Mexican Fauna in the Anthropocene

Foreword
Contents
Contributors
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: The Mexican Fauna in the Anthropocene, Where Do We Go from Here?
1.1 Introduction
1.2 History of the Anthropocene in Mexico
1.3 Final Remarks
References
Part II: Faunal Groups
Chapter 2: The Fauna of Arachnids in the Anthropocene of Mexico
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The “Small Arachnids”
2.3 The Opilionids
2.4 The Scorpions
2.4.1 Scorpion Diversity
2.4.2 Synanthropic scorpions
2.4.3 Scorpion Conservation
2.5 Mexican Spiders: Current Knowledge and Perspectives
2.5.1 Taxonomy and Diversity
2.5.2 Diversity Studies, Habitats, and Ecological Aspects
2.5.3 Threatened or Endangered Spiders
2.5.4 Spiders of Medical Importance
2.5.5 Anthropic Effects on Spiders
2.5.6 Final Considerations
2.6 Mexican Mites and Ticks
References
Chapter 3: Mexican Insects in the Anthropocene
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Conservation Status and Future of the Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus (L.): A Mexican Perspective
3.3 Mexican Dung Beetles in the Anthropocene (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)
3.4 Leaf Litter Insects of Montane Forests: Loss of Hyper-diverse Assemblages
3.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Threats and Conservation Status of Freshwater Crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in Mexico
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Current Threats and Conservation Challenges
4.2.1 Introduced Species
4.2.2 Freshwater Extraction and Increased Rate of Desiccation
4.2.3 Pollution
4.2.4 Vulnerable and Restricted Habitats
4.2.5 Habitat Modification (Channelization, Damming, Desiccation)
4.3 Conservation Status
References
Chapter 5: The Freshwater Mollusks of Mexico: Can We Still Prevent Their Silent Extinction?
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Mexican Freshwater Molluscan Fauna
5.2.1 Freshwater Gastropods
5.2.2 Freshwater Bivalves
5.3 Diversity Hotspots
5.4 Conservation
5.4.1 Status
5.4.2 Major Threats
5.4.3 What Is the Real Situation of the Mexican Mollusks?
5.4.4 Conservation Efforts
5.5 Conclusion
5.5.1 Can We Still Stop the Silent Extinction of the Mexican Mollusks?
5.5.2 Can We Change Our Philosophical Approach to be More Inclusive?
References
Chapter 6: Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico: Diversity and Conservation
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Diversity and Endemism
6.3 Conservation Status of Mexican Amphibians and Reptiles
6.4 Main Threats for Mexican Amphibians and Reptiles
6.5 Axolotls
6.6 Sea Turtles
References
Chapter 7: Mexican Freshwater Fishes in the Anthropocene
7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 Freshwater Fishes: Diversity and Conservation Status
7.1.2 Freshwater Ecosystems in Mexico
7.1.3 Mexican Freshwater Fauna
7.1.4 Human Impacts and Conservation Status of Mexican Freshwater Fauna
7.2 Case Study
7.2.1 Evaluation of the Human Footprint in Three Freshwater Ecoregions
7.2.2 Case Study Ecoregions
7.2.3 Freshwater Fish Diversity and Conservation Status
7.2.4 Human Footprint and Freshwater Fishes’ Vulnerability
7.2.5 Results and Discussion
7.2.5.1 Freshwater Fish Diversity
7.2.5.2 Conservation Status and Extinction Risk of the Ecoregions
7.2.5.3 Fish Assemblage Vulnerability
7.2.5.4 Case Study Conclusions
7.3 General Conclusions
7.3.1 Research Gaps of the Studied Regions
7.3.2 Conservation Recommendations
References
Chapter 8: Mexican Avifauna of the Anthropocene
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Mexico’s Megadiverse Avifauna
