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Dr. Kevin Messenger
Nanjing Forestry University

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0 Conservation
0 Ecology
0 Herpetology
0 Circadian and seasonal rhythms

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Journal article
Published: 09 July 2021 in Animals
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Determining the range, status, ecology and behaviour of species from areas where surveys and samplings are uncommon or difficult to conduct is a challenge, such as in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). Here, we used genetic samples, field surveys, call recordings, photographic identification and a literature review to estimate the presence, range and status of amphibians in the DPR Korea. From our combined results and based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, we were able to estimate the national threat levels for most species. Our results demonstrated the presence of 18 native species and the suspected presence of Karsenia koreana and two Onychodactylus species. We reported the first record for Rana uenoi in the vicinity of Pyongyang using molecular tools and similarly confirmed the presence of Dryophytes japonicus at the same location. Based on distribution and modelling, we can expect the contact zone between species within the Rana and Onychodactylus genera to be located along the Changbai Massif, a mountain range that marks a shift in ecoregions and acts as a barrier to dispersion. The species richness was higher in the lowlands and at lower latitudes, with such areas populated by up to 11 species, while more northern regions were characterised by species richness of about half of that value. The combination of ecological models and known threats resulted in the recommendation of ten species as threatened at the national level following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. This high number of threatened species was anticipated based on the high threat level to amphibians in bordering nations and globally. While the ecology of species in the DPR Korea is still understudied, we argue that species relying on agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies are not under imminent threat due to the enduring presence of extensive agricultural landscapes with low rates of chemical use and mechanisation. The maintenance of such landscapes is a clear benefit to amphibian species, in contrast to more industrialised agricultural landscapes in neighbouring nations. In comparison, the status of species dependent on forested habitats is unclear and threat levels are likely to be higher because of deforestation, as in neighbouring nations.

ACS Style

Amaël Borzée; Spartak Litvinchuk; Kyongsim Ri; Desiree Andersen; Tu Nam; Gwang Jon; Ho Man; Jong Choe; Sera Kwon; Siti Othman; Kevin Messenger; Yoonhyuk Bae; YuCheol Shin; Ajoung Kim; Irina Maslova; Jennifer Luedtke; Louise Hobin; Nial Moores; Bernhard Seliger; Felix Glenk; Yikweon Jang. Update on Distribution and Conservation Status of Amphibians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Conclusions Based on Field Surveys, Environmental Modelling, Molecular Analyses and Call Properties. Animals 2021, 11, 2057 .

AMA Style

Amaël Borzée, Spartak Litvinchuk, Kyongsim Ri, Desiree Andersen, Tu Nam, Gwang Jon, Ho Man, Jong Choe, Sera Kwon, Siti Othman, Kevin Messenger, Yoonhyuk Bae, YuCheol Shin, Ajoung Kim, Irina Maslova, Jennifer Luedtke, Louise Hobin, Nial Moores, Bernhard Seliger, Felix Glenk, Yikweon Jang. Update on Distribution and Conservation Status of Amphibians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Conclusions Based on Field Surveys, Environmental Modelling, Molecular Analyses and Call Properties. Animals. 2021; 11 (7):2057.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amaël Borzée; Spartak Litvinchuk; Kyongsim Ri; Desiree Andersen; Tu Nam; Gwang Jon; Ho Man; Jong Choe; Sera Kwon; Siti Othman; Kevin Messenger; Yoonhyuk Bae; YuCheol Shin; Ajoung Kim; Irina Maslova; Jennifer Luedtke; Louise Hobin; Nial Moores; Bernhard Seliger; Felix Glenk; Yikweon Jang. 2021. "Update on Distribution and Conservation Status of Amphibians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Conclusions Based on Field Surveys, Environmental Modelling, Molecular Analyses and Call Properties." Animals 11, no. 7: 2057.

