriad limitations that have, at times, precluded mechanistic understanding. We discuss several case studies to demonstrate the potential contribution of PAM to biodiversity estimation, population trend analysis, assessing climate change impacts on phenology and distribution, and understanding disturbance and recovery dynamics. We also highlight what is on the horizon for PAM, in terms of near-future technological and methodological developments that have the potential to provide advances in coming years. Overall, we illustrate how ecologists can harness the power of PAM to address fundamental ecological questions in an era of ecology no longer characterised by data limitation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Future climate projections of warming, drying, and increased weather variability indicate that conventional agricultural and production practices within the Northern Great Plains (NGP) will become less sustainable, both ecologically and economically. As a result, the livelihoods of people that rely on these lands will be adversely impacted. This is especially true for Native American communities, who were relegated to reservations where the land is often vast but marginal and non-tribal operators have an outsized role in food production. In addition, NGP lands are expected to warm and dry disproportionately relative to the rest of the United States. It is therefore critical to identify models of sustainable land management that can improve ecological function and socio-economic outcomes for NGP communities, all while increasing resilience to a rapidly changing climate. Efforts led by Native American Nations to restore North American Plains bison (Bison bison bison) to tribal lands can bring desired socio-ecological benefits to underserved communities while improving their capacity to influence the health of their lands, their people, and their livelihoods. Ecological sustainability will depend on the restoration of bison herds and bison’s ability to serve as ecosystem engineers of North America’s Plains. The historically broad distribution of bison suggests they can adapt to a variety of conditions, making them resilient to a wide range of management systems and climates. Here we review bison’s ecological, cultural, and economic value using four case studies from tribal communities within the NGP. We discuss the potential contributions of bison to food sovereignty, sustainable economies, and conservation of a working landscape with limited protections and significant risk of conversion. The ecological role of bison within this setting has potential due to cultural acceptance and the vast availability of suitable lands; however, it is critical to address tribal needs for funding support, enhanced community capacity, and solving complex landownership for these goals to be achieved.

Whilst total global fisheries landed catches declined from 1950 to 2016, small-scale fisheries (SSFs) landed catches increased. Amongst SSFs landed catches, approximately 95% are consumed domestically. Taken together, these highlight the importance of the potential for SSFs to contribute to food security and well-being of coastal populations, particularly in Developing Economy Countries (DECs). We used the Sea Around Us database to evaluate long-term trends of marine SSFs landed catches in 85 DECs. We analyse whether yields from SSFs have the capacity to provide the coastal populations of DECs with a recommended annual intake (RAI) of 10.6 kg of fish per person, and how that capacity has changed over the period of 1960 to 2016. We show that landed catches of SSFs increased in the majority of DECs evaluated from 1950 to 2016. However, in 2016, over one-third of SSFs in DECs assessed did not have the capacity to provide the RAI of fish to coastal communities, and 64% of all SSFs assessed are exhibiting significant declines in their capacity to fulfil this need. Regional trends in providing RAI were highly variable, putting the long-term sustainability and capacity of SSFs to contribute meaningfully to food security in doubt. This study demonstrates that landed catches of SSFs alone are not a useful proxy for food security. Implementation of proven effective management practices, policies to improve accessibility and consumption patterns, and the prioritization of small-scale wild-caught fisheries are needed to ensure the food security of billions of people in coastal communities.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global blueprint to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and protect the planet. Progress toward these goals is falling short. Achieving the SDGs requires coordination among government, private industry, and nongovernmental organizations to align the actions of multiple sectors with SDG targets. Adapting an approach used by industry sectors, we mapped the Smithsonian Institution Working Land and Seascapes network to the SDGs. The network of programs aims to foster healthy and productive ecosystems through collaborations with diverse stakeholders. Across the network, we identified clear and measurable contributions to 16 of the 17 SDGs and specifically mapped past and current activities to 76 of the 169 targets, thereby demonstrating how conservation actions can contribute to achieving the SDGs, beyond SDGs 14 and 15. We also identified the need for clear results chain and greater capacity to achieve the SDGs and then provide examples of how different sectors can increase complementarity of their actions. By mapping activities to the SDGs, different sectors can increase alignment and strengthen collective contributions towards common global goals.

