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The Earth’s biodiversity is in crisis. Without radical action to conserve habitats, the current rate of species extinction is predicted to accelerate even further. Efficient species conservation requires planning, management, and continuous biodiversity monitoring through wildlife research. Conservation biology was built on the utilitarian principle, where the well-being of species, populations, and ecosystems is given priority over the well-being of individual animals. However, this tenet has been increasingly under discussion and it has been argued that wildlife researchers need to safeguard the welfare of the individual animals traditionally subjected to invasive or lethal research procedures. The 3Rs principles of animal use (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) have become the cornerstone of ethical scientific conduct that could minimize the potential negative impact of research practices. One of the obvious strategies to implement the 3Rs in wildlife studies is to use non-invasive or non-lethal research methods. However, in contrast to toxicological or pharmacological research on laboratory animal models, up to now no 3Rs databases or online resources designed specifically for wildlife biologists, ecologists, and conservation managers have been available. To aid the implementation of the 3Rs principles into research on wildlife, I developed an online resource whose structure is outlined in this paper. The website contains a curated database of peer-reviewed articles that have implemented non-invasive or non-lethal research methods that could be used as a guideline for future studies.
Miriam Zemanova. New Online Resource on the 3Rs Principles of Animal Research for Wildlife Biologists, Ecologists, and Conservation Managers. Conservation 2021, 1, 106 -112.
AMA StyleMiriam Zemanova. New Online Resource on the 3Rs Principles of Animal Research for Wildlife Biologists, Ecologists, and Conservation Managers. Conservation. 2021; 1 (2):106-112.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam Zemanova. 2021. "New Online Resource on the 3Rs Principles of Animal Research for Wildlife Biologists, Ecologists, and Conservation Managers." Conservation 1, no. 2: 106-112.
Humane alternatives to harmful educational animal use include ethically-sourced cadavers, models, mannequins, mechanical simulators, videos, computer and virtual reality simulations, and supervised clinical and surgical experiences. In many life and health sciences courses, however, traditional animal use persists, often due to uncertainty about the educational efficacy of humane alternatives. The most recent comprehensive reviews assessing learning outcomes of humane teaching methods, in comparison to harmful animal use, were published more than 10 years ago. Therefore, we aimed to collate and analyse the combined evidence from recent and older studies about the efficacy of humane teaching methods. Using specific search terms, we systematically searched the Web of Science, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases for relevant educational studies. We extracted information on publication years, the country in which the study was conducted, field, humane teaching methods, form of learning outcome assessment, and the learning outcome of the humane teaching methods, in comparison with harmful animal use. We found 50 relevant studies published from 1968–2020, primarily stemming from the USA, UK, and Canada. Humane teaching methods produced learning outcomes superior (30%), equivalent (60%), or inferior (10%) to those produced by traditional harmful animal use. In conclusion, a wide-spread implementation of humane teaching methods would not only preserve learning outcomes, but may in fact be beneficial for animals, students, educators, and institutions.
Miriam Zemanova; Andrew Knight. The Educational Efficacy of Humane Teaching Methods: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Animals 2021, 11, 114 .
AMA StyleMiriam Zemanova, Andrew Knight. The Educational Efficacy of Humane Teaching Methods: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Animals. 2021; 11 (1):114.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam Zemanova; Andrew Knight. 2021. "The Educational Efficacy of Humane Teaching Methods: A Systematic Review of the Evidence." Animals 11, no. 1: 114.
Animals have been considered an indispensable tool to teach about the functioning of living organisms, to obtain skills necessary for practicing human and veterinary medicine, as well as for acquiring skills for caring for and conducting experiments on animals in laboratories. However, the efficacy of this practice has been questioned in the last decades and societal views have evolved to put a much larger emphasis on animal welfare and ethics that needs to be reflected in our teaching and training practices. Currently, many alternatives to harmful animal use are available, and it is not clear why thousands of animals continue to be used every year for educational and training purposes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify reasons for the lack of uptake of non-harmful educational and training methods by analysing recently published non-technical summaries in the EU and EEA Member States, and to provide examples of alternatives for specific learning objectives. Results from non-technical summaries from 18 countries spanning the most recent years (2017-2019) revealed that the two main perceived reasons for continued animal use are 1) the necessity of using a living animal for 'proper' learning and 2) the lack of an adequate alternative. We argue that these reasons often do not reflect reality. In conclusion, we consider it is necessary to put a stronger emphasis on engagement with ethical questions that underlie the use of animals and careful consideration of how the learning objectives could be achieved through non-harmful alternatives.
