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    Wiley Society For Conservation Biology

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    Martiño Cabana Otero
    The document discusses the threats posed by species translocation to the endangered Iberian waterfrog (Rana perezi) in Spain. Specifically, it notes that the introduction of other frog species capable of hybridizing with R. perezi, such as Rana ridibunda and Rana lessonae, could initiate hybridogenetic populations that outcompete the native R. perezi populations. It provides the example of populations in Sierra de Gata where hybrids between R. ridibunda and R. perezi have formed following the accidental introduction of other European frog species. The introduction of these hybridogenetic hybrids and other extraneous species endangers the genetically distinct local R. perezi populations through increased competition and

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    Wiley Society For Conservation Biology

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    The document discusses the threats posed by species translocation to the endangered Iberian waterfrog (Rana perezi) in Spain. Specifically, it notes that the introduction of other frog species capable of hybridizing with R. perezi, such as Rana ridibunda and Rana lessonae, could initiate hybridogenetic populations that outcompete the native R. perezi populations. It provides the example of populations in Sierra de Gata where hybrids between R. ridibunda and R. perezi have formed following the accidental introduction of other European frog species. The introduction of these hybridogenetic hybrids and other extraneous species endangers the genetically distinct local R. perezi populations through increased competition and

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    The document discusses the threats posed by species translocation to the endangered Iberian waterfrog (Rana perezi) in Spain. Specifically, it notes that the introduction of other frog species capable of hybridizing with R. perezi, such as Rana ridibunda and Rana lessonae, could initiate hybridogenetic populations that outcompete the native R. perezi populations. It provides the example of populations in Sierra de Gata where hybrids between R. ridibunda and R. perezi have formed following the accidental introduction of other European frog species. The introduction of these hybridogenetic hybrids and other extraneous species endangers the genetically distinct local R. perezi populations through increased competition and

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    26 views4 pages

    Wiley Society For Conservation Biology

    Uploaded by

    Martiño Cabana Otero
    The document discusses the threats posed by species translocation to the endangered Iberian waterfrog (Rana perezi) in Spain. Specifically, it notes that the introduction of other frog species capable of hybridizing with R. perezi, such as Rana ridibunda and Rana lessonae, could initiate hybridogenetic populations that outcompete the native R. perezi populations. It provides the example of populations in Sierra de Gata where hybrids between R. ridibunda and R. perezi have formed following the accidental introduction of other European frog species. The introduction of these hybridogenetic hybrids and other extraneous species endangers the genetically distinct local R. perezi populations through increased competition and

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    Society for Conservation Biology

    Species Translocation Menaces Iberian Waterfrogs


    Author(s): Begona Arano, Gustavo Llorente, Mario Garcia-Paris and Pilar Herrero
    Source: Conservation Biology, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb., 1995), pp. 196-198
    Published by: Wiley for Society for Conservation Biology
    Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2386401 .
    Accessed: 15/01/2015 05:28
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    Notes

    Species

    Translocation Menaces

    Iberian

    Waterfrogs

    BEGONA ARANO,* GUSTAVO LLORENTE,t MARIO GARCIA-PARIS,t AND


    PILAR HERRERO?
    *Departmentof Biodiversity and EvolutionaryBiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, 28006 Madrid,Spain
    tDepartment of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Universidad de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
    tMuseum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
    ?Department of Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain

    The numerous reports on declining amphibian populations throughout the world led to the creation in December 1990 of the Declining Amphibian Populations
    Task Force (DAPTF), activated by the Species Survival
    Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, one of whose
    main goals is "the identification of target populations,
    species, and regions which merit immediate attention."
    We want to highlight one such target region, the Iberian
    peninsula, and a particular species, Rana perezi.
    Despite major efforts on behalf of the Spanish conservation authorities to preserve local and endemic species
    and the fact that the Iberian peninsula is considered one
    of the redoubts of biodiversity in Europe, locally
    adapted populations are menaced by the potentially fatal effects of events such as species translocations (Dodd
    & Seigel 1991; Reinert 1991). If a unique reproductive
    mode such as hybridogenesis is added to the problem of
    species translocation, the difficulties of preserving local
    species increase. Hybridogenesis is widely prevalent in
    European water frogs, having originated in the Rana
    esculenta complex, which includes seven species, and a
    series of hybridogenetic lineages stemming from interspecific hybridizations. Several systems, consisting of a
    host species (or parental species) and a hybridogenetic
    lineage in each, are found throughout Europe (Graf &
    Polls-Pelaz 1989).
    During gametogenesis in such systems the hybrid premeiotically excludes one of its parental genomes by producing only gametes containing the other parental genome. This remaining genome is transmitted clonally
    because premeiotic exclusion implies prevention of recombination through crossing over. In most cases the
    genome of one of the species, generally R ridibunda, is
    clonally transmitted, whereas the other parental genome is excluded. In general, the lost genome correPaper submitted February 28, 1994; revised manuscript accepted
    June 2, 1994.