Biodiversity is in precipitous decline globally across both terrestrial and marine environments. Therefore, conservation actions are needed everywhere on Earth, including in the biodiversity rich landscapes and seascapes where people live and work that cover much of the planet. Integrative landscape and seascape approaches to conservation fill this niche. Making evidence-informed conservation decisions within these populated and working landscapes and seascapes requires an in-depth and nuanced understanding of the human dimensions through application of the conservation social sciences. Yet, there has been no comprehensive exploration of potential conservation social science contributions to working landscape and seascape initiatives. We use the Smithsonian Working Land and Seascapes initiative – an established program with a network of 14 sites around the world – as a case study to examine what human dimensions topics are key to improving our understanding and how this knowledge can inform conservation in working landscapes and seascapes. This exploratory study identifies 38 topics and linked questions related to how insights from place-based and problem-focused social science might inform the planning, doing, and learning phases of conservation decision-making and adaptive management. Results also show how conservation social science might yield synthetic and theoretical insights that are more broadly applicable. We contend that incorporating insights regarding the human dimensions into integrated conservation initiatives across working landscapes and seascapes will produce more effective, equitable, appropriate and robust conservation actions. Thus, we encourage governments and organizations working on conservation initiatives in working landscapes and seascapes to increase engagement with and funding of conservation social science.

Fieldwork in premontane and lowland Amazonian forest (385-1,075 m above sea level) in and around the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in southeastern Peru led us to describe two new species of the genus Pristimantis. We used integrative evidence from several external morphological characters, morphometric and molecular data, geographic distributions, and multivariate analyses to support the identification of these new species. Pristimantis gagliardi sp. nov. is characterized by lacking a visible tympanic annulus and membrane on skin, having basal webbing between toes, yellow blotches in groin and hidden surfaces of shanks, W-shaped scapular mark, snout subacuminate bearing a very small papilla at tip of snout, and snout-vent length (SVL) = 17.7-21.3 mm in adult males and SVL = 26.7-29.2 mm in females. Pristimantis okmoi sp. nov. is characterized by having a visible tympanic annulus and membrane on skin, basal webbing between toes, yellow blotches in groin and hidden surfaces of shanks, W-shaped scapular mark, snout rounded with small rostral papilla, and SVL = 13.63-17.04 mm in adult males; females unknown. Both species were initially misidentified as P. carvalhoi or P. imitatrix. Additionally, we provide new morphological and phylogenetic data on adult specimens of Pristimantis imitatrix, a rare Amazonian species described based on a single subadult female.