Miriam Zemanova; Andrew Knight; Susanna Lybæk. Educational use of animals in Europe indicates a reluctance to implement alternatives. ALTEX 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMiriam Zemanova, Andrew Knight, Susanna Lybæk. Educational use of animals in Europe indicates a reluctance to implement alternatives. ALTEX. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam Zemanova; Andrew Knight; Susanna Lybæk. 2021. "Educational use of animals in Europe indicates a reluctance to implement alternatives." ALTEX , no. : 1.
Miriam A. Zemanova. Towards more compassionate wildlife research through the 3Rs principles: moving from invasive to non-invasive methods. Wildlife Biology 2020, 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. Towards more compassionate wildlife research through the 3Rs principles: moving from invasive to non-invasive methods. Wildlife Biology. 2020; 2020 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. 2020. "Towards more compassionate wildlife research through the 3Rs principles: moving from invasive to non-invasive methods." Wildlife Biology 2020, no. 1: 1.
Compassionate conservation argues that actions taken to protect the Earth's diversity of life should be guided by compassion for all sentient beings. A set of essays published in Conservation Biology call to reject compassionate conservation. Critics argue that there are situations in which harming animals in conservation programs is appropriate. Three core reasons can be summarized: (1) conservation's raison d'être is biodiversity protection; (2) conservation is already compassionate to nonhumans; and (3) conservation should be compassionate to humans. We analysed these arguments, finding that objections to compassionate conservation are expressions of human exceptionalism, the view that humans are of categorically separate and higher moral status than all other species. In contrast, compassionate conservationists believe that conservation should expand its moral community by recognising all sentient beings as persons. Personhood, in an ethical sense, implies an entity is owed respect, and should never be treated merely as a means to other ends. On scientific and ethical grounds, there are good reasons to extend personhood to nonhuman animals, particularly in conservation. The moral exclusion or subordination of nonhuman beings has served to legitimate the ongoing manipulation and exploitation of the more‐than‐human world, the very reason conservation was needed in the first place. We embrace compassion for its ability to dismantle human exceptionalism, to recognise nonhuman personhood, and to navigate a more expansive moral space. Article impact statement: The debate about compassionate conservation is about whether to recognize nonhuman personhood. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Arian D. Wallach; Chelsea Batavia; Marc Bekoff; Shelley Alexander; Liv Baker; Dror Ben‐Ami; Louise Boronyak; Adam Cardilini; Yohay Carmel; Danielle Celermajer; Simon Coghlan; Yara Dahdal; Jonatan J. Gomez; Gisela Kaplan; Oded Keynan; Anton Khalilieh; Helen Kopnina; William S. Lynn; Yamini Narayanan; Sophie Riley; Francisco J. Santiago‐Ávila; Esty Yanco; Miriam A. Zemanova; Daniel Ramp. Recognizing animal personhood in compassionate conservation. Conservation Biology 2020, 34, 1097 -1106.
