The taxonomy, zoogeography and ecology of amphibians and reptiles of Hin Nam No National Protected Area (Laos) in comparison with data from Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (Vietnam).

In this thesis the mostly unknown herpetofauna in Hin Nam No National Protected Area Laos in the northern Truong Son Range was for the first time intensively investigated, and its diversity was compared to the bordering, and well-investigated Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. Twelve new vertebrate species were described comprising 11 geckonids (Cyrtodactylus bansocensis, C. calamei, C. hinnamnoensis, C. jaegeri, C. rufford, C. sommerladi, C. soudthichaki, Gekko boehmei, G. bonkowskii, G. sengchanthavongi, G. thakhekensis, Lycodon banksi and one colubrid snake (Lycodon banksi). Seven species were discovered for the first time in Laos including three frogs (Gracixalus quyeti, G. supercornutus, Rhacophorus maximus), two geckos (Cyrtodactylus cryptus, C. pseudoquadrivirgatus) and two snakes (Lycodon futsingensis, L. ruhstrati abditus). The main hypothesis that the Truong Son Range acted as a biogeographic barrier for the distribution of amphibians and reptiles could be confirmed at least for karst adapted gekkonids. Compared to other herpetofaunal groups the number of gekkonids in karst formations was particularly high (seven bent-toed geckos, four true geckos). By comparing the relative amounts of shared species in Hin Nam No and Phong Nha - Ke Bang, it is interesting to note that fewer reptile species (38%) than amphibian species (66%) were shared between both regions. This might indicate that the Truong Son Range acts as a stronger biogeographical barrier for reptiles than for amphibians. Two pairs of karst-adapted cryptic gecko species (i.e. species with distinct genetic differences, but a similar phenotype) occurred on both sides of the Truong Son Range. Only in one case these were sibling species (Crytodactylus sommerladi in Laos versus C. roesleri in Vietnam), but not in the other (C. hinnamnoensis in Laos versus C. phongnhakebangensis in Vietnam). On the Laotian side, nine gecko species (Cyrtodactylus bansocensis, C. calamei, C. darevskii, C. hinnamnoensis, C. khammouanensis, C. multiporus, C. sommerladi, G. boehmei, G. sengchanthavongi) currently have to be regarded as endemic to the Hin Nam No region. On the Vietnamese side, seven species including two bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus phongnhakebangensis and C. roesleri), three skinks (Lygosoma boehmei, Sphenomorphus tetradactylus and Tropidophorus noggei), and two snakes (Hebius andreae and Boiga bourreti) are currently only known from Phong Nha - Ke Bang and adjacent regions. These high numbers of potential endemic species together with the cryptic species complex in Cyrtodactylus provide strong evidence that the karst formations in the northern Truong Son Range represent a hot spot of reptile diversity and of speciation in Crytodactylus in particular. Correct species identification is a fundamental requirement for conservation measures. The discovery of cryptic species complexes poses a challenge for alpha taxonomy and species conservation, because the true distribution ranges of the species are in fact much smaller than previously assumed. Species conservation in this area of Laos is facing a number of further problems. New and potentially endemic species were discovered in highly populated and disturbed areas. Conversion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail into a highway provided easy access for farmers and still continues to accelerate the destruction of remote forest areas. Southern Hin Nam No with its high diversity of endemic species was identified as the first priority area for conservation. Also Ban Soc, an area isolated from Hin Nam No, should be among the conservation priorities because this region houses a so far overlooked population of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile. Efforts to establish a legal conservation status for this habitat are in progress.