New infrastructure development in previously natural environments is introducing light pollution to habitats at an unprecedented rate, which has the potential to be devastating for native insect assemblages. We evaluated insect attraction to three lamp types emitting different spectra of light (white, yellow-filtered and amber-filtered ~3000 K LED lamps) and an unlit control in a lowland forest site in the northern Peruvian Amazon previously naive to artificial illumination. Lamp type was the only variable included in the most parsimonious models explaining morphospecies richness and abundance for all insects combined and for eight different insect orders. White lamps (3200 K) attracted far more insects, both morphospecies and individuals, including groups containing important vectors of pathogens, bacteria or parasites, than either yellow (2700 K) or amber (2200 K) lamps. Amber lamps attracted the fewest morphospecies and individuals overall but were the most attractive for a limited group of insects, including elaterid beetles (click beetles) and mycetophilid flies (fungus flies). While period of night was not a significant predictor of morphospecies richness or abundance, different assemblages of insects were collected during two different sampling periods (18:00-20:00 and 03:00-05:00). We strongly recommend that new infrastructure development projects introducing ALAN to light-naive tropical forests use filtered amber LED lamps with no blue and minimal green light content in outdoor lighted areas. Similarly, operators should develop outdoor lighting plans that include overall reduction of nocturnal lighting and impact mitigation measures. These recommendations should also be used to retrofit existing infrastructure including roads and human settlements. en espanol El desarrollo de nuevas infraestructuras en entornos previamente naturales esta introduciendo contaminacion luminica en esos habitats a una taza sin precedentes, la cual tiene el potencial de ser particularmente devastadora para las comunidades de insectos nativos. Evaluamos la atraccion de insectos a tres tipos de lamparas que emiten diferentes espectros de luz (lamparas LED blancas de ~3000K sin filtro, con un filtro amarillo y con un filtro ambar para limitar o eliminar los espectros azules de luz emitidos) y un control sin luz en un sitio de bosque bajo en el norte de la Amazonia peruana, previamente sin iluminacion artificial. El tipo de lampara fue la unica variable incluida en los modelos mas parsimonicos que explican la riqueza y abundancia de morfoespecies para todos los insectos combinados y para ocho ordenes diferentes de insectos. Las lamparas blancas (3200K) atrajeron muchos mas insectos, morfoespecies e individuos, incluyendo grupos conocidos por contener vectores importantes de patogenos, bacterias o parasitos, que las lamparas de color amarillo (2700K) o ambar (2200K). Las lamparas ambar atrajeron la menor cantidad de morfoespecies e individuos en general, pero fueron las luces mas atractivas para un grupo limitado de insectos, incluyendo a los escarabajos elateridos (escarabajos clic) y las moscas micetofilidas (moscas de los hongos). Si bien el periodo de la noche no fue un predictor significativo de la riqueza o abundancia de morfoespecies, se colectaron diferentes ensamblajes de insectos durante los dos periodos de muestreo (18: 00-20: 00 y 03: 00-05: 00). Recomendamos enfaticamente que los nuevos proyectos de desarrollo de infraestructura que introduzcan ALAN a bosques sin luces artificiales utilicen luces LED con filtro ambar sin espectro azul y muy poco espectro verde en areas iluminadas al aire libre. Del mismo modo, los operadores deben desarrollar un plan de iluminacion al aire libre que incluya la reduccion general de la iluminacion nocturna y metodos de mitigacion de impactos. Estas recomendaciones tambien deben usarse para modernizar la infraestructura existente, incluidas las carreteras y los asentamientos humanos.

Ecoacoustics is an emerging field that allows inferences about biodiversity trends and ecosystem health. Several acoustic indices have been developed for fast, automated assessments of ecosystem condition and are often used to assess changes in species richness/diversity across space or time. However, studies have reported inconclusive relationships between acoustic indices and species richness/diversity and the conclusions regarding “best” performing index differ between ecosystems. Here we assess the use of acoustic indices, using birds as a proxy for ecosystem health in a Northern Great Plains grassland system. We recorded soundscapes during bird morning chorus at 47 sites for 12–14 consecutive days and used these data to assess the accuracy of four acoustic indices (i.e. Bioacoustic Index; Acoustic Evenness Index; Acoustic Diversity Index; and Acoustic Complexity Index). We compared indices to bird richness derived from a trained ornithologist listening to sound recordings. The Bioacoustic Index (BI) and Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) had the absolute highest correlation with bird richness in Northern Great Plains systems. Where Bioacoustic Index had a positive correlation and Acoustic Complexity Index had a negative correlation with grassland birds. The latter had the opposite direction from the ‘theoretical’ prediction. We further explored the relationship between indices and landscape gradients with known influences on bird diversity to further validate each index. We also discuss implications of acoustic indices as a tool for monitoring grassland birds. We found BI model outcomes align with known relationships between grassland birds and spatial covariates, whereas ACI did not concur these trends. We discuss these outcomes in relation to habitat-specific bird biophonic characteristics and provide possible explanations for differences between studies.

