Coming together to conserve a species at the edge of its range: Triturus cristatus in the Scottish Highlands D. O’BRIEN 1*, J.E. HALL1, A. MIRÓ2, C.T. O’BRIEN3, J. MCKINNELL1, T. SEYMOUR4 & R. JEHLE5 1
Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW, UK.
2
Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Spanish Research Council (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes 17300, Girona, Catalonia, Spain. 3
University of St Andrews, School of Biology, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
4
The Farm Environment Ltd., 27 Rosetta Road, Peebles EH45 8HJ, UK
5
University of Salford, School of Environment and Life Sciences, Manchester M5 4WT, UK.
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[email protected] Conservation genetics has sometimes been criticised for not offering real-world solutions to conservation problems (Pérez-Espona 2017). Our study began as a citizen science project, took a multidisciplinary approach using climate history, ecologists, geneticists and conservation agency staff, and has ended in a habitat management and restoration partnership between farmers, foresters, and government. The disjunct population of Triturus cristatus in the Scottish Highlands was believed to have stemmed from an introduction (Langton & Beckett 1995) until citizen scientists discovered previously unknown populations in relatively inaccessibly sites. We evaluated climate and habitat history and postulated a natural means of colonisation c 3000 years BP. Our genetic studies supported this hypothesis and found evidence of at least five separate sub-populations (O’Brien et al 2015). The isolated nature and its genetic distinctness made this population a conservation priority. We were concerned that its habitat requirements might differ from conspecifics elsewhere and therefore undertook a detailed analysis of 129 environmental variables (Miró et al 2017). Based on the habitat analysis and our desire to maintain the genetic distinctness of the five putative subpopulations, projects were set up by two government agencies to restore degraded habitat and create new ponds that would be both suitable for breeding and would re-link recently isolated metapopulations. Whilst it is too early to evaluate long-term success, in the first year three of the 25 new or restored ponds have been colonised by T. cristatus, and 20 by other amphibians whose larvae form a major component of their diet. References Langton, T.E.S. & C.L. Beckett (1995) A preliminary review of the distribution and status of great crested newt Triturus cristatus records in Scotland. HCI/SNH, Halesworth, Suffolk. Miró, A., D. O’Brien, J. Hall & R. Jehle (2017) Habitat requirements and conservation needs of peripheral populations: the case of the great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) in the Scottish Highlands. Hydrobiologia 792: 169-181. O’Brien C. D., J.E. Hall, D. Orchard, C. Barratt, J.W. Arntzen & R. Jehle (2015). Extending the natural range of a declining species: Genetic evidence for native great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) populations in the Scottish Highlands. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 61(1), pp. 27-33. Pérez-Espona, S. (2017) Conservation genetics in the European Union- biases, gaps and future directions. Biol Conserv 209 130-136
