Hot Science - Cool Talk # 9 Hotspot of Biodiversity: Unique and Endangered Animals of Central Texas Dr. David Hillis November 17, 2000 Produced by and for Hot Science - Cool Talks by the Environmental Science Institute. We request that the use of these materials include an acknowledgement of the presenter and Hot Science - Cool Talks by the Environmental Science Institute at UT Austin. We hope you find these materials educational and enjoyable. HotspotHotspotTitle slide ofof Biodiversity:Biodiversity Unique and Endangered Animals of Central Texas Dr. David M. Hillis 1 Lost Biodiversity Jaguar: “Lost Biodiversity” 2 Texas Blind Salamander: “Endangered Species” EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies 3 New Discoveries New Gambusia: “New Discoveries” 4 Rolling Blackland Plains Texas map Tallgrass Cross Timbers Prairies and Prairies High Plains Post Oak Savannah East Texas Pineywoods Trans-Pecos Mountains and Basins Edwards Plateau Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes South Texas Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub 5 CentralCentral TexasTexas Central Texas, zoom-in Austin 6 LandLand DevelopmentDevelopment // HabitatHabitat DestructionDestruction Comp: frog, ant, salamander, clam, vireo IntroducedIntroduced SpeciesSpecies WaterWater Use:Use: LossLoss ofof AquifersAquifers andand SpringsSprings WaterWater Pollution:Pollution: DegradationDegradation ofof RiversRivers EffectsEffects ofof AgricultureAgriculture 7 HabitatHabitat DestructionDestruction Houston Toad: “Habitat destruction” 8 Breeding Pond 9 Habitat: Lost Pines 10 Habitat loss 11 New: development 12 B. houstonensis x B. woodhousii (amplexus) 13 B. houstonensis x B. valliceps 14 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound. Houston Toad (Bufo houstonensis) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 15.b. houst.sing.47.11k.aiffhoust.sing.47.11k.aiff,, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 15 15.b. houst.sing.47.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound.Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo valliceps) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 16.b. vall.sing.85.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 16.b. vall.sing.85.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 16 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound.Woodhouse’s Toad (Bufo woodhousii) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 17.b.wood.wood.85.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 17.b.wood.wood.85.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 17 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound.Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 18.h.vers.sing.87.11k.aiff18.h.vers.sing.87.11k.aiff,, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 18.h.vers.sing.87.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 18 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound.Spotted Chorus Frog (Pseudacris clarkii) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 19.p.darkii.55b.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 19.p.darkii.55b.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 19 Sound for Mac Sound for PC: Click once, with cursor on Double click here image, to activate sound. A warning may come up Strecker’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeriabout )viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 20.p.streck.40.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 20.p.streck.40.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 20 Sound for Mac Sound for PC: Click once, with cursor on Double click here image, to activateGreat Plains sound. Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea) A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 21.gas.oliv.sing.55b.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 21.gas.oliv.sing.55b.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 21 Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad in tarantula burrow with tarantula 22 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound. Couch’s Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus couchi) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 23.sca.couch.sing.110.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 23.sca.couch.sing.110.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 23 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activateSouthern sound. Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 24.r.spheno.sing.87.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 24.r.spheno.sing.87.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 24 Sound for Mac Click once, with cursor on image, to activate sound. Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans) Sound for PC: Double click here A warning may come up about viruses. Just click OK. The sound called: 25.r.clam.sing.112b.11k.aiff, does not play in Adobe Acrobat. 