AbstractWe investigated the patterns of genetic diversity and structure of African forest elephants in a human‐modified landscape in the Gamba complex of protected areas (GCPA), a tropical wilderness area along the southwest coast of Gabon. We collected 298 elephant fecal samples from four sites (Sette Cama, Gamba area, Vera Plains, and Mayonami), along approximately 80 km of coastline from north to south. We used microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to successfully genotype 295 of the 298 fecal samples, and identified 213 individuals. Using sex markers, we identified 84 males and 118 females; we could not determine the sex of the remaining 11 individuals. We also characterized the sex, group size, and social status of crop‐raiding elephants and did not find characteristics distinguishing them from nonraiders. Overall, our mtDNA and microsatellite markers revealed that elephants in the research area maintain high levels of genetic variation and low levels of subdivision. Gene flow appears to be mostly mediated by male dispersal away from natal herds. Our structure analysis revealed two highly admixed genetic clusters, attributable to high connectivity among the protected areas. However, forest areas within the GCPA have become increasingly fragmented by human‐induced habitat modification. We detected a pattern of isolation by distance, accentuated by the presence of the town of Gamba between Sette‐Cama and Mayonami. We found a high degree of connectivity among sampling locations within the GCPA. This supports the importance of establishing agricultural best practices to reduce habitat loss that may sever gene exchange and to maintain connectivity, as well as to avoid human–elephant conflict that can result in retaliatory killing of elephants in this area. This study emphasizes the importance of conducting baseline monitoring of demographic data, genetic diversity, and structure to enable future comparisons to assess the long‐term impact of human‐induced habitat fragmentation.

We document chigger mite (Acari: Trombiculidae) ectoparasitic infestation (prevalence and intensity) on a population of Catharus ustulatus (Turdidae) wintering at a site (PAD A) in southeastern Peru undergoing development for natural gas exploration. We compare prevalence (i.e., the proportion of individuals infested by chigger mites) and intensity (i.e., the average number of larvae and larvae clusters in infested individuals) at forest edge (<100 m) and interior (>100 m) from PAD A because variations in biotic (e.g., vegetation cover) and abiotic (e.g., relative humidity and temperature) factors are expected to influence chigger mite abundance. Chigger mite prevalence was 100%; all C. ustulatus captured were infested regardless of distance. The range of variation in larvae (2-72 larvae/individual) and cluster intensity (1-4 clusters/individual) did not differ between edge and interior (P > 0.05), despite differences in herbaceous vegetation cover (UM-W = 180, n = 30, 31; P < 0.01). Ectoparasitic prevalence and intensity in long-distance migratory birds might add risks to an already hazardous journey; because ectoparasitic variation and other selective pressures experienced by individuals at each locality not only may be a cause of within-site mortality, but, by affecting the physical condition of birds, may be carried over to subsequent sites and affect reproductive success and survival. Documenting ectoparasitism at any phase of the life cycle of migrants could improve understanding of population declines of migratory birds.

Knowledge that can be gained from acoustic data collection in tropical ecosystems is low‐hanging fruit. There is every reason to record and with every day, there are fewer excuses not to do it. In recent years, the cost of acoustic recorders has decreased substantially (some can be purchased for under US $50, e.g., Hill et al . 2018) and the technology needed to store and analyze acoustic data is continuously improving (e.g., Corrada Bravo et al . 2017, Xie et al . 2017). Soundscape recordings provide a permanent record of a site at a given time and contain a wealth of invaluable and irreplaceable information. Although challenges remain, failure to collect acoustic data now in tropical ecosystems would represent a failure to future generations of tropical researchers and the citizens that benefit from ecological research. In this commentary, we (1) argue for the need to increase acoustic monitoring in tropical systems; (2) describe the types of research questions and conservation issues that can be addressed with passive acoustic monitoring ( PAM ) using both short‐ and long‐term data in terrestrial and freshwater habitats; and (3) present an initial plan for establishing a global repository of tropical recordings.

