Quantifying rarity of intraspecific diversity at multiple spatial scales by combining fine-grain citizen-based data across national boundaries

Quantifying rarity at the intraspecific level is an important task for conservation biologists because rare phenotypes have a higher extinction risk than common ones. However, quantitative assessments of rarity are lacking at this level, preventing to adequately protect rare and endangered variants...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Biological conservation Vol. 280; p. 109937
Main Authors:	Denoël, Mathieu, Schmidt, Benedikt R., Fonters, Rémi, Hansbauer, Günter, Johanet, Aurélie, Kühnis, Jürgen, Poboljsaj, Katja, Schweiger, Silke, Sillero, Neftalí
Format:	Journal Article Web Resource
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2023 Elsevier
Subjects:	Alpine newt Amphibian conservation Aquatic sciences & oceanology Austria citizen science citizen-based data commonness Distribution atlases Environmental sciences & ecology extinction risk Facultative paedomorphosis Fish introduction France Germany grid cells grid size Ichthyosaura alpestris Ichthyosaura alpestris apuanus Ichthyosaura alpestris lacustris Intraspecific diversity Italy Liechtenstein Life sciences metrics polymorphism polyphenism Rarity metrics red lists Sciences aquatiques & océanologie Sciences de l’environnement & écologie Sciences du vivant Spatial resolution spatial scale suffisive rarity Switzerland The Alps threats transboundary Triton alpestre Distribution atlases Rarity metrics Facultative paedomorphosis Spatial resolution Intraspecific diversity Amphibian conservation
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Summary:	Quantifying rarity at the intraspecific level is an important task for conservation biologists because rare phenotypes have a higher extinction risk than common ones. However, quantitative assessments of rarity are lacking at this level, preventing to adequately protect rare and endangered variants that are part of the pool of common species. Our aim was to take benefit of high-resolution volunteer-based occurrence data to assess quantitatively rarity patterns of facultative paedomorphosis, in the Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris). This polyphenism is composed of two morphs, a rare adult phenotype retaining gills and a common phenotype metamorphosing. We included multiple spatial scales (i.e., resolution) and combined 15,613 occurrence records from the atlas databases of the seven countries in the European Alps to understand how spatial scale may affect rarity metrics. Our analyses revealed that the rarer phenotype was 292 times rarer than the common phenotype, occupying a very small and fragmented area of occupancy. Yet, rarity depended on the spatial resolution of the data. Rarity estimates were up to 1300 times lower at the coarser than at the finer spatial scale. Both the rarity of the rare phenotype and the presence of threats (i.e., fish introductions) make paedomorphs critically endangered whereas the common phenotype was widespread at all spatial scales. Altogether, these results show how rarity metrics can differ between spatial scales for rare and common organisms, suggesting that fine-grain data should be used to assess intraspecific rarity. They also show that combining datasets from distribution atlases is efficient to estimate rarity. [Display omitted] •Using citizen-based data helps to quantify rarity patterns at the intraspecific level•Combining distribution atlases gives broad assessment of intraspecific diversity•Alternative morphs show very different commonness and rarity patterns•Spatial scale affects our ability to assess the rarity of rare phenotypes•Intraspecific diversity is threatened by anthropogenic environmental change
Bibliography:	scopus-id:2-s2.0-85148677040
ISSN:	0006-3207 1873-2917
DOI:	10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109937