Abstract
Ambystoma altamirani is a microendemic amphibian limited to central Mexico, specifically the Bosque de Agua region in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, renowned for its endemic amphibian species. Anthropogenic activities such as land use change, water pollution, and the introduction of exotic species such as rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have substantially transformed its habitat, creating barriers that fragment it and impeding the mobility of the species and connectivity with other populations. This fragmentation poses challenges, including emerging diseases, inbreeding, limited gene flow, and a loss of genetic diversity, placing Ambystoma altamirani in national and international risk categories. The present study utilized the ENMeval and biomod2 models for environmental niche modeling (ENM) to assess the potential distribution of Ambystoma altamirani in the Bosque de Agua region. The key supporting variables include rivers, lakes, altitude, and a combination of Abies and Pinus forests, while the detrimental factors include urbanization and agriculture. Employing circuit theory (CT) and least-cost path (LCP) methodologies, this research explored functional connectivity, identifying core areas in the central region of Bosque de Agua. As migration distance decreases, the number of corridors facilitating population flow decreases. In the concluding phase, an analysis assessed the coincidence of state and federal Mexican Natural Protected Areas with core areas, revealing a lack of protection. The results of this study could lead to improved knowledge about Ambystoma altamirani, providing valuable tools for helping stakeholders formulate comprehensive strategies for species conservation.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their comments. R.L.H.B was on his postdoctoral stay at UAEMex (CONACYT: 2995280/94/2022), J.A.LT is on his postdoctoral stay at UAEMex (PRODEP: 511-6/2020-9263), R.B.H was on his postdoctoral stay at UAEMex (CONACYT: I1200/94/2020). This work was supported by the Secretary of Research and Advanced Studies (SYEA) of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (Grants to AS: 4732/2019CIB and MTP: and 6801/2022CID) and CONAHCYT (Grants to AS: APN2017:6828). A. S: Adahy Olun Contreras-García, buscame en la Facultad de Ciencias de la UAEMex o en estas coordenadas (19°16’56.95"N, 99°42’45.45"W), siempre estoy esperando el momento que volvamos a poder vernos, te extraño mucho hijo.
Funding
This work was supported by the Secretary of Research and Advanced Studies (SYEA) of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (Grants to AS: 4732/2019CIB and MTP: and 6801/2022CID) and CONAHCYT (Grants to AS: APN2017:6828).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design, material preparation, data collection and analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Jessica Ruiz-Reyes and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All data will be made available on a reasonable request.
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Ruiz-Reyes, J., Heredia-Bobadilla, R.L., Ávila-Akerberg, V. et al. Assessing functional connectivity and anthropogenic impacts on Ambystoma altamirani populations in Bosque De Agua, Central Mexico. Eur J Wildl Res 70, 85 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-024-01838-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-024-01838-8