Using Citizen Science and Field Surveys to Document the Introduction, Establishment, and Rapid Spread of the Bare-Eyed Pigeon, Patagioenas corensis, on the Island of Saint-Martin, West Indies.

Early reporting of the introduction and establishment of exotic species is of paramount importance for successful management. Here, we report the introduction and rapid spread of the Bare-eyed Pigeon, Patagioenas corensis, on the binational island of Saint-Martin, the West Indies. This range-restricted species naturally occurs in arid coastal areas of Columbia and Venezuela and nearby islands. Its introduction on Saint-Martin represents an expansion of about 1000 km beyond its established native range. Using observations recorded in eBird and results from a recent field survey, we show that since its introduction, most probably between late 2012 and early 2013, the species has expanded fast in Saint-Martin and has recently broadened its habitat to include anthropized, built areas. The expansion of Bare-eyed Pigeon on Saint-Martin and the neighboring Leeward Islands, possibly facilitated by climate change in the future, could be a threat to both native columbid species and other bird species through competition for resources. We therefore recommend that local authorities and stakeholders rapidly eradicate the species or at least prevent its further spread on Saint-Martin, possibly though listing it as a game species, while it is still possible to do so.

Detection of Enteric Viruses on Strawberries and Raspberries Using Capture by Apolipoprotein H.

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) and the hepatitis A virus (HAV) are the main viral causes of foodborne illness worldwide. These viruses are frequently transmitted via fresh and frozen berries, such as strawberries and raspberries. ISO 15216:1 (2017), currently the preferred method for their detection, involves several steps and is time-consuming. Apolipoprotein H (ApoH) has been shown to have a strong affinity for several microorganisms, including HuNoVs. In this article, we report an ApoH-based method of capturing the HAV and HuNoVs adherent to berries and concentrating them for assay. The limit of detection of both viruses suspended in a buffer was low. On strawberries, the HAV was detected down to 104 genome copies/25 g in 100% of cases and down to 103 genome copies/25 g on raspberries in 50% of cases. This sensitivity was not significantly different from that of the ISO method 15216:1 (2017). HuNoV GII.4 was more difficult to detect using the ApoH method. The ApoH CaptoVIR kit does, nevertheless, appear to be usable in the near future as a single-test, multiple-detection method for viruses on fresh and frozen berries.

Habitat specialization predicts genetic response to fragmentation in tropical birds.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the most severe threats to biodiversity as it may lead to changes in population genetic structure, with ultimate modifications of species evolutionary potential and local extinctions. Nonetheless, fragmentation does not equally affect all species and identifying which ecological traits are related to species sensitivity to habitat fragmentation could help prioritization of conservation efforts. Despite the theoretical link between species ecology and extinction proneness, comparative studies explicitly testing the hypothesis that particular ecological traits underlies species-specific population structure are rare. Here, we used a comparative approach on eight bird species, co-occurring across the same fragmented landscape. For each species, we quantified relative levels of forest specialization and genetic differentiation among populations. To test the link between forest specialization and susceptibility to forest fragmentation, we assessed species responses to fragmentation by comparing levels of genetic differentiation between continuous and fragmented forest landscapes. Our results revealed a significant and substantial population structure at a very small spatial scale for mobile organisms such as birds. More importantly, we found that specialist species are more affected by forest fragmentation than generalist ones. Finally, our results suggest that even a simple habitat specialization index can be a satisfying predictor of genetic and demographic consequences of habitat fragmentation, providing a reliable practical and quantitative tool for conservation biology.