Dr. Justin Gerlach

Scientific co-ordinator, Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles

Affiliated researcher, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge

E-mail: jstgerlach@aol.com

Qualifications:

Selected research projects:

Awards, appointments and fellowships:

Research Interests:

My interests in taxonomy, ecology and island biogeography have been focused on the investigation of the conservation requirements of insular ecosystems, providing the hard scientific data which I believe needs to underlie conservation planning. My current major project is the Indian Ocean Biodiversity Assessment 2000-2005. The Assessment is surveying all components of the biodiversity of all 115 Seychelles islands, providing current data on the distribution and status of all terrestrial and freshwater taxa. The project will result in the compilation of a unique biogeographical and taxonomic data set and should give major new insights into island biogeography. The culmination will be a symposium in 2005 marking the centenary of the Percy Sladen Memorial Expedition, which still forms the basis of much of our understanding of the western Indian Ocean. The historical component will allow changes in the biota of some islands to be assessed and will reinforce the conservation value of the data. With the unique network of over 200 taxonomists in 29 countries that I have developed over recent years the full identification of all the specimens collected can be ensured. This initiative has been adopted as a satellite project of the International Biodiversity Observation Year. The first phase has already discovered 47 new species and 12 new genera, including a gecko and a frog.

The simple inventory and taxonomy nature of the biodiversity assessment provides useful data but only as an isolated picture. I am also developing in-depth ecological investigations on several islands of the Seychelles group. The main focus is on Silhouette which is the third largest island of the group and retains a wide range of natural and disturbed habitats. My work on Silhouette centres on the integration of evolutionary ecology and conservation and has already demonstrated that many received conservation problems can be accommodated by a healthy ecosystem. New data indicate that the conventional orthodoxy that island systems are especially prone to disruption by invasive alien species may not be correct.

Since 1986 I have maintained an active interest in land snail taxonomy. My revision of the Seychelles snails has included the description of 1 new hybrid taxon, 10 subspecies, 12 full species and 5 new genera, as well as numerous rediscoveries of apparently extinct taxa. Biogeographical studies based on these taxonomic revisions are offering new interpretations of the evolution of a number of snail genera and are radically altering current understandings of the evolution of land snail families. The ecological and conservation significance of basic taxonomic work is indicated by my work on Indian Ocean giant tortoises. In 1996 this lead to the rediscovery of two species believed to have been extinct since 1840. This dramatic discovery has been widely publicised in the international media, enabling funds for a major conservation project to be raised with the patronage of Sir David Attenborough. The development of the conservation project has enabled me to pursue research into the morphological, behavioural and dietary adaptations of these species and to start investigating their role in island ecosystems.

I have also been investigating the impacts of population restriction and environmental change on the persistence of threatened species through mathematical modelling. Published models include the effects of demographic instability on extinction risks of small populations, evolutionary adaptation to island conditions and the relevance of the metapopulation to the processes of colonisation and the dynamics of invasion by alien snails. The latter model of predation and disease in the widely introduced carnivorous snail Euglandina rosea is the only promising avenue in developing control measures and halting the dramatic spread of snail extinctions caused by E. rosea. I am encouraging the use of such models in conservation planning, and am actively collaborating on developing models for reintroduction projects. This approach is of great potential importance in conservation.

Publications:

Books & chapters

Gerlach, J. 1987 The land snails of Seychelles - a field guide. 64pp. Privately published.
Gerlach, J. (ed.) 1997 Seychelles Red Data Book - 1997. NPTS, Seychelles.
Gerlach, J. 1998 Famous Tortoises. Privately published.
Gerlach, J. 2004 Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean. Chimiara publishers, Frankfurt.
Gerlach, J. 2006 The Vertebrates of Seychelles - a field guide. Privately published
Gerlach, J. 2007 Terrestrial and Freshwater Mollusca of Seychelles Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Gerlach, J. (ed.) 2007 Terrestial and Freshwater Vertebrates of Seychelles Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Gerlach, J. & Gerlach, O. 2006 Reef and freshwater fish of Seychelles - a field guide. Privately published
Gerlach, J. & Gerlach, R. 1998 Silhouette. NPTS, Seychelles.
Gerlach, J. & Haas, F. 2007 Orhtopteroidea of Seychelles. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Gerlach, J. & Matyot, P. 2006 Lepidoptera of Seychelles.Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Gerlach, G., Gerlach, J. & Gerlach, R. 2006 Silhouette: Nature’s Island. NPTS, Seychelles
Gerlach, J. & Haas, F. 2008 Orthopteroidea of the Seychelles Islands. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden
Gerlach, J. 2008 Key Biodiversity Areas of the Seychelles Islands. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden
Gerlach, J. (ed.) 2008 Diptera of the Seychelles Islands. Pensoft Publishers, Moscow
Gerlach, J. 2009 Darwin’s Inextricable Web.Phelsuma Press, Cambridge
Gerlach, J. (ed.) 2009 Coleoptera of the Seychelles Islands. Pensoft Publishers, Moscow

