Papers by Sebastian Botero
The genus Ctenomys consists of about 70 species and in addition to the Geomyidae of the Nearctic,... more The genus Ctenomys consists of about 70 species and in addition to the Geomyidae of the Nearctic, Neotropical tuco-tucos represent a well-documented case of diversification in the subterranean biotype. Here we will: i) Provide an updated summary of the natural history of the 12 species of extant tuco-tucos from Bolivia; ii) Update information on distributions of each species; and iii) Using ecological niche modeling, evaluate recent and projected habitat transformation or habitat degradation within the known range of each species to provide a preliminary assessment of the preservation or conservation status of ctenomyids within Bolivia. We follow Gardner et al. (2014) and combine species summaries with both updated published and new data to compile a complete list of known extant species of tuco-tucos from Bolivia. Occurrence data for Ctenomys in Bolivia and surrounding areas were extracted from the database Arctos and GBIF. All individual specimen-based locality records were checke...
Parasites comprise an important portion of the biodiversity in the world, and have key roles in m... more Parasites comprise an important portion of the biodiversity in the world, and have key roles in many population and ecosystem processes. Given the importance of parasitic species in natural ecosystems and on human welfare, understanding parasite biogeography is a key research goal. In this dissertation, I used novel approaches and datasets to explore the drivers of parasite distribution patterns at two ecological scales. In the first chapter, the distribution in the Nearctic region of the highly pathogenic cestode Echinococcus multilocularis was studied. Using species distribution models, the extension of suitable habitat was predicted for the species under current, and future climatic conditions. An important portion of the Nearctic was found to have suitable conditions for E. multilocularis. Furthermore, exploring the future emission scenarios, the distribution of suitable habitats for the parasite was predicted to increase by 56 to 76 %. In the second chapter, I assessed the effect of including variables describing the assemblage of potential hosts (host species richness and proportion of potential hosts in an assemblage) on the distribution models performance. Evaluation of the model showed that for 14 of 24 species studied, inclusion of the host information resulted in better performing models. Finally, in the third chapter, I explored the parasite distribution at the compound community level. Using museum records of parasites and species accumulation curves, I estimated the species richness of parasites from mammalian hosts through the Nearctic at the ecoregion scale. The presence of a latitudinal diversity gradient as well as the effect of host richness and environmental variables on parasite species richness were assessed. I found a clear support for the existence of a latitudinal diversity gradient in parasites of mammals. Interestingly, a quadratic relation between parasite species richness and host species richness was found. Analyzing parasite species richness and distribution using the approach applied here on other regions and host groups could provide insight in the patterns and drivers of parasite diversity, thus complementing our current understanding of global biodiversity
Parasitology, 2022
Abstract Abstract Cestodes of the genus Arostrilepis Mas-Coma and Tenora 1997 have a Holarctic di... more Abstract Abstract Cestodes of the genus Arostrilepis Mas-Coma and Tenora 1997 have a Holarctic distribution with 16 species occurring among 28 species of mostly arvicoline hosts. The type species of the genus is Arostrilepis horrida (von Linstow, 1901), described initially as Taenia horrida von Linstow, 1901, from murine rodents in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. Here we report the first helminth parasite from the mole-vole, Ellobius tancrei, in Mongolia which is the first subterranean rodent known to be infected with Arostrilepis in the Palearctic. In addition, we describe a new species: Arostrilepis batsaikhani n. sp. which most closely resembles A. microtis Gulyaev and Chechulin 1997, differing from this species with a genetic distance of about 4% (using cytochrome-b) and by having distinctly large cirrus spines, testes that are larger and fill the whole segment measured anterior–posterior and larger eggs.
Journal of Mammalogy, 2021
Coexistence of sympatric felids is facilitated by mutual avoidance and the partitioning of habita... more Coexistence of sympatric felids is facilitated by mutual avoidance and the partitioning of habitats, prey, and time. Anthropogenic disturbances disrupt this coexistence in fragmented landscapes, potentially triggering cascading influences in ecological communities. We used photographic data from 8,717 trap nights (November 2014–June 2016) at 87 camera trap sites in Colombia's middle Magdalena River basin to compare spatiotemporal overlap among jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), their prey, and humans, at sites of high and low disturbance, as determined by the human influence index. Human disturbance events (e.g., domestic dogs, livestock, and humans, including armed hunters) comprised 38% of all photographs at high disturbance sites and 29% of all photographs at low disturbance sites. Differential spatiotemporal overlaps were recorded between felids and their prey at high versus low disturbance sites, with jaguars exhibiting only 13% temporal overlap with humans at ...