While natural resource exploration and extraction activity is expanding in the Neotropics, our understanding of wildlife response to such activity is almost non-existent. Primates, which fulfill important ecological roles and face numerous anthropogenic threats, are of particular concern. We studied primate group distribution before, during, and after natural gas pipeline construction in the Peruvian Amazon to investigate whether primates spatially avoid areas of disturbance. We monitored primates on eight transects 20 times per annual sampling period in three consecutive years and analyzed changes in group observations relative to the pipeline right-of-way in a multi-season occupancy modeling framework. Overall primate group encounter rates were low (<half) compared to a nearby protected area. Contrary to expectations, we did not see clear evidence of spatial avoidance of the pipeline area. Although higher overall encounter rates before construction suggested lower primate use of the area during and following construction, this pattern could not be confirmed statistically, and probability of colonization and extinction of transect sections in the occupancy analysis could not be differentiated from zero. These results are probably attributable to a combination of low numbers of primate encounters and high spatial variability in primate use of different transects. This study provides valuable preliminary data and a methodological framework for understanding the response of an ecologically important group of mammals to anthropogenic activity. We encourage other researchers to continue exploring the impacts of natural resource exploration- and extraction-related activities in the tropics, as such activities are likely to have a growing effect on ecosystems.Resumen Mientras que las actividades de exploracion y extraccion de recursos naturales se expanden en el Neotropico, nuestro entendimiento de las respuestas de la vida silvestre a dicho tipo de actividades es casi inexistente. Los primates, que cumplen importantes roles ecologicos y enfrentan numerosas amenazas antropogenicas, son un grupo de especial preocupacion. Estudiamos la distribucion de grupos de primates antes, durante y despues de la construccion de un gaseoducto en la Amazonia peruana para investigar si los primates evitan espacialmente las areas de mayor perturbacion, ya sea en el corto o largo plazo. Monitoreamos especies de primates en ocho transectos, 20 veces por ano, durante tres anos consecutivos y analizamos los cambios en las observaciones de los grupos en relacion al derecho de via del gaseoducto bajo un marco teorico de modelos de ocupacion multi-estacional. En general, la tasas de encuentro de los grupos de primates fueron bajas (menos de la mitad) en comparacion a las reportadas para un area protegida cercana, y contrario a lo esperado, no encontramos evidencia clara de evasion espacial del area de impacto a lo largo de los transectos de estudio. A pesar que las altas tasas de encuentro antes de la construccion sugirieron menor uso del area por parte de los primates durante y despues de la construccion, este patron no pudo ser confirmado estadisticamente. Asimismo, la probabilidad de colonizacion y extincion de las secciones de los transectos en el analisis de ocupacion no pudo ser diferenciada de cero. Esto es, probablemente debido a la combinacion de un bajo numero de encuentros de grupos de primates y una alta variabilidad espacial de los primates en el uso de los diferentes transectos. Este estudio provee valiosos datos preliminares y un marco metodologico para comprender las respuestas de un grupo ecologicamente importante de mamiferos Neotropicales a actividades antropogenicas. Invitamos a otros investigadores a continuar explorando los impactos de la construccion de gaseoductos y de otras actividades de exploracion y extraccion de recursos naturales en la flora y fauna tropical ya que dichas actividades pueden incrementar su efecto en los ecosistemas tropicales.

Development projects in west Central Africa are proceeding at an unprecedented rate, often with little concern for their effects on biodiversity. In an attempt to better understand potential impacts of a road development project on the anuran amphibian community, we conducted a biodiversity assessment employing multiple methodologies (visual encounter transects, auditory surveys, leaf litter plots and pitfall traps) to inventory species prior to construction of a new road within the buffer zone of Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. Because of difficulties in morphological identification and taxonomic uncertainty of amphibian species observed in the area, we integrated a DNA barcoding analysis into the project to improve the overall quality and accuracy of the species inventory. Based on morphology alone, 48 species were recognized in the field and voucher specimens of each were collected. We used tissue samples from specimens collected at our field site, material available from amphibians collected in other parts of Gabon and the Republic of Congo to initiate a DNA barcode library for west Central African amphibians. We then compared our sequences with material in GenBank for the genera recorded at the study site to assist in identifications. The resulting COI and 16S barcode library allowed us to update the number of species documented at the study site to 28, thereby providing a more accurate assessment of diversity and distributions. We caution that because sequence data maintained in GenBank are often poorly curated by the original submitters and cannot be amended by third-parties, these data have limited utility for identification purposes. Nevertheless, the use of DNA barcoding is likely to benefit biodiversity inventories and long-term monitoring, particularly for taxa that can be difficult to identify based on morphology alone; likewise, inventory and monitoring programs can contribute invaluable data to the DNA barcode library and the taxonomy of complex groups. Our methods provide an example of how non-taxonomists and parataxonomists working in understudied parts of the world with limited geographic sampling and comparative morphological material can use DNA barcoding and publicly available sequence data (GenBank) to rapidly identify the number of species and assign tentative names to aid in urgent conservation management actions and contribute to taxonomic resolution.