8.3 Historical Implementation of Studies of Anthropogenic Disturbances
8.3.1 Habitat Transformation and Urbanization
8.3.2 Climate Change
8.3.3 Pollution
8.3.4 Biological Invasions
8.4 Are Natural Protected Areas the Best Conservation Strategy?
8.5 Challenges and Future Opportunities
8.6 Conclusions
References
Chapter 9: Marine Birds
9.1 Introduction
9.1.1 Seabirds as Indicators
9.2 Current Status
9.3 Threats and Conservation Actions
9.3.1 Climate Change
9.3.2 Contaminants
9.3.2.1 Organochlorines
9.3.2.2 Heavy Metals (Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead)
9.3.2.3 Oil Spills
9.3.2.4 Emerging Pollutants
9.4 Fisheries, Overfishing, and Bycatch
9.4.1 Bycatch Reduction
9.5 Invasive Species
9.5.1 Threats
9.5.2 Impacts
9.5.3 Eradication and Monitoring
9.5.4 Future Threats
9.6 Harvesting
9.7 Light Attraction
9.8 Other Sources of Disturbance
9.8.1 Hormones and Sleep
9.8.2 Tourism
9.9 Conservation Policy
9.9.1 Marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs)
9.9.1.1 Endangered and Priority Species Lists and Legislation Reform
References
Chapter 10: Mexican Terrestrial Mammals in the Anthropocene
10.1 Introduction
10.1.1 Terrestrial Mammals in the Anthropocene
10.2 Diversity and Extinction Risk of Mexican Mammals in the Anthropocene
10.3 Tolerance to Human Environments
10.3.1 Virginia Opossum
10.3.2 Coyote
10.3.3 Greater Grison
10.3.4 Jaguar
10.3.5 White-Lipped Peccaries
10.3.6 Michoacan Gopher
10.4 Perspectives
References
Chapter 11: Mexican Bats: Threats in the Anthropocene
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Material and Methods
11.3 Results and Discussion
11.3.1 Effect of Land Use Change on Mexican Bats
11.3.2 Effect of Pollution on Mexican Bat Diversity
11.3.3 Climate Change
11.3.4 Human–Bat Conflicts
11.3.5 Human Infrastructure and Their Impact on the Mexican Bats
11.4 Conclusion and Perspectives
References
Part III: Ecosystems
Chapter 12: Impacts of Land Use and Cover Change on Land Mammal Distribution Ranges Across Mexican Ecosystems
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Species Richness and Overall Conservation Status of Land Mammals in Mexico
12.3 Distribution Range of Land Mammals and Changes in Vegetation Cover
12.3.1 Limited Distribution with Low Habitat Transformation and Low Representation in Tropical Forests
12.3.2 Wide Distribution, Low Habitat Transformation, and Low Representation in Tropical Forests
12.3.3 Wide Distribution, Moderate Habitat Transformation, and Moderate Representation in the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests
12.3.4 Species with the Widest Distribution, Moderate Habitat Transformation, and Moderate Representation in Tropical Forests
12.3.5 Widely Distributed, Well Represented in the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest
12.3.6 Primarily Distributed in Tropical Forests with Major Habitat Transformation
12.3.7 Restricted Distribution, Mainly in the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and High Habitat Transformation
12.3.8 Restricted Distribution, Mostly in Tropical Forests and High Habitat Transformation
12.4 Discussion
References
Chapter 13: Anchialine Fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula: Diversity and Conservation Challenges
13.1 Introduction
13.1.1 The Yucatan Peninsula
13.2 Faunal Account
13.2.1 Species List
13.2.2 Distribution Patterns
13.3 Importance of the Anchialine Fauna of the YP
13.4 The Future Conservation of the Anchialine Fauna of the YP
13.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 14: Mezcal Boom and Extinction Debts
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Problem Statement
14.3 Sociological Setting
14.4 The Agave Ecosystem
14.5 Interdependence Among Species Through Biotic Interactions
14.6 Mezcal Production and Extinction Debts
References
Chapter 15: Deep-Sea Life
15.1 Introduction
15.1.1 Analysis of the Current Conservation Status of Deep-Sea Biodiversity in Mexico and Their Habitats
15.2 The Energy Sources That Support Deep-Sea Life
15.3 Review of Existing Information of Life Below 200 m in Mexico
15.4 Prognosis of Future Challenges and Expanding Threats Inherent in the Anthropocene
15.5 The Context of the Unique Physical, Ecological, and Cultural Aspects of the Nation
References
Chapter 16: Mexican Fauna in Agroecosystems: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Directions