Good is generally more alike than bad in the information ecology: Investigating the case of (the ABC model of) group stereotypes

On most if not all evaluatively relevant dimensions such as the temperature level, taste intensity, and nutritional value of a meal, one range of adequate, positive states is framed by two ranges of inadequate, negative states, namely too much and too little. This distribution of positive and negative states in the information ecology results in a higher similarity of positive objects, people, and events to other positive stimuli as compared to the similarity of negative stimuli to other negative stimuli. In other words, there are fewer ways in which an object, a person, or an event can be positive as compared to negative. Oftentimes, there is only one way in which a stimulus can be positive (e.g., a good meal has to have an adequate temperature level, taste intensity, and nutritional value). In contrast, there are many different ways in which a stimulus can be negative (e.g., a bad meal can be too hot or too cold, too spicy or too bland, or too fat or too lean). This higher similarity of positive as compared to negative stimuli is important, as similarity greatly impacts speed and accuracy on virtually all levels of information processing, including attention, classification, categorization, judgment and decision making, and recognition and recall memory. Thus, if the difference in similarity between positive and negative stimuli is a general phenomenon, it predicts and may explain a variety of valence asymmetries in cognitive processing (e.g., positive as compared to negative stimuli are processed faster but less accurately). In my dissertation, I show that the similarity asymmetry is indeed a general phenomenon that is observed in thousands of words and pictures. Further, I show that the similarity asymmetry applies to social groups. Groups stereotyped as average on the two dimensions agency / socio-economic success (A) and conservative-progressive beliefs (B) are stereotyped as positive or high on communion (C), while groups stereotyped as extreme on A and B (e.g., managers, homeless people, punks, and religious people) are stereotyped as negative or low on C. As average groups are more similar to one another than extreme groups, according to this ABC model of group stereotypes, positive groups are mentally represented as more similar to one another than negative groups. Finally, I discuss implications of the ABC model of group stereotypes, pointing to avenues for future research on how stereotype content shapes social perception, cognition, and behavior.

Pronounced inter-colony variation in the foraging ecology of Australasian gannets : influence of habitat differences

The predictability of prey due to oceanographic features can result in large aggregations of apex predators. Central place foragers, such as seabirds, are limited in their foraging duration and range during the breeding period, which can restrict their ability to reach such locations. Segregation by colony and sex can further restrict foraging range and may have direct implications for the foraging ecology of a species. In parts of its range, the Australasian gannet Morus serrator breeds in colonies of relatively close proximity and has recently been found to display sexual dimorphism. Two neighbouring breeding colonies in Bass Strait that experience divergent environmental conditions were investigated to determine whether these conditions or the sex of the individual are important variables influencing foraging behaviour in this species. GPS tracking and accelerometry were paired with stable isotope analysis to compare differences in foraging effort, habitat use and diet. Birds from Point Danger, a large colony located near a seasonally strong upwelling, travelled considerably further (77%) than birds from Pope's Eye, a small colony in a nutrient-poor embayment. However, within colonies no sexual differences in foraging effort were found. While the colonies did not overlap in foraging areas, a degree of sexual segregation was apparent within both colonies (Point Danger 46.3% overlap and Pope's Eye 73.7% overlap in home range). Furthermore, stable isotope analysis indicated birds from each colony fed at different trophic niches. This study reveals differences in habitat use and, consequently, dietary niches between and within neighbouring colonies.

Key questions in marine megafauna movement ecology

It is a golden age for animal movement studies and so an opportune time to assess priorities for future work. We assembled 40 experts to identify key questions in this field, focussing on marine megafauna, which include a broad range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Research on these taxa has both underpinned many of the recent technical developments and led to fundamental discoveries in the field. We show that the questions have broad applicability to other taxa, including terrestrial animals, flying insects, and swimming invertebrates, and, as such, this exercise provides a useful roadmap for targeted deployments and data syntheses that should advance the field of movement ecology.

ICES meets marine historical ecology: placing the history of fish and fisheries in current policy context

As a discipline, marine historical ecology (MHE) has contributed significantly to our understanding of the past state of the marine environment when levels of human impact were often very different from those today.What is less widely known is that insights from MHE have made headway into being applied within the context of present-day and long-term management and policy. This study draws attention to the applied value of MHE. We demonstrate that a broad knowledge base exists with potential for management application and advice, including the development of baselines and reference levels.Using a number of case studies from around the world,we showcase the value of historical ecology in understanding change and emphasize how it either has already informed management or has the potential to do so soon.We discuss these case studies in a context of the science–policy interface around six themes that are frequently targeted by current marine and maritime policies: climate change, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem structure, habitat integrity, food security, and human governance.We encourage science–policy bodies to actively engage with contributions from MHE, as well informed policy decisions need to be framed within the context of historical reference points and past resource or ecosystem changes.