    sponds to that of the species living in sympatry with the


    hybrid.
    Because of its special way of reproduction, hybridogenesis may present new problems for the conservation of natural populations. The voluntary or fortuitous introduction of samples from other species of
    Rana capable of provoking hybridogenesis can cause
    alterations that can modify the genetic structure of local
    parental populations. The hybrids may act as transmitters of allelic variants that could profoundly modify the
    gene frequencies in the original populations.
    A highly successful hybrid is expected because survival of hybrids has been demonstrated to be superior to
    that of parentals in experimental nonhybridogenetic hybrid populations of other animal species (Howard et al.
    1993). Hybrid individuals also tend to have other advantages, such as higher growth rates, lower metabolic
    demand, and resistance to diseases. In addition, their
    developmental periods are often faster and more stable
    (Mitton & Grant 1984; Mitton et al 1986; Allendorf &
    Leary 1986; Ledig 1986). Nevertheless, due to sterility,
    these hybrids would present a reduced fitness compared with hybridogenetic populations.
    One of these hybridogenetic systems corresponds to
    the hybridization between R perezi and R ridibunda,
    found in southern France and northeastern Spain. The
    distribution of hybrid populations in strictly delimited,
    and, in recent studies on the genetic variability of the
    parental syntopical species R perezi (262 individuals,
    29 populations), we found significant differences in the
    rate of polymorphism between those populations where
    hybridization occurs and the remaining ones in central
    and western Spain where hybridogenetic hybrids were
    not originally found (Mann-Whitney U-test, U = 0.014,
    p < 0.02).
    During the course of our study, an introduction of the
    bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and of water frogs from
    northern Italy occurred in the Sierra de Gata (western
    Spain) from a nearby, unsuccessful frog farm (Garcia-

    196
    Conservation Biology, Pages 196-198
    Volume 9, No. 1, February 1995

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    IberianFrog Translocations

    Aranoet al.

    Paris 1991). Using genetic markers, we were able to


    detect the presence at the same place of some European
    water frogs not native to Spain, including the widely
    extended hybridogenetic hybrid Rana esculenta and its
    two parental species R lessonae and R. ridibunda,
    which could have been introduced either accidentally
    with Rana catesbeiana or in unknown previous importations.
    A two-year follow-up study of this population disclosed the presence of hybridogenetic hybrids between
    R ridibunda and R perezi that originated from recent
    crosses (Fig. 1). Such hybrids may seriously endanger
    local water-frog populations, which can be expected to
    be less successful in their coexistence with hybrids
    (Howard et al. 1993). Considering the lower heterozygosity values found in the Sierra de Gata local populations, the introduction of individuals capable of inducing hybridogenesis and increasing heterozygosity levels
    are expected to affect the local populations negatively.
    In addition, the second system there, R kl. esculenta,

    100 Km

    197

    may prove equally harmful for local populations. Because both parentals are present, the probability of new
    R kl. esculenta hybrids arising is very high, and the
    continuity of such a population is assured. R kl. esculenta, along with the genome of R ridibunda, has been
    extremely successful in central Europe, where its range
    has expanded. Under harsh conditions, the advantage of
    R kl. esculenta over the parentals has been widely documented (Semlitsch & Reyer 1992), in some cases provoking the complete extinction of the parental species
    and yielding all-hybrid populations (Berger 1988). Although most interhybrid crosses result in nonviable R
    rididunda, due to possible degeneration of the R ridibunda genome after many generations of clonal replication, there are some cases where crosses between
    hybrids have yielded viable R ridibunda (Hotz et al.
    1992).
    Consequently, we have identified three potential dangers menacingR perezi in the Iberian Peninsula: ( 1) the
    introduction of the extraneous species R catesbeiana,

    |t2

    Figure 1. Distribution of the R. perezi-R. ridibunda system in the Iberian peninsula The asterisk indicates the
    introduced population at Villasbuenas de Gata (Caceres) referred to in the text Black dots show the locations
    of the other three introduced populations.

    Conservation Biology
    Volume 9, No. 1, February 1995

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    All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

    198

    IberianFrog Translocations

    with negative effects expected at ecological levels based


    on other sites where it has been introduced (Moyle
    1973); (2) the introduction of R ridibundag R lessonae, and the highly successful hybrid R kl. esculenta,
    (3) the initiation of hybridogenetic populations R ridibunda-R. perezi in competition with local lowpolymorphic R perezi Moreover, in recent months we
    have noticed three other introductions of R kl. esculenta; two of which have been confirmed, and individuals have been checked for their respective markers.
    These introductions took place in areas where hybridogenesis has not formerly occurred. Independent of
    these events, Spanish water frogs may be suffering the
    consequences of habitat fragmentation, which in itself
    can reduce drastically the population sizes, decrease the
    rates of immigration and recolonization, and drive populations to extinction. Other issues, such as changes in
    population densities and changes in the trophic chainsince the water frog is a key prey-should also be taken
    into consideration in this case of translocation.
    Given the relatively restricted distribution of R
    perezi and the strong competition it already faces in
    several regions, it is important that strict measures be
    taken to control the consequences of irresponsible species translocation. Such measures should include (1)
    legal protection of the autoctonous species, (2) stronger regulation of imports through adequate laws and, in
    cases of importation, strict controls on importers to
    avoid irresponsible management of foreign species,
    which could lead to fortuitous releases affecting local
    populations. If these measures are not enacted soon, R
    perezi, a species of reduced distribution, may face a
    serious decline in its populations.

    Acknowledgments
    We would like to thank D. Wake, T. R. Halliday, P. Alberch, J. W. Arntzen, and K Dunlap for valuable comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by

    Aranoet al.

    research grants DGICYT-PB 91-0115-C02


    CYT-PB92-0091.

    and DGI-

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    Conservation Biology
    Volume 9, No. 1, February 1995

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