Investigating geographical variation and functional adaptation of gut microbiomes in endangered species is an emerging field in conservation biology.Here,we investigated the endangered waterbird,Scaly-sided Merganser(...Investigating geographical variation and functional adaptation of gut microbiomes in endangered species is an emerging field in conservation biology.Here,we investigated the endangered waterbird,Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),that is endemic to East Asia.Using metagenomic sequencing,we characterized variations in gut microbiota composition and functional adaptation across Scaly-sided Merganser populations inhabiting the Fuer River,Manjiang River,and Lushui River basins in Northeast China.Furthermore,we investigated these variations at different developmental stages(adults and juveniles).Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota composition among the river populations,with the Fuer and Lushui groups exhibiting similar compositions that differed from the Manjiang group.However,no significant differences were found in the functional characteristics of gut microbiota among the three groups;these functions were primarily enriched in core pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism,amino acid metabolism,and translation.This finding suggests functional redundancy,where key metabolic functions remain stable despite differentiation in microbial community composition.The adult Scaly-sided Merganser gut microbiota exhibited higher alpha diversity and showed significant enrichment in pathways related to detoxification metabolism,environmental adaptation,and energy conversion efficiency,suggesting the capacity to adapt to complex habitats.In contrast,the gut microbiota of juveniles was enriched in metabolic pathways related to the essential and conditionally essential amino acids methionine and cysteine,supporting the high protein synthesis demand during the rapid growth and developmental stage.This study highlights the structural plasticity and functional adaptability of the gut microbiota in the Scaly-sided Merganser,providing an empirical basis for the species'conservation and habitat management from a gut microbiome perspective.展开更多
Background: Citizen science has tremendous potential in advancing scientific knowledge and improving natural resource management.To detect the wintering distribution of the endangered species Scaly-sided Merganser(Mer...Background: Citizen science has tremendous potential in advancing scientific knowledge and improving natural resource management.To detect the wintering distribution of the endangered species Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus), national wintering surveys were organized by China Birdwatching Association.Methods: The surveys of M.squamatus were conducted in three successive winters from 2014 to 2016.A total of 2019 people from 102 organizations participated in the surveys.With three groups of 13 environmental variables, species distribution model for its wintering distribution of each year was developed using random forest.Schoener's D index was used to compare the distribution of M.squamatus in 3 years.Results: Totally, 441, 634 and 1138 individuals of M.squamatus were recorded in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively.Two main sites in Dabie Mountain and East Qinling mountains were verified and the wintering range of M.squamatus was defined.The wintering range was found to be highly identical for the 3 years.Conclusions: The highly overlapped distribution range among years suggested that the wintering range of M.squamatus was relatively stable.Well organized and coordinated citizen science can be used to define distribution range and improve species conservation.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant number 32471566)the Scientific Research Project of the Education Department of Jilin Province,China(grant number JJKH20241422KJ)the Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province,China(grant number 20230101160JC)。
文摘Investigating geographical variation and functional adaptation of gut microbiomes in endangered species is an emerging field in conservation biology.Here,we investigated the endangered waterbird,Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),that is endemic to East Asia.Using metagenomic sequencing,we characterized variations in gut microbiota composition and functional adaptation across Scaly-sided Merganser populations inhabiting the Fuer River,Manjiang River,and Lushui River basins in Northeast China.Furthermore,we investigated these variations at different developmental stages(adults and juveniles).Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota composition among the river populations,with the Fuer and Lushui groups exhibiting similar compositions that differed from the Manjiang group.However,no significant differences were found in the functional characteristics of gut microbiota among the three groups;these functions were primarily enriched in core pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism,amino acid metabolism,and translation.This finding suggests functional redundancy,where key metabolic functions remain stable despite differentiation in microbial community composition.The adult Scaly-sided Merganser gut microbiota exhibited higher alpha diversity and showed significant enrichment in pathways related to detoxification metabolism,environmental adaptation,and energy conversion efficiency,suggesting the capacity to adapt to complex habitats.In contrast,the gut microbiota of juveniles was enriched in metabolic pathways related to the essential and conditionally essential amino acids methionine and cysteine,supporting the high protein synthesis demand during the rapid growth and developmental stage.This study highlights the structural plasticity and functional adaptability of the gut microbiota in the Scaly-sided Merganser,providing an empirical basis for the species'conservation and habitat management from a gut microbiome perspective.
基金financed by National Key R&D Program of China(Award Number:2017YFC0405303)SEE FoundationNational Geographic
文摘Background: Citizen science has tremendous potential in advancing scientific knowledge and improving natural resource management.To detect the wintering distribution of the endangered species Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus), national wintering surveys were organized by China Birdwatching Association.Methods: The surveys of M.squamatus were conducted in three successive winters from 2014 to 2016.A total of 2019 people from 102 organizations participated in the surveys.With three groups of 13 environmental variables, species distribution model for its wintering distribution of each year was developed using random forest.Schoener's D index was used to compare the distribution of M.squamatus in 3 years.Results: Totally, 441, 634 and 1138 individuals of M.squamatus were recorded in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively.Two main sites in Dabie Mountain and East Qinling mountains were verified and the wintering range of M.squamatus was defined.The wintering range was found to be highly identical for the 3 years.Conclusions: The highly overlapped distribution range among years suggested that the wintering range of M.squamatus was relatively stable.Well organized and coordinated citizen science can be used to define distribution range and improve species conservation.
