New publication on Tiger Mosquito range expansion !

Tavecchia, G., Miranda, M.-A., Borrás, D., Bengoa, M., Barceló, C. Paredes-Esquivel, C. and Schwarz, C. 2017 Modelling the range expansion of the Tiger mosquito in a Mediterranean Island accounting for imperfect detection   Frontiers in Zoology, 14:39-49 doi. 10.1186/s12983-017-0217-x

Abstract: Aedes albopictus (Diptera; Culicidae) is a highly invasive mosquito species and a competent vector of several arboviral diseases that have spread rapidly throughout the world. Prevalence and patterns of dispersal of the mosquito are of central importance for an effective control of the species. We used site-occupancy models accounting for false negative detections to estimate the prevalence, the turnover, the movement pattern and the growth rate in the number of sites occupied by the mosquito in 17 localities throughout Mallorca Island. Site-occupancy probability increased from 0.35 in the 2012, year of first reported observation of the species, to 0.89 in 2015. Despite a steady increase in mosquito presence, the extinction probability was generally high indicating a high turnover in the occupied sites. We considered two site-dependent covariates, namely the distance from the point of first observation and the estimated yearly occupancy rate in the neighborhood, as predicted by diffusion models. Results suggested that mosquito distribution during the first year was consistent with what predicted by simple diffusion models, but was not consistent with the diffusion model in subsequent years when it was similar to those expected from leapfrog dispersal events. Assuming a single initial colonization event, the spread of Ae. albopictus in Mallorca followed two distinct phases, an early one consistent with diffusion movements and a second consistent with long distance, ‘leapfrog’, movements. The colonization of the island was fast, with ~90% of the sites estimated to be occupied 3 years after the colonization. The fast spread was likely to have occurred through vectors related to human mobility such as cars or other vehicles. Surveillance and management actions near the introduction point would only be effective during the early steps of the colonization.

New Publication on Spoonbill population dynamics!

Tenan S, Fasola M, Volponi S, Tavecchia G. Conspecific and not performance-based attraction on immigrants drivescolony growth in a waterbird. J Anim Ecol. 2017;00:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12690

Abstract

1. Local recruitment and immigration play an important part in the dynamics and growth of animal populations. However, their estimation and incorporation into open population models is, in most cases, problematic. We studied factors affecting the growth of a recently established colony of Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) and assessed the contribution of local recruits, i.e. birds born in the colony, and immigrants, i.e. birds of unknown origin, to colony growth.
2. We applied an integrated population model that accounts for uncertainty in breeding state assignment and merges population surveys, local fecundity and individual longitudinal data of breeding and non-breeding birds, to estimate demographic rates and the relative role of recruitment and immigration in driving the local dynamics. We also used this analytical framework to assess the degree of support for the ‘performance-based’ and ‘conspecific attraction’ hypotheses as possible mechanisms of colony growth.
3. Among the demographic rates, only immigration was positively and significantly correlated with population growth rate. In addition, the number of immigrants settling in the colony was positively correlated with colony size in the previous and current year, but was not correlated with fecundity of the previous year.
4. Our results suggest that the variation in immigration affected colony dynamics and that conspecific attraction likely triggered the relevant role of immigration in the growth of a recently formed waterbird colony, supporting the need of including immigration in population analysis.

You can see press release (in Italian) following the links belows:
http://www.ilvelino.it/it/article/2017/06/08/oltre-500-esemplari-di-spatola-nel-delta-del-po/6a079c85-14eb-4359-9659-07fdbd153b93/

https://www.galileonet.it/2017/06/la-spatola-nel-delta-del-po-ama-la-compagnia/

http://www.quotidiano.net/benessere/animali/animali-spatola-po-1.3184337

http://www.italiaambiente.it/2017/06/08/uccello-spatola-sul-delta-del-po-due-cinquecento-28-anni/

http://www.greencity.it/ambiente/9472/oltre-500-esemplari-di-spatola-nel-delta-del-po.html

http://www.meteoweb.eu/2017/06/ambiente-ispra-uno-studio-rivela-la-singolare-diffusione-di-uccello-spatola-nel-delta-del-po/914077/

http://www.periodicodaily.com/2017/06/09/oltre-500-esemplari-di-spatola-nel-delta-del-po/

https://www.ladeadellacaccia.it/index.php/oltre-500-esemplari-di-spatola-nel-delta-del-po-45712/

GEP on F1000 !

The manuscript by Tenan et al. 2014. Bayesian model selection: The steepest mountain to climb. Ecol. Mod. 283: 62-69 has been mentioned by Heather Lynch on the Faculty of 1000.
 

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