World Complexity Science Academy Journal, 2020
Biodiversity, 2019
Variation in activity patterns and habitat use are subject to both environmental factors and inte... more Variation in activity patterns and habitat use are subject to both environmental factors and interactions with other species. We evaluated the ecological factors that affect habitat use by Leopardus pardalis as well as the effects of the presence of potential prey, Dasyprocta punctata. From an arrangement of 70 camera traps, installed between March 2015 and February 2016, we estimate the detection probability and habitat use for both species with a single season model. The selected models suggest that L. pardalis habitat use (70.4%, IC: 63.2-77.6) varies negatively with forest edge density around 1000 m radius, but no effects resulting from D. punctata presence are reported. Our results suggest the absence of spatial exclusion between both species in the study area and a coexistence facilitated by marked temporal segregation.
Mammalia, 2016
The distribution of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758) is poorly known, ... more The distribution of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758) is poorly known, especially outside Brazil. Here, we present an approx. 430-km range expansion for the species based on 71 records collected from interviews, camera traps, tracks, and direct sightings in the Magdalena-Urabá moist forest ecoregion (MUMFE), Colombia. Our records, obtained from 31 localities during July 2013 to July 2015, represent the first evidence of M. tridactyla in the middle Magdalena River valley since the late 18th Century. Our camera traps identified at least six individual giant anteaters, including a female with offspring. We discuss the severity of threats in the MUMFE and the urgency for conservation planning.
DESCRIPTION En este trabajo se recopiló información sobre el estado de las poblaciones de Jaguare... more DESCRIPTION En este trabajo se recopiló información sobre el estado de las poblaciones de Jaguares y Pumas en la región así como del conflicto con actividades humanas y su dinámica espacial (dispersión y ocupancia). Los registros obtenidos en este trabajo y los reportados por Arias-Alzate et al. (2010) principalmente aquellos reportes sobre hembras con crías, sugieren que está más que ser una zona únicamente de paso y dispersión para el Jaguar, presenta una posible población residente y reproductiva, que depende de los hábitats naturales remanentes, principalmente de los bosques primarios que permiten la conectividad funcional con la Serranía de San Lucas. La fragmentación y destrucción del hábitat debida principalmente a la expansión agrícola-ganadera, es actualmente la mayor amenaza tanto para la conservación de estas especies de felinos, como para sus presas naturales. Además es necesario llevar a cabo acciones rápidas de manejo y conservación en la zona, principalmente en el Mag...
PLOS ONE, 2019
Agricultural development was the major contributor to South America's designation as the continen... more Agricultural development was the major contributor to South America's designation as the continent with the highest rates of forest loss from 2000-2012. As the apex predator in the Neotropics, jaguars (Panthera onca) are dependent on forest cover but the species' response to habitat fragmentation in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes has not been a subject of extensive research. We used occupancy as a measure of jaguar habitat use in Colombia's middle Magdalena River valley which, as part of the intercontinental Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot, is exceedingly fragmented by expanding cattle pastures and oil palm plantations. We used single-season occupancy models to analyze 9 months of data (2015-2016) from 70 camera trap sites. Given the middle Magdalena's status as a "jaguar corridor" and our possible violation of the occupancy models' demographic closure assumption, we interpreted our results as "probability of habitat use (Ψ)" by jaguars. We measured the associations between jaguar presence and coverage of forest, oil palm, and wetlands in radii buffers of 1, 3, and 5 km around each camera trap. Our camera traps recorded 77 jaguar detections at 25 of the camera trap sites (36%) during 15,305 trap nights. The probability of detecting jaguars, given their presence at a site, was 0.28 (0.03 SE). In the top-ranked model, jaguar habitat use was positively influenced by wetland coverage (β = 7.16, 3.20 SE) and negatively influenced by cattle pastures (β =-1.40, 0.63 SE), both in the 3 km buffers. We conclude that wetlands may serve as keystone habitats for jaguars in landscapes fragmented by cattle ranches and oil palm plantations. Greater focus on wetland preservation could facilitate jaguar persistence in one of the most important yet vulnerable areas of their distribution.