25.r.clam.sing.112b.11k.aiff can be found in the images directory. 25 Sound for Mac Sound for PC: Click once, with cursor on Double click number image, to activate sound. next to image, to activate sound. Composite of 10 frogs 3 4 5 2 9 10 6 1 8 7 26 CavesCaves andand SpringsSprings Texas Blind Salamander: “Caves and Springs” 27 Cave Devil’s Sinkhole Honey Creek Cave 28 Salado Springs 29 Salado Springs salamanders 30 Barton Springs 31 Barton Springs salamander 32 Austin Blind Salamander 33 Blind Catfish 34 Cave isopod 35 Non-Texan isopod 36 Flatworm 37 Degradation of Rivers Mantleflap: “Degradation of Rivers” 38 Native Clams 39 Native Clams with small Austin clams 40 Introduced Species Fireants: “Introduced Species” 41 Fireant stings 42 Leaf-cutters (Atta texana) 43 Horned Lizard 44 Ants under attack by phorid flies 45 Vireo with cowbird chicks: Effects of Agriculture EffectsEffects ofof AgricultureAgriculture 46 Golden-cheeked warbler 47 Vireo nest with cowbird eggs 48 Vireo nest, fireants attacking 49 Cowbird in vireo nest 50 Cowbird trap 51 WhatWhat cancanWhat youcanyou you do dodo to help: toto Habitat help?help? Destruction Habitat Destruction • Support low-impact development • Help direct development away from environmentally sensitive areas • Support nature preserves • Support family planning 52 WhatWhat cancanWhat youyou can you dododo to help: toto Habitat help?help? Protection Habitat Protection 53 WhatWhat cancan Whatyouyou can youdodo do tototo help: help?help?Water Use Water Use: Loss of Aquifers & Springs • Conserve water • Use rainwater irrigation • Re-use gray water for irrigation • Support and practice xeriscaping 54 WhatWhat canWhatcan can youyouyou do to help:dodo Water toto Degradation/Pollution help?help? Water Degradation/Water Pollution • Proper disposal of toxic materials: storm drains are only for water • Reduce use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers • Careful planning, location and management of reservoirs 55 WhatWhat cancanWhat youyou can you dododo to help: toto Introduced help?help? species Introduced Species • Do not import or release exotic plants or animals • Do not release ex-pets (especially aquarium plants and animals) 56 WhatWhat cancanWhat youyou can you dodo do to toto help: Agriculturehelp?help? Agriculture • Support smart agriculture: crop rotation, polyculture, biocontrol, etc. • Support alternative tax exemptions for wildlife management • Support low-impact, sustainable use alternatives for sensitive areas: habitat preserved for game species protects non-game as well 57 AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgements Photos: Production: Larry Gilbert Kristina Schlegel Joseph A. Grzybowski Jeff Horowitz Dean Hendrickson Robert G. Howells Frog Calls: Jean Krejca Jim O’Donnell David Cannatella Garold W. Sneegas Overall Support: Amy Kim, School of Biological Sciences, UT Jay Banner, Department of Geological Sciences, UT Lisa O’Donnell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Texas Memorial Museum 58 Dr. David Hillis David Hillis was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, but spent his formative years in tropical Africa and India. In this environment, Hillis learned a love of biology, entertaining himself by making collections of butterflies, amphibians, and reptiles. Hillis received his B.S. degree (with honors) from Baylor University in 1980, and M.A., M.Ph. and Ph.D. (all with honors) from The University of Kansas in 1983, 1984, and1985, respectively. After two years on the faculty at the University of Miami, he joined the Department of Zoology at UT Austin in 1987 and was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award the same year. In1992, he was appointed to the Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professorship in Natural Sciences, and in 1998 became the first Director of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas-Austin. In 1999, Hillis was one of 32 people chosen to receive a prestigious MacArthur Foundation fellowship, known informally as the "genius award”. David Hillis’ research interests span much of biology, from development of statistical and computational methods for analyzing DNA sequences, to molecular studies of viral epidemiology, to studies of the diversity and phylogeny of life (particularly vertebrates), to the origin and behavior of unisexual organisms. He has published over 130 scholarly articles and two technical books, and has served as Editor or Associate Editor of a dozen scientific journals. He is an active member of many scholarly societies and national research panels, and has served as the President of the Society of Systematic Biologists. In the past decade, the 23 graduate students and 12 postdocs in his laboratory have produced an additional 120 independent scholarly articles..