Contributed volumes
Gerlach R. & Gerlach J. 1995 The living laboratory. In: Amin M., Willetts D. & Skerrett A. (Eds.) Aldabra - World Heritage Site. Camerapix, Nairobi.
Gerlach, J. 2003 Seychelles frogs. In: Jackson, J. (Ed.) Encyclopaedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Brown Partworks
Mittermeier, R.A., Langrand, O., Lowry II, P.P. Schatz, G., Gerlach, J., Goodman, S., Steininger, M., Hawkins, F., Raminosoa, N., Ramilijaona, O., Andriamaro, L., Randrianasolo, H., Rabarison, H. & Rakotobe, Z.L. 2004 Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands. In: Mittermeier, R.A. et al (Eds.) Hotspots Revisited: Earth’s Biologically Richest and most Threatened Terrestrial Ecoregions. CIMEX.
Gerlach, J. 2005 Interpreting morphological and molecular data on Indian Ocean giant tortoises. In: Huber, B.A. et al. (Eds.) African Biodiversity: Morphology, Molecules and Systematics. Springer, New York.
Thieme, M.L. et al. 2005 Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar. A Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington.
Gerlach, J. 2008 Seychelles amphibians. In: Stuart, S. et al. (Eds.). Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona
Brooks, T. M., Mittermeier, R.A., Fonseca, G.A.B. da, Gerlach, J., Hoffman, M., Lamoreux, J.F., Mittermeier, C.G., Pilgrim, J.D. & Rodrigues, A.S.L. 2010 Global biodiversity conservation priorities: an expanded review. In: Lovett, J.C. & Ockwell, D. (Eds). A Handbook of Environmental Management. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Gerlach, J. 2009. Seychelles. In: Gillespe, R.G. & Clague, D.A. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Islands. University of Clifornia Press.

Book reviews
Gerlach, J. 2004 Island giants. Times Literary Supplement 5298; 32
Gerlach, J. 2006 Conservation, economics and celibacy: a tortoise-eye view. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21; 604-605

Published posters
Assessing Biodiversity on Indian Ocean Islands. Proceedings of the Biodiversity Science and Governance conference, Paris. 2005

Published correspondence
Gerlach, J. 2005 Biodiversity: journals must take a broader view. Nature 438; 156
Brooks, T.M., Mittermeier, R.A., Fonseca, G.A.B. da, Gerlach, J., Hoffmann, M., Lamoreux, J.F., Mittermeier, C.G., Pilgrim, J.D. & Rodrigues, A.S.L. 2006 On purpose in conservation - George M. Woodwell; Response. Science 314; 51

Reviewed papers
Gerlach, J. 1990 Pachnodus ornatus and closely related species of Enidae of Seychelles. Rev. Zool. afr. 104(2); 141-149

Brown D.S. & Gerlach J. 1991 On Paludomus and Cleopatra (Thiariidae) in Africa and the Seychelles islands. J. Moll. Stud. 57; 471-9.

Gerlach, J. 1993 The conservation of Silhouette island, Seychelles. I. Plants. Phelsuma 1; 18-29.
The conservation of Silhouette island, Seychelles. II. Animals. Phelsuma 1; 30-38.

Gerlach, J. 1992 Invasive Melastomataceae in Seychelles. Oryx 27(1); 22-26.

Gerlach, J. 1994 New species of Pachnodus (Gastropoda, Enidae) from Seychelles. J. Conch. 35(2); 167-177
The management and conservation of the La Passe Marsh, Silhouette. Phelsuma 2; 16-21
Patterns of species diversity among the Seychelles islands. Phelsuma 2; 48-53
Gerlach J. & Canning K.L. 1994 On the crocodiles of the western Indian Ocean. Phelsuma 2; 54-58
Gerlach J. & Gerlach R. 1994 Prey abundance and migrant shorebird distribution. Phelsuma 2; 12-14

Gerlach, J. 1995 The taxonomy and affinities of the genus Priodiscus (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Streptaxidae). J. Conch. 35; 357-368
Tropical leaf litter inhabiting invertebrates, patterns of abundance and sampling methods. Phelsuma 3; 23-30