16.1 Environmental Crisis Due to the Impact of Human Activities
16.2 The Impact of Agroecosystems
16.3 Mexican Agroecosystems
16.4 Which Elements of Biodiversity May Benefit/Lose from Agroecosystems?
16.4.1 Bats
16.4.2 Birds
16.4.3 Arthropods
16.5 Effects of Agriculture on Ecosystem Services Provided by Wildlife in Mexico
16.5.1 Native Fauna and Ecosystem Services in Agroecosystems
16.6 Agroecosystems as Complementary Tools for Biodiversity Conservation: From Protected Areas to an Integral Management of Anthropized Habitat Matrices
16.7 Concluding Remarks and Future Directions
References
Chapter 17: The Amphibians of the Mexican Montane Cloud Forest
17.1 The Mexican Montane Cloud Forest
17.1.1 Environments of the MCF
17.1.2 MCF Distribution
17.1.3 MCF Plant Composition
17.2 Diversity
17.2.1 Plethodontid Salamanders
17.2.2 Hylid Frogs
17.2.3 Robber Frogs
17.3 Conservation Status of the MCF
17.4 Conservation Status of Amphibians from the Mexican MCF
17.5 Conservation Actions
17.6 Projections and Challenges for the Future
References
Chapter 18: Human Impacts on Mexican Caves
18.1 Distribution of Caves and Karst
18.2 Biodiversity
18.3 Human Impacts on Caves
18.4 Review of Caves by Geographic Region
18.4.1 Northwest Region
18.4.1.1 Cueva El Tigre and Cueva de La Mariana, Sonora
18.4.2 Northeast Region
18.4.2.1 Cueva del Cañón El Buey, Coahuila
18.4.2.2 Toxic Sink, Coahuila
18.4.2.3 Cueva de la Boca, Nuevo León
18.4.2.4 Sistema Purificación, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.5 Cueva de la Mina, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.6 Cueva de la Capilla, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.7 Grutas de Quintero, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.8 Cueva de El Abra, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.9 Cueva de la Florida, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.10 Cueva de El Pachón, Tamaulipas
18.4.2.11 Sistema de los Sabinos, San Luis Potosí
18.4.2.12 Sótano de Yerbaniz, San Luis Potosí
18.4.2.13 Sótano del Médico, San Luis Potosí
18.4.3 South Region
18.4.3.1 Cave near Mezcala, Jalisco
18.4.3.2 Cueva de la Isla de Janitzio, Michoacán
18.4.3.3 Three Bat Caves in Guerrero: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, Cueva Cuaxilotla, and Grutas de Juxtlahuaca
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, Guerrero
Cueva Cuaxilotla, Guerrero
Grutas de Juxtlahuaca, Guerrero
18.4.3.4 Cueva Las Vegas, Puebla, Municipio Tenampulco
18.4.3.5 Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca
18.4.3.6 Cueva del Nacimiento del Río San Antonio, Oaxaca
18.4.3.7 Cueva Cerro Huatulco, Oaxaca
18.4.3.8 Cueva San Francisco, Chiapas
18.4.3.9 Cueva de las Sardinas, Tabasco
18.4.4 Yucatán Peninsula
18.4.4.1 Volcán de los Murciélagos, Campeche
18.4.4.2 Cenote Sambulá, Yucatán
18.4.4.3 Cueva de El Pochote, Yucatán
18.4.4.4 Cenote Dzitya, Yucatán
18.4.4.5 Grutas de Balankanché, Yucatán
18.4.4.6 Cueva (Cenote) Aerolito de Paraíso, Isla Cozumel, and Other Systems, Quintana Roo
18.5 Conclusions and Recommendations
18.6 Conservation Guidelines
References
Chapter 19: Fauna of Inland Waters
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Hydrological Background
19.3 The Anthropocene
19.4 Fauna of Inland Waters
19.5 Inland Water Ecosystems
19.5.1 Lakes Chapala, Cuitzeo, and Pátzcuaro
19.5.2 Lakes Totolcingo and Tepeyahualco
19.5.3 Lakes of the Valle de Santiago
19.5.4 Cuatro Ciénegas
19.5.5 El Sol and La Luna
19.5.6 The Montebello Lakes
19.5.7 Lake Alchichica
19.6 Conclusion
References
Part IV: Processes
Chapter 20: Contemporary Climate Change Impacts on Mexican Fauna
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Contemporary Climate Change in Mexico
20.2.1 Observed Climatic Changes
20.2.2 Future Climate Change Exposure in Mexico
20.3 Climate Change Impacts on the Mexican Biota
20.3.1 Observed Impacts on Mexican Fauna
20.3.2 Projected Impacts on Mexican Biota
20.4 Major Knowledge Gaps and Research Opportunities
20.4.1 Gaps in Baseline Climatologies
20.4.2 Long-Term Population Monitoring and Retrospective Analyses
20.4.3 New Modeling Approaches
20.5 Recommendations for Conservation
References
Chapter 21: Invasive Alien Species of Invertebrates and Fishes Introduced Into Mexican Freshwater Habitats
21.1 Introduction
21.2 Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
21.2.1 Platyhelminthes
21.2.2 Nematodes
21.2.3 Crustaceans
21.2.4 Mollusks
21.2.5 Fishes
21.3 Final Comments
References
Chapter 22: Patterns of Distribution in Helminth Parasites of Freshwater Fish of Mexico: Can We Detect Hotspots of Richness and Endemism?