Mastozoología neotropical, 2020
Caldasia
Las plantaciones forestales son monocultivos que han venido en aumento a nivel mundial. Estos sis... more Las plantaciones forestales son monocultivos que han venido en aumento a nivel mundial. Estos sistemas son menos diversos en comparación con bosques originales, pero pueden aportar a la conservación de la biodiversidad ya que son usadas por muchas especies, incluso algunas amenazadas. Este potencial debe evaluarse en cada localidad. En este trabajo se registró la abundancia relativa y se midió la diversidad verdadera de mamíferos terrestres, arborícolas y voladores, en cinco núcleos forestales de coníferas y de teca en las regiones Andina y Caribe de Colombia, y se comparó con coberturas nativas aledañas. El 78 % y 71 % de los mamíferos presentes en los sitios visitados fueron registrados al interior de las plantaciones de coníferas y teca, respectivamente. Al interior de ambos tipos de plantaciones se encontraron especies amenazadas como Leopardus tigrinus y Saguinus oedipus. Los perfiles de diversidad fueron similares entre bosques y plantaciones en casi todos los grupos. Hubo dif...
ABSTRACTThe significant variation in host specificity exhibited by parasites has been separately ... more ABSTRACTThe significant variation in host specificity exhibited by parasites has been separately linked to evolutionary history and ecological factors in specific host-parasite associations. Yet, whether there are any general patterns in the factors that shape host specificity across parasites more broadly is unknown. Here we constructed a molecular phylogeny for 249 helminth species infecting free-range mammals and find that the influence of ecological factors and evolutionary history varies across different measures of host specificity. Whereas the phylogenetic range of hosts a parasite can infect shows a strong signal of evolutionary constraint, the number of hosts a parasite infects does not. Our results shed new light on the evolution of host specificity in parasites, suggesting that phylogenetic breadth may capture the evolutionary potential of a parasite to jump between hosts, whereas the number of hosts may reflect ecological opportunity. Finally, we show parasite phylogenie...
PLOS ONE
A species presence at a particular site can change over time, resulting in temporally dynamic spe... more A species presence at a particular site can change over time, resulting in temporally dynamic species pools. Ecological niche models provide estimates of species presence at different time intervals. The avifauna of La Brea includes approximately 120 species dating to approximately 15,000 years ago. Niche models predicted presence at the Last Glacial Maximum for over 90% of 89 landbird species. This confirms that niche modeling produces sensible range estimates at the Last Glacial Maximum. For 97 currently local species that are as yet undocumented at La Brea over 90% were predicted to occur; absence is due to insufficient study, lack of the ecological niche, transient occurrence or a behavioral ability to avoid entrapment. Our 366 niche models provide a prospective checklist of the landbird fauna of La Brea. The models indicate fluidity in life history strategies and a higher proportion of resident birds at the LGM (88% to 60%). We evaluated a subset of 103 species in breeding and winter periods using two climate models (MIROC−ESM, CCSM4) with a variety of differing parameters, finding differences in 5% of the niche models. Niche breadths in bark-foraging birds changed little between the present and LGM, suggesting that greater species diversity at the LGM was due to greater niche availability rather than contractions of niche breadths (i.e., niche partitioning).
