{"id":15523,"date":"2023-05-30T14:08:24","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T21:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=15523"},"modified":"2023-06-15T13:56:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T20:56:19","slug":"channel-island-foxes-face-new-threat-to-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/channel-island-foxes-face-new-threat-to-survival\/","title":{"rendered":"Saved from extinction, Southern California\u2019s Channel Island foxes now face new threat to survival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/05\/Channel_Island_Fox_Research_NewSite-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/05\/Channel_Island_Fox_Research_NewSite-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/05\/Channel_Island_Fox_Research_NewSite-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/05\/Channel_Island_Fox_Research_NewSite-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Placing these island foxes on the endangered species list from 2004-16 played a crucial role in population recovery. (Image Source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Saved from extinction, Southern California\u2019s Channel Island foxes now face new threat to survival<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Foxes inhabiting six of Southern California\u2019s Channel Islands were saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act, but a new study shows they face a different threat: a lack of genetic diversity.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Ileana Wachtel<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">May 30, 2023<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n          \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-highlights \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-highlights\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          In Summary:\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <ul>\n              <li><p>In the 1990s, island fox populations began to dwindle due to an outbreak of canine distemper and an increase in attacks by golden eagles.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>Some islands saw fox populations drop to as low as 15 individuals, but conservation efforts by the federal government restored numbers by 2016.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>A new USC Dornsife study reveals a worrying decrease in genetic diversity within the species that poses a new threat to the Channel Islands foxes\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>The decrease in genetic diversity reduces the foxes\u2019 ability to adapt to future challenges, such as climate change and new pathogens, putting their survival at risk once again.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>On the upside, the foxes possess diverse gut microbiomes that could help them cope with environmental changes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Tiny foxes \u2014 each no bigger than a five-pound housecat \u2014 inhabiting the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California were saved from extinction in 2016. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/mec.17025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new research<\/a> reveals that the foxes now face a different threat to their survival.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cf\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty.cfm?pid=1003223\">Suzanne Edmands<\/a>, professor of biological sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and <a href=\"https:\/\/nicoleadamssci.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicole Adams<\/a>, who earned her PhD from USC Dornsife in 2019, found that the foxes\u2019 genetic diversity has decreased over time, possibly jeopardizing their survival and the biodiversity of the islands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe findings of this study highlight the alarming fact that the foxes currently inhabiting six of the Channel Islands possess extremely low genetic diversity, rendering them potentially more susceptible to dangers such as disease outbreaks and climate-induced environmental shifts,\u201d Edmands said.<\/p>\n<p>As the largest native land animals on the islands located 22 miles off the coast of Southern California, these bushy-tailed, big-eared creatures play a vital role in regulating plant and animal communities by consuming various food sources, including fruit, insects, snails, lizards, birds and rodents. Many plant species rely on them to distribute seeds through their scat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe importance of these animals to the overall biodiversity of the island can\u2019t be over-emphasized. Without them, we could lose other species as well,\u201d Edmands said.<\/p>\n<p>A previous study done in 2018 lacked sufficient sampling to detect changes in genetic variation. This new study used a broader sampling method, comparing historic museum specimens and modern blood samples.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15524\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15524\" style=\"width: 315px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15524 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/05\/Channel_Island_Fox_Research_InStoryA.jpg\" alt=\"One fox nuzzles another fox.\" width=\"315\" height=\"490\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bushy-tailed, big-eared Channel Island foxes play a vital role in regulating plant and animal communities. (Photo: Karl E. Higgins.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Interestingly, the results indicated extremely low genetic variation even before the population declines. It also revealed that the genetic variation had dropped even further since population numbers fell. The islands that experienced the most severe losses, San Miguel and Santa Rosa, also showed the greatest reduction in genetic diversity. Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina, two islands where populations fell moderately, displayed mixed changes in genetic diversity metrics.<\/p>\n<p>Placing these island foxes on the endangered species list from 2004\u201316 played a crucial role in population recovery. By 2017 \u2014 a year after they were removed as an endangered species \u2014the population on Santa Catalina was found to have increased over that 13-year period, from approximately 100 to more than 2,000, while Santa Rosa Island\u2019s fox population rose from a low of 15 to more than 1,200 over the same time span. However, their depleted genetic diversity continues to hinder the foxes\u2019 ability to adapt to future challenges, such as global warming and introduced diseases.<\/p>\n<p>While genetic variation is crucial for disease resistance and adaptation to climate change, the scientists did find one silver lining in their research: reasonably good diversity within the foxes\u2019 gut microbiome, a key player in bolstering immunity and overall well-being.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis discovery suggests that the foxes may have developed an alternative mechanism to cope with changing environmental conditions,\u201d Edmands said.<\/p>\n<p>The study also reveals an increased divergence between the six islands over time. This finding complicates the possible conservation strategy of moving foxes between islands to increase genetic variation. Such a move could inadvertently disrupt local adaptation by producing offspring that are less fit or not as well-adapted to their specific environments. It should be noted that each island population is recognized as a separate endemic or unique subspecies.<\/p>\n<p>Given their limited ability to respond to new challenges, long-term monitoring of the fox population is crucial. To that end, researchers have already started noninvasive monitoring by sequencing bacterial communities in the foxes\u2019 scat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recovery of fox population numbers is an incredible conservation success, but their fragile genetic condition means that continued vigilance is critical to ensure their survival,\u201d Edmands said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The research was funded by The Offield Family Foundation and USC Dornsife and was published in \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/mec.17025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Molecular Ecology<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once threatened by disease and predators, foxes inhabiting six of Southern California\u2019s Channel Islands were saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act. Now, a new study shows they face a different threat: their own lack of genetic diversity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":15527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[117,462,116,96],"class_list":["post-15523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-technology","tag-biology","tag-ecology","tag-genetics-and-genomics","tag-natural-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Saved from extinction, Southern California\u2019s Channel Island foxes now face new threat to survival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/channel-island-foxes-face-new-threat-to-survival\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Saved from extinction, Southern California\u2019s Channel Island foxes now face new threat to survival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Once threatened by disease and predators, foxes inhabiting six of Southern California\u2019s Channel Islands were saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act. 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