AMA StyleArian D. Wallach, Chelsea Batavia, Marc Bekoff, Shelley Alexander, Liv Baker, Dror Ben‐Ami, Louise Boronyak, Adam Cardilini, Yohay Carmel, Danielle Celermajer, Simon Coghlan, Yara Dahdal, Jonatan J. Gomez, Gisela Kaplan, Oded Keynan, Anton Khalilieh, Helen Kopnina, William S. Lynn, Yamini Narayanan, Sophie Riley, Francisco J. Santiago‐Ávila, Esty Yanco, Miriam A. Zemanova, Daniel Ramp. Recognizing animal personhood in compassionate conservation. Conservation Biology. 2020; 34 (5):1097-1106.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArian D. Wallach; Chelsea Batavia; Marc Bekoff; Shelley Alexander; Liv Baker; Dror Ben‐Ami; Louise Boronyak; Adam Cardilini; Yohay Carmel; Danielle Celermajer; Simon Coghlan; Yara Dahdal; Jonatan J. Gomez; Gisela Kaplan; Oded Keynan; Anton Khalilieh; Helen Kopnina; William S. Lynn; Yamini Narayanan; Sophie Riley; Francisco J. Santiago‐Ávila; Esty Yanco; Miriam A. Zemanova; Daniel Ramp. 2020. "Recognizing animal personhood in compassionate conservation." Conservation Biology 34, no. 5: 1097-1106.
Miriam A. Zemanova. Animalfree Research Forum 2019: Animal-free education. ALTEX 2020, 37, 140 -142.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. Animalfree Research Forum 2019: Animal-free education. ALTEX. 2020; 37 (1):140-142.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. 2020. "Animalfree Research Forum 2019: Animal-free education." ALTEX 37, no. 1: 140-142.
The Earth’s biodiversity is currently experiencing immense pressure from habitat loss, overexploitation, global climate change, and invasive species, which escalate the global extinction crisis. Comprehensive knowledge of the extent and impact of biodiversity loss is therefore critical for determining species vulnerability and prioritizing conservation goals. An integral part of wildlife conservation research and management is nowadays genetic sampling. Animal DNA has been traditionally obtained invasively, from blood or other tissues, however public concerns over animal welfare require that animals are affected as little as possible during research. One of the ways to minimize the impact on wildlife animal welfare is to use non-invasive genetic sampling. Even though non-invasive genetic sampling techniques have been developed for many animal species, it is not clear how often they are being implemented. Here, I present an overview of recently published articles on genetics in amphibians, birds, carnivores, molluscs and rodents, for which I examined whether they used a lethal, invasive or non-invasive DNA sampling technique. Disappointingly, only 22% of the identified relevant studies implemented the available non-invasive genetic sampling method. I conclude highlighting the need for better implementation of non-invasive DNA collection methods in wildlife research through raising awareness, increasing financial support, and introducing more stringent criteria for obtaining research permits.
Miriam A. Zemanova. Poor implementation of non-invasive sampling in wildlife genetics studies. Rethinking Ecology 2019, 4, 119 -132.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. Poor implementation of non-invasive sampling in wildlife genetics studies. Rethinking Ecology. 2019; 4 ():119-132.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. 2019. "Poor implementation of non-invasive sampling in wildlife genetics studies." Rethinking Ecology 4, no. : 119-132.
Aim The current volume of global trade has led to an unprecedented rate of biological invasions, causing severe problems to native ecosystems. The knowledge of species introduction routes and areas suitable for establishment is therefore an important step in preventing future invasions. The situation can be further exacerbated by climate change, which might alter the amount of environmentally suitable areas for establishment of invasive species. Here, we focus on three Arion slug species recently introduced to North America and Australia with potentially significant impact—A. ater, A. rufus and A. vulgaris. Location Worldwide. Results We combined interception records, molecular analyses and species distribution modelling to assess their introduction history and to predict which regions are at highest risk of future invasions. We found extensive sharing of mitochondrial haplotypes among continents in all three species. In concordance with the genetic analyses, interception records suggest that slugs were introduced to the USA and Australia primarily from France, the Netherlands and the UK, but also from other locations in North America. The models predicted climatically suitable regions for the three Arion species in several areas across the globe for which management actions can be targeted. Main conclusions While the amount of regions with climatic conditions that would be suitable for slug establishment is predicted to slightly decrease under future scenarios, new suitable areas will also emerge. We therefore recommend that prevention efforts to limit new introductions should continue in order to protect vulnerable native ecosystems.