Therya
Understanding the factors shaping the niche of parasites and its expression over geographical spa... more Understanding the factors shaping the niche of parasites and its expression over geographical space and through time continues to be a modern scientific challenge with the results of research in this area directly influencing both theoretical and applied biology. This is especially important for proactive management of zoonotic parasites such as Echinococcus multilocularis, the etiologic agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Echinococcus multilocularis has a Holarctic distribution; with its geographic range and prevalence increasing recently in areas of the western Palearctic, while its distribution dynamics are poorly understood in the Nearctic. In this paper, we use an ecological niche modeling (ENM) approach to: i) estimate the current spatial distribution of suitable conditions for the parasite in the Nearctic. ii) Evaluate the abiotic and biotic factors influencing the species distribution. iii) Assess the potential impact of climatic change on the distribution of this species in the Nearctic. Additionally, we report two new occurrence records of this parasite that significantly expands its known geographic range. We reviewed the occurrence records of E. multilocularis for the Nearctic. This was complemented by two new records of the species from Maryland and New Mexico identified using morphology and multivariate morphometrics of the rostellar hooks. From these data we created two ENMs using the software Maxent. The first ENM included climatic variables, while the second included the same abiotic data plus biotic information consisting of four host community-related data sets. We evaluated model performance and variable importance to explore the relation of these variables to the parasite niche. Finally, we projected the resulting niche model onto future climate change scenarios. We found that an important portion of the Nearctic has suitable conditions for E. multilocularis with adequate habitat in the West and East of the continent where the parasite has not been detected. We also found that the proposed biotic variables improve the model performance and provide unique information, while the most critical abiotic variable was related to the amount of solar radiation. Finally, under the future emission scenarios explored, the distribution of suitable habitat for the parasite is predicted to increase by 56 % to 76 %. We obtained a robust model that provides detail on the distribution of suitable areas for E. multilocularis, including areas that have not been explored for the presence of the parasite. The host community variables included in this study seem a promising way to include biotic data for ecological parasite niche modeling. El estudio de los factores que moldean el nicho de los parásitos y como este se expresa en la distribución espacial y temporal de estos organismos es un reto de importancia para la biología aplicada y teórica. Esta información puede ser de especial importancia para parásitos zoonóticos tales como Echinococcus multilocularis, el cestodo causante de echinococcosis alveolar. Este parasito presenta una distribución Holártica, con un incremento reciente en rango geográfico y prevalencia documentados en Asia y Europa, mientras que en el Neártico, se desconoce la dinámica de distribución de la especie. En este estudio usamos modelos de nicho ecológico para: i) estimar la distribución actual de hábitat para la especie en Norteamérica. ii) Evaluar el efecto de factores bióticos y abióticos sobre la distribución de este parasito. iii) Evaluar el impacto potencial del cambio climático sobre su distribución. Adicionalmente, reportamos dos nuevos registros para la especie. En este trabajo revisamos los registros de ocurrencia de E. multilocularis en el Neártico. Esta información es complementada con dos nuevos registros provenientes de Maryland y Nuevo México identificados a partir de análisis morfológicos y morfométricos. Empleando el software Maxent, creamos dos modelos de nicho a partir de estos registros. El primer modelo se basó únicamente en variables abióticas, mientras que el segundo además de incluir las variables abióticas incluyó variables bióticas relacionadas con la comunidad de hospederos potenciales. Evaluamos el desempeño de cada modelo y la contribución de cada variable para explorar la relación de estas con el nicho del parásito. Finalmente, proyectamos los modelos al futuro bajo dos escenarios de emisiones de CO 2. Encontramos que existen condiciones adecuadas para la especie en una porción importante del área de estudio, con áreas predichas al Este y Occidente del continente donde no se ha registrado el parásito. La inclusión de las variables bióticas resulta en modelos con mejor desempeño, así mismo, se evidencio que estas variables presentan información única no contenida en otras capas. La radiación solar fue la variable abiótica de mayor importancia. Finalmente, bajo los escenarios de cambio climático explorados, el área de hábitat adecuado para el parasito presenta un importante aumento de entre el 56 % y 76 %. En este trabajo obtuvimos un modelo robusto y detallado de la distribución de las condiciones ambientales adecuadas para E. multilocularis, el cual incluye zonas donde no ha sido reportada la presencia del parásito. Las variables relacionadas con la comunidad de hospederos incluidas en este trabajo parecen ser una manera prometedora de incluir información biótica en modelos de nicho de simbiontes.