The personality behind cheating: behavioural types and the feeding ecology of cleaner fish

The complex mutualistic relationship between the cleaner fish (Labroides dimidiatus) and their 'clients' in many reef systems throughout the world has been the subject of debate and research interest for decades. Game-theory models have long struggled with explaining how the mixed strategies of cheating and honesty might have evolved in such a system and while significant efforts have been made theoretically, demonstrating the nature of this relationship empirically remains an important research challenge. Using the experimental framework of behavioural syndromes, we sought to quantitatively assess the relationship between personality and the feeding ecology of cleaner fish to provide novel insights into the underlying mechanistic basis of cheating in cleaner-client interactions. First, we observed and filmed cleaner fish interactions with heterospecifics, movement patterns and general feeding ecology in the wild. We then captured and measured all focal individuals and tested them for individual consistency in measures of activity, exploration and risk taking (boldness) in the laboratory. Our results suggest a syndrome incorporating aspects of personality and foraging effort are central components of the behavioural ecology of L. dimidiatus on the Great Barrier Reef. We found that individuals that exhibited greater feeding effort tended to cheat proportionately less and move over smaller distances relative to bolder more active, exploratory individuals. Our study demonstrates for the first time that individual differences in personality might be mechanistically involved in explaining how the mixed strategies of cheating and honesty persist in cleaner fish mutualisms.

The evolutionary ecology of transmissible cancers.

Transmissible tumours, while rare, present a fascinating opportunity to examine the evolutionary dynamics of cancer as both an infectious agent and an exotic, invasive species. Only three naturally-occurring transmissible cancers have been observed so far in the wild: Tasmanian devil facial tumour diseases, canine transmissible venereal tumour, and clam leukaemia. Here, we define four conditions that are necessary and sufficient for direct passage of cancer cells between either vertebrate or invertebrate hosts. Successful transmission requires environment and behaviours that facilitate transfer of tumour cells between hosts including: tumour tissue properties that promote shedding of large numbers of malignant cells, tumour cell plasticity that permits their survival during transmission and growth in a new host, and a 'permissible' host or host tissue. This rare confluence of multiple host- and tumour cell-traits both explains the rarity of tumour cell transmission and provides novel insights into the dynamics that both promote and constrain their growth.

Framework to improve the application of theory in ecology and conservation

Ecological theory often fails applied ecologists in three ways: (1) Theory has little predictive value but is nevertheless applied in conservation with a risk of perverse outcomes, (2) individual theories have limited heuristic value for planning and framing research because they are narrowly focused, and (3) theory can lead to poor communication among scientists and hinder scientific progress through inconsistent use of terms and widespread redundancy. New approaches are therefore needed that improve the distillation, communication, and application of ecological theory. We advocate three approaches to resolve these problems: (1) improve prediction by reviewing theory across case studies to develop contingent theory where possible, (2) plan new research using a checklist of phenomena to avoid the narrow heuristic value of individual theories, and (3) improve communication among scientists by rationalizing theory associated with particular phenomena to purge redundancy and by developing definitions for key terms. We explored the extent to which these problems and solutions have been featured in two case studies of long-term ecological research programs in forests and plantations of southeastern Australia. We found that our main contentions were supported regarding the prediction, planning, and communication limitations of ecological theory. We illustrate how inappropriate application of theory can be overcome or avoided by investment in boundary-spanning actions. The case studies also demonstrate how some of our proposed solutions could work, particularly the use of theory in secondary case studies after developing primary case studies without theory. When properly coordinated and implemented through a widely agreed upon and broadly respected international collaboration, the framework that we present will help to speed the progress of ecological research and lead to better conservation decisions.