22.1 Introduction
22.2 Material and Methods
22.3 Results
22.3.1 General
22.3.2 Patterns of Richness
22.3.3 Helminth Richness in Each Fish Family
22.3.4 Endemicity
22.3.5 Endemism by Fish Families
22.3.6 Hotspots of Richness and Endemicity
22.3.7 Latitudinal Ranges of Species and Genera
22.4 Discussion
22.4.1 General
22.4.2 Richness and Endemism by Fish Families
22.4.3 Nearctic Fauna
22.4.4 Neotropical Fauna
22.4.5 The Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Helminth Components
22.4.6 Hotspots of Richness and Endemism
References
Chapter 23: Comparison of Biomass of Exotic and Native Mammals Between Temperate and Tropical Forests of Mexico
23.1 Introduction
23.2 Monitoring Animal Presence and Abundance Using Camera Traps
23.3 Differences in Abundance and Biomass
23.4 Functional Groups
23.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 24: Pollination by Wild and Managed Animal Vectors
24.1 Introduction
24.2 Present Knowledge of Wild and Managed Pollinators in Mexico
24.2.1 Wild Pollinators
24.3 Managed Pollinators
24.3.1 Meliponiculture
24.3.2 Bombiculture
24.3.2.1 Potential Use of Native Bumble Bees for Pollination
24.3.3 Biovectoring
24.4 Pollinator Crisis and Main Threats
24.4.1 Habitat Loss
24.4.2 Pesticides
24.4.3 Climate Change
24.4.4 Exotic Pollinator Introductions
24.4.5 Cultural Traditions
24.5 Pollinator Conservation
24.5.1 Conservation Status
24.5.2 Conservation Strategies
References
Chapter 25: Origins and Coadaptation of Insect Pests from Wild to Domesticated Host Plants: Examples from Maize, Cotton, and Prickly Pear Cactus
25.1 The Processes in the Emergence of Insect Pests on Cultivated Plants
25.2 Origin and Coevolution of Maize and the Corn Leafhopper
25.3 The Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith): The Emergence of a Superpest
25.4 Importance of Ancestral Pest Lineages as a Source of Natural Enemies and Phylogenetic History: An Example of the Cotton Boll Weevil
25.5 From Biological Control Agent to Insect Pest: The Cactus Moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, a Potential Exotic Invasive of Prickly Pear Cactus on the US-Mexico Border
25.6 Conclusions
References
Chapter 26: The Potential of the Parasite Fauna as an Indicator of Ecosystem Health in the Anthropized Environments of Mexico
26.1 Introduction: Parasites Are Important to Ecosystems
26.2 Discovering the Indicator Potential of Parasites for the Health of Ecosystems
26.3 What Remains to Be Done?
26.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 27: Citizen Science for Deep Ocean Biodiversity: A Crowdsourcing Tool in Support of Conservation
27.1 Introduction
27.2 Generalities of Citizen Science for Deep Ocean Biodiversity
27.3 Trends of Recent Change in the Context of Mexico
27.4 Analytical Tools and Methods that Allow Its Evaluation
27.5 Citizen Science for Deep Ocean Biodiversity Conservation Actions
27.5.1 Examples of Deep Ocean Conservation and Its Importance
27.5.2 The Contributions of Citizen Science to Conservation
27.6 Current Conservation Status of Major Fauna Groups in Mexico and Their Habitats
27.7 Opportunities and Future Challenges in Citizen Science for Deep Ocean Biodiversity
References
Index