Gerlach, J. 1996 The effects of habitat domination by invasive Melastomataceae. Phelsuma 4; 19-26
Patterns of hybridization and extinction in a tropical land snail. Phelsuma 4; 27-42
Native or introduced plant species? Phelsuma 4; 70-73
Rainfall patterns - an overlooked ecological influence. Phelsuma 4; 75-80
Gerlach J. & Canning K.L. 1996 A new species of the western Indian Ocean gecko Ailuronyx (Reptilia; Gekkonidae). Herpetological Journal 6(2); 27-42
On the Seychelles Giant Tortoise; its rediscovery and prospects for conservation. Proceedings of the International Congress of Chelonian Conservation. pp131-135
The rediscovery of Pelusios seychellensis. Phelsuma 4; 68-69
Evolution and history of the giant tortoises of the Aldabra island group. Testudo 4(3); 33-40

Gerlach, J. 1997 Man and Chelonia in the Seychelles islands. Testudo 5; 25-40

Gerlach, J., Daszak, P. & Jones, C. 1997 The biogeography of the giant tenebrionid beetle Pulposipes herculeanus. Phelsuma 5; 43-48
Gerlach, J., Matyot, P. & Saaristo, M. 1997 Ecology and conservation of Silhouette. Phelsuma 5; 27-42
Silhouette species list. Phelsuma 5A; 1-64
Gerlach, R. & Gerlach, J. 1997 Colonisation of the Seychelles granitic islands by three bird species. Phelsuma 5; 63-67

Gerlach, J. 1998 A study of habitat structure and vegetation in Seychelles. Phelsuma 6; 68-68
The shell-less slugs of Seychelles (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Veronicellidae and Urocyclidae). Argonauta 11; 56-64.
The behaviour and captive maintenance of the terrestrial nemertine (Geonemertes pelaensis). J. Zool., Lond. 246; 233-237
A new genus of Zonitoidea previously referred to the genus Kaliella. J. Conch. 36; 17-22
A new species of Punctidae (Mollusca; Gastropoda). J. Conch. 36; 23-26
Gerlach, J. & Bruggen, A.C. van 1998. A first record of a terrestrial mollusc without a radula. J. Moll. Stud. 64; 249-250
Gerlach, J. & Canning K.L. 1998 Taxonomy of Indian Ocean Giant Tortoises (Dipsochelys). Chelonian Cons. & Biol. 3; 3-19 & Identification of Seychelles Giant Tortoises. Chelonian Cons. & Biol. 3; 133-135

Gerlach, J. 1999 Distinctive giant tortoise neural bones - structural and taxonomic characters. J. Morphol. 240; 33-38
Snails of the genus Pachnodus (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Enidae): their origins and evolution. J. Biogeogr. 26; 251-255
Notes on Seychelles reptiles. Br. Herpet. Bull. 67; 53-60
Ecology of Indian Ocean carnivorous snails. Phelsuma 7; 14-24
Feeding behaviour and the saddle-back shell of Dipsochelys arnoldi. Chelonian Cons. & Biol. 3; 496-500
Gerlach, J. & Bruggen, A.C. van 1999 The Streptaxidae (Mollusca; Pulmonata; Gastropoda) of the Seychelles islands, western Indian Ocean. Zool. Verh. Leiden 328; 1-60

Bowler, J., Bullock, I., Cadbury, J., Gerlach, J. & Hunter, J. 2000 Conservation status and management of Wright’s gardenia Rothmannia annae. Phelsuma 8; 23-28
Gerlach, J. 2000 Trilepisium in Seychelles (Moraceae). Phelsuma 8; 50-54
The rediscovery of the Seychelles hummingbird hawkmoth Macroglossum alluaudi Joannis, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Phelsuma 8; 79-80
Gerlach, J. & Florens, V. 2000 Toxicity of ‘specific’ rodenticides and the risk to non-target taxa. Phelsuma 8; 75-77

Gerlach, J. 2001 On a new species of Nesokaliella and further comments on the affinities of the genus (Gastropoda: Limacoidea). J. Conch. 37; 205212
Mott Mus Berlin 2001 Conturbatia, a new genus of Streptaxidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata). Mitt. Mus. Nat.kd. Berl., Zool. Reihe 77; 297-302
Predator, prey and pathogen interactions in introduced snail populations. Anim. Conserv. 4; 203-209
The 'Geochelone' problem in tortoise taxonomy. Phelsuma 9(A); 1-32
Edentulina moreleti, the first herbivorous streptaxid (Gastropoda). Phelsuma 9; 75
Population dynamics of insular vertebrates, examples for the Seychelles islands. Biota. 2; 125-135
Gerlach, J. & Canning, K.L. 2001 Range contractions in the Critically Endangered Seychelles terrapins (Pelusios spp.). Oryx 35; 313-320
Gerlach, J. & Le Maitre, S. 2001 Sex ratio variation in small island populations of an endangered bird, the Seychelles Magpie Robin, Copsychus sechellarum. Ostrich 72; 114-117