Miriam A. Zemanova; Olivier Broennimann; Antoine Guisan; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. Slimy invasion: Climatic niche and current and future biogeography of Arion slug invaders. Diversity and Distributions 2018, 24, 1627 -1640.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova, Olivier Broennimann, Antoine Guisan, Eva Knop, Gerald Heckel. Slimy invasion: Climatic niche and current and future biogeography of Arion slug invaders. Diversity and Distributions. 2018; 24 (11):1627-1640.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova; Olivier Broennimann; Antoine Guisan; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. 2018. "Slimy invasion: Climatic niche and current and future biogeography of Arion slug invaders." Diversity and Distributions 24, no. 11: 1627-1640.
Hybridization with invasive species is one of the major threats to the phenotypic and genetic persistence of native organisms worldwide. Arion vulgaris (syn. lusitanicus) is a major agricultural pest slug that successfully invaded many European countries in recent decades, but its impact on closely related native species remains unclear. Here, we hypothesized that the regional decline of native A. rufus is connected with the spread of invasive A. vulgaris, and tested whether this can be linked to hybridization between the two species by analyzing 625 Arion sp. along altitudinal transects in three regions in Switzerland. In each region, we observed clear evidence of different degrees of genetic admixture, suggesting recurrent hybridization beyond the first generation. We found spatial differences in admixture patterns that might reflect distinct invasion histories among the regions. Our analyses provide a landscape level perspective for the genetic interactions between invasive and native animals during the invasion. We predict that without specific management action, A. vulgaris will further expand its range, which might lead to local extinction of A. rufus and other native slugs in the near future. Similar processes are likely occurring in other regions currently invaded by A. vulgaris.
Miriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. Introgressive replacement of natives by invading Arion pest slugs. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 14908 .
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova, Eva Knop, Gerald Heckel. Introgressive replacement of natives by invading Arion pest slugs. Scientific Reports. 2017; 7 (1):14908.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. 2017. "Introgressive replacement of natives by invading Arion pest slugs." Scientific Reports 7, no. 1: 14908.
Miriam A. Zemanova; Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso; Emily L. Dickins; Andrew B. Gill; John P. Leonard; David B. Wester. Impact of deforestation on habitat connectivity thresholds for large carnivores in tropical forests. Ecological Processes 2017, 6, 1 .
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Emily L. Dickins, Andrew B. Gill, John P. Leonard, David B. Wester. Impact of deforestation on habitat connectivity thresholds for large carnivores in tropical forests. Ecological Processes. 2017; 6 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova; Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso; Emily L. Dickins; Andrew B. Gill; John P. Leonard; David B. Wester. 2017. "Impact of deforestation on habitat connectivity thresholds for large carnivores in tropical forests." Ecological Processes 6, no. 1: 1.
Miriam A. Zemanova. More Training in Animal Ethics Needed for European Biologists. BioScience 2017, 67, 301 -305.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. More Training in Animal Ethics Needed for European Biologists. BioScience. 2017; 67 (3):301-305.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova. 2017. "More Training in Animal Ethics Needed for European Biologists." BioScience 67, no. 3: 301-305.
Arion vulgaris (syn. A. lusitanicus) is the most destructive pest slug in Europe. The species has been regarded a classic case of an ongoing biological invasion with negative economic and ecological impact in many European countries, but this status has recently been contested. In this study, we assessed mitochondrial and autosomal genetic diversity in populations of A. vulgaris across the entire distribution range in order to characterize its evolutionary history. Mitochondrial diversity in A. vulgaris was strongly reduced compared with the closely related and largely codistributed noninvasive species A. rufus and A. ater, indicating a very rapid spread of A. vulgaris through Europe. Autosomal diversity assessed in 632 individuals from 32 populations decreased towards eastern and northern Europe which is consistent with the reported expansion of the species towards these regions in the last decades. Demographic simulations supported very recent population founding events in most of the European range. The short periods between the first detection of A. vulgaris in different countries and only a very weak association of genetic structuring among populations with geographical distances suggest a human contribution in the ongoing expansion of the slug. We propose that this contribution may ultimately prevent the exact localization of the debated region of origin of A. vulgaris. However, the reclassification of A. vulgaris as noninvasive would be premature. Without counter measures, the Eastern and Northern European countries can expect to see this biological invasion continued in the future.
Miriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. Phylogeographic past and invasive presence ofArionpest slugs in Europe. Molecular Ecology 2016, 25, 5747 -5764.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova, Eva Knop, Gerald Heckel. Phylogeographic past and invasive presence ofArionpest slugs in Europe. Molecular Ecology. 2016; 25 (22):5747-5764.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. 2016. "Phylogeographic past and invasive presence ofArionpest slugs in Europe." Molecular Ecology 25, no. 22: 5747-5764.
Terrestrial molluscs and insect herbivores play a major role as plant consumers in a number of ecosystems, but their direct and indirect interactions have hardly been explored. The omnivorous nature of slugs makes them potential disrupters of predator-prey relationships, as a direct threat to small insects and through indirect, plant-mediated effects. Here, we examined the effects of the presence of two species of slugs, Arion rufus (native) and A. vulgaris (invasive) on the survivorship of young Pieris brassicae caterpillars when feeding on Brassica rapa plants, and on plant attractiveness to the main natural enemy of P. brassicae, the parasitoid Cotesia glomerata. In two separate predation experiments, caterpillar mortality was significantly higher on plants co-infested with A. rufus or A. vulgaris. Moreover, caterpillar mortality correlated positively with slug mass and leaf consumption by A. vulgaris. At the third trophic level, plants infested with slugs and plants co-infested with slugs and caterpillars were far less attractive to parasitoids than plants damaged by caterpillars only, independently of slug species. Chemical analyses confirmed that volatile emissions, which provide foraging cues for parasitoids, were strongly reduced in co-infested plants. Our study shows that the presence of slugs has the potential to affect insect populations, directly via consumptive effects, and indirectly via changes in plant volatiles that result in a reduced attraction of natural enemies. The fitness cost for P. brassicae imposed by increased mortality in presence of slugs may be counterbalanced by the benefit of escaping its parasitoids.
Gaylord A. Desurmont; Miriam A. Zemanova; Ted C. J. Turlings. The Gastropod Menace: Slugs on Brassica Plants Affect Caterpillar Survival through Consumption and Interference with Parasitoid Attraction. Journal of Chemical Ecology 2016, 42, 183 -192.
AMA StyleGaylord A. Desurmont, Miriam A. Zemanova, Ted C. J. Turlings. The Gastropod Menace: Slugs on Brassica Plants Affect Caterpillar Survival through Consumption and Interference with Parasitoid Attraction. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2016; 42 (3):183-192.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGaylord A. Desurmont; Miriam A. Zemanova; Ted C. J. Turlings. 2016. "The Gastropod Menace: Slugs on Brassica Plants Affect Caterpillar Survival through Consumption and Interference with Parasitoid Attraction." Journal of Chemical Ecology 42, no. 3: 183-192.
Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in Arion vulgaris/lusitanicus, which belongs to the worst European slug pests with serious economic and ecological impact. These markers were tested on 23 individuals collected in a population in Switzerland. Numbers of alleles ranged from 2 to 14 per locus, observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.174 to 0.87, and from 0.162 to 0.903, respectively. These loci were also successfully amplified and were polymorphic in the closely related species A. rufus and A. ater. These loci represent the first highly polymorphic nuclear markers described for A. vulgaris and pave the way for population genetics and molecular ecology research of the important Arion pest slugs.
Miriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. Development and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for Arion slug species. Conservation Genetics Resources 2014, 7, 501 -503.
AMA StyleMiriam A. Zemanova, Eva Knop, Gerald Heckel. Development and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for Arion slug species. Conservation Genetics Resources. 2014; 7 (2):501-503.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiriam A. Zemanova; Eva Knop; Gerald Heckel. 2014. "Development and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for Arion slug species." Conservation Genetics Resources 7, no. 2: 501-503.