Journal article
Published: 25 March 2021 in Conservation
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It is important to understand the dynamics of population size to accurately assess threats and implement conservation activities when required. However, inaccurate estimates are harming both the threat estimation process, and the resulting conservation actions. Here, we address the extinction threats to Scincella huanrenensis, a species described in the People’s Republic of China, but also occurring on the Korean peninsula. Estimating the threats to the species is not an easy task due to its unknown population status in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Here we analysed the literature to acquire the known presence point for the species, along with datapoints originating from opportunistic field surveys, and employed habitat suitability models to estimate the range of the species. We then followed the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to assess the extinction risk of the species. We found the species not to be fitting the threatened category at the global scale based on the range size, the only category for which enough data was available. We recommend the status of the species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to be updated as it is now listed as critically endangered (CR), a listing fitting a national assessment for the People’s Republic (PR) of China. While this species is possibly less threatened than currently listed, this is not a genuine improvement, and specific conservation aspects should not be neglected due to its specialisation to medium to high elevation habitat.

ACS Style

YuCheol Shin; Kevin Messenger; Kyo Koo; Sang Lee; Mian Hou; Amaël Borzée. How Threatened Is Scincella huanrenensis? An Update on Threats and Trends. Conservation 2021, 1, 58 -72.

AMA Style

YuCheol Shin, Kevin Messenger, Kyo Koo, Sang Lee, Mian Hou, Amaël Borzée. How Threatened Is Scincella huanrenensis? An Update on Threats and Trends. Conservation. 2021; 1 (1):58-72.

Chicago/Turabian Style

YuCheol Shin; Kevin Messenger; Kyo Koo; Sang Lee; Mian Hou; Amaël Borzée. 2021. "How Threatened Is Scincella huanrenensis? An Update on Threats and Trends." Conservation 1, no. 1: 58-72.

Research article
Published: 24 June 2020 in PLOS ONE
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While comparatively few amphibian species have been described on the North East Asian mainland in the last decades, several species have been the subject of taxonomical debates in relation to the Yellow sea. Here, we sampled Dryophytes sp. treefrogs from the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China to clarify the status of this clade around the Yellow sea and determine the impact of sea level change on treefrogs’ phylogenetic relationships. Based on genetics, call properties, adult morphology, tadpole morphology and niche modelling, we determined the segregated status species of D. suweonensis and D. immaculatus. We then proceeded to describe a new treefrog species, D. flaviventris sp. nov., from the central lowlands of the Republic of Korea. The new species is geographically segregated from D. suweonensis by the Chilgap mountain range and known to occur only in the area of Buyeo, Nonsan and Iksan in the Republic of Korea. While the Yellow sea is the principal element to the current isolation of the three clades, the paleorivers of the Yellow sea basin are likely to have been the major factor for the divergences within this clade. We recommend conducting rapid conservation assessments as these species are present on very narrow and declining ranges.

ACS Style

Amaël Borzée; Kevin R. Messenger; Shinhyeok Chae; Desiree Andersen; Jordy Groffen; Ye Inn Kim; Junghwa An; Siti N. Othman; Kyongsin Ri; Tu Yong Nam; Yoonhyuk Bae; Jin-Long Ren; Jia-Tang Li; Ming-Feng Chuang; Yoonjung Yi; YuCheol Shin; Taejoon Kwon; Yikweon Jang; Mi-Sook Min. Yellow sea mediated segregation between North East Asian Dryophytes species. PLOS ONE 2020, 15, e0234299 .

AMA Style

Amaël Borzée, Kevin R. Messenger, Shinhyeok Chae, Desiree Andersen, Jordy Groffen, Ye Inn Kim, Junghwa An, Siti N. Othman, Kyongsin Ri, Tu Yong Nam, Yoonhyuk Bae, Jin-Long Ren, Jia-Tang Li, Ming-Feng Chuang, Yoonjung Yi, YuCheol Shin, Taejoon Kwon, Yikweon Jang, Mi-Sook Min. Yellow sea mediated segregation between North East Asian Dryophytes species. PLOS ONE. 2020; 15 (6):e0234299.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amaël Borzée; Kevin R. Messenger; Shinhyeok Chae; Desiree Andersen; Jordy Groffen; Ye Inn Kim; Junghwa An; Siti N. Othman; Kyongsin Ri; Tu Yong Nam; Yoonhyuk Bae; Jin-Long Ren; Jia-Tang Li; Ming-Feng Chuang; Yoonjung Yi; YuCheol Shin; Taejoon Kwon; Yikweon Jang; Mi-Sook Min. 2020. "Yellow sea mediated segregation between North East Asian Dryophytes species." PLOS ONE 15, no. 6: e0234299.