Biodiversity, 2019
Variation in activity patterns and habitat use are subject to both environmental factors and inte... more Variation in activity patterns and habitat use are subject to both environmental factors and interactions with other species. We evaluated the ecological factors that affect habitat use by Leopardus pardalis as well as the effects of the presence of potential prey, Dasyprocta punctata. From an arrangement of 70 camera traps, installed between March 2015 and February 2016, we estimate the detection probability and habitat use for both species with a single season model. The selected models suggest that L. pardalis habitat use (70.4%, IC: 63.2–77.6) varies negatively with forest edge density around 1000 m radius, but no effects resulting from D. punctata presence are reported. Our results suggest the absence of spatial exclusion between both species in the study area and a coexistence facilitated by marked temporal segregation.
Therya
The genus Ctenomys consists of about 70 species and in addition to the Geomyidae of the Nearctic,... more The genus Ctenomys consists of about 70 species and in addition to the Geomyidae of the Nearctic, Neotropical tuco-tucos represent a well-documented case of diversification in the subterranean biotype. Here we will: i) Provide an updated summary of the natural history of the 12 species of extant tuco-tucos from Bolivia; ii) Update information on distributions of each species; and iii) Using ecological niche modeling, evaluate recent and projected habitat transformation or habitat degradation within the known range of each species to provide a preliminary assessment of the preservation or conservation status of ctenomyids within Bolivia. We follow Gardner et al. (2014) and combine species summaries with both updated published and new data to compile a complete list of known extant species of tuco-tucos from Bolivia. Occurrence data for Ctenomys in Bolivia and surrounding areas were extracted from the database Arctos and GBIF. All individual specimen-based locality records were che...
Jaguars and pumas exhibit distinct spatiotemporal responses to human disturbances in Colombia's most imperiled ecoregion, 2021
Coexistence of sympatric felids is facilitated by mutual avoidance and the partitioning of habita... more Coexistence of sympatric felids is facilitated by mutual avoidance and the partitioning of habitats, prey, and time. Anthropogenic disturbances disrupt this coexistence in fragmented landscapes, potentially triggering cascading influences in ecological communities. We used photographic data from 8,717 trap nights (November 2014-June 2016) at 87 camera trap sites in Colombia's middle Magdalena River basin to compare spatiotemporal overlap among jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), their prey, and humans, at sites of high and low disturbance, as determined by the human influence index. Human disturbance events (e.g., domestic dogs, livestock, and humans, including armed hunters) comprised 38% of all photographs at high disturbance sites and 29% of all photographs at low disturbance sites. Differential spatiotemporal overlaps were recorded between felids and their prey at high versus low disturbance sites, with jaguars exhibiting only 13% temporal overlap with humans at high disturbance sites. Among prey, temporal overlap was greater than spatial overlap for both felids across the study area. Compared to jaguars, pumas displayed more temporal overlap with all anthropogenic variables and more spatial overlap with most anthropogenic variables, suggesting lesser sensitivity to human disturbances. This study provides the first insights into the responses of a threatened large carnivore, jaguar, to camera trap-derived human disturbance variables in an unprotected landscape. It also highlights the importance of using multiple disturbance types for evaluating human impacts on large carnivores. La segregación en hábitats, presas y patrones temporales de actividad facilita la coexistencia de especies de felinos simpátricos. Sin embargo, las perturbaciones antropogénicas pueden alterar la coexistencia en paisajes fragmentados, resultando en efectos de cascada sobre las comunidades ecológicas habitadas por estos felinos. En este trabajo empleamos registros provenientes de un esfuerzo de 8,717 cámara-trampa/ noche (Noviembre de 2014-Junio de 2016), distribuido en 87 sitios de muestreo en la cuenca media del río Magdalena en Colombia, para comparar la superposición espaciotemporal entre jaguares (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), sus presas y humanos en sitios de alta y baja perturbación. Los eventos de perturbación humana (e.g., presencia de humanos, perros domésticos, ganado) comprendieron el 38% y 29% de los registros en sitios de alta y baja perturbación respectivamente. Se registraron diferencias en el solapamiento espaciotemporal de felinos y sus presas entre sitios de alta y baja perturbación. En sitios de alta perturbación los jaguares exhiben solo un 13% de superposición temporal con humanos. Con respecto a las presas, la superposición temporal fue mayor que la superposición espacial para ambos felinos.
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Papers by Sebastian Botero