Gerlach, J. 2002 A new species of Piper (Piperaceae). Blumea 47; 403-408
Habitat use by a population of the Seychelles kestrel (Falco araea). Phelsuma 10; 6-16
First results of radio-tracking black mud turtles Pelsuios subniger parietalis. Phelsuma 10; 58-60
Seychelles Terrapin Action Plan. Phelsuma 10B; 1-16
The palm spider as an unexpected gecko predator. Gekko 3; 19-21
The enigmatic giant bronze gecko Ailuronyx trachygaster. Part 1: Identity Gekko 3; 39-42
Gerlach, J. & Griffiths, O. 2002 The land snails of the Aldabra islands, western Indian Ocean. J. Conch 37; 667-679
Gerlach, J. & Skerrett, A. 2002 The distribution, ecology and status of the yellow bittern Ixobrychus sinensis in Seychelles. J. Afr. Ecol. 40; 194-196
Gerlach, J. & Willi, J. 2002 A new species of Sooglossus frog (Sooglossidae). Amphibia-Reptilia 23(4); 445-498
Palkovacs, E.P., Gerlach, J. & Caccone, A. 2002. The evolutionary origin of Indian Ocean tortoises (Dipsochelys). Mol. Phylog. Evol. 24; 216-227

Gerlach, J. 2003 Day gecko and tortoise interactions on Aldabra atoll. Gekko 3; 19-20
Pollination in the coco-de-mer, Lodoicea maldivica. Palms 47; 135-138
New mollusca of the Seychelles islands. Phelsuma 11; 39-51
Patterns of diversity on tropical islands. Biota 4; 21-48
Five years of conserving Seychelles Chelonia. Testudo 5; 30-41
The biodiversity of the granitic islands of Seychelles. Phelsuma 11A; 1-47
Gerlach, J. & Bour, R. 2003 Morphology of hatchling giant tortoises. Radiata 12; 11-12
Palkovacs, E.P., Marschner, M., Ciofi, C., Gerlach, J. & Caccone, A. 2003 Are the native giant tortoises from the Seychelles really extinct? A genetic perspective based on mtDNA and microsatellite data. Mol. Ecol..12; 1403-1413

Gerlach, J. 2004 Effects of diet on the systematic utility of the tortoise carapace. Afr. J. Herpetol. 53(1): 77-85.
The Enigmatic Giant Bronze Gecko Ailuronyx trachygaster. Part 2: Ecology. Gekko 3; 8-14
The impact of crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) invasion on Bird Island, Seychelles. J. Insect Cons. 8; 15-25
A 10 year study of changes in forest vegetation on Silhouette island, Seychelles. J. Nature Conserv. 12(3); 149-155

Gerlach, J. 2005 Inter-island variation and taxonomy of Seychelles Trachylepis. J. Afr. Herpetol. 54; 31-42
The complex nasal structure of Dipsochelys and its identification as a true Jacobson's Organ. Herpetol. J. 15; 15-20
Thermoregulation in captive Indian Ocean giant tortoises. Chelonian Cons. & Biol 4; 937-941
Captive Seychelles-Aldabra giant tortoises: reproduction, growth and dietary distortion. In: Proceedings International Tortoise & Turtle Symposium, Vienna.
The status of invertebrates on Fregate island, Seychelles following rat eradication. Phelsuma 13
Preparing for the reintroduction of Seychelles giant tortoises. Testudo 6; 56-64
Gerlach, J., Lawrence, J. & Canning, L. Exceptional behaviour in a giant millipede. Phelsuma 13
Gerlach, J., Mackie, A.S.Y. & Spalding, M.D. Shallow marine benthic invertebrates of the Seychelles Plateau: high diversity in a tropical oligotrophic environment - Discussion. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 363(1826); 227-228
Karanth, K.P., Palkovacs, E., Gerlach, J., Glaberman, S., Pender Hume J., Caccone, A. & Yoder, A.D. Native Seychelles tortoises of Aldabran imports? The importance of radiocarbon dating for ancient DNA studies. Amphibia-Reptilia 26; 116-121

Gerlach, J. 2006. Cyclophoridae and Pomatiopsidae (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) of the Seychelles islands. J. Conch. 39; 99-104
Gerlach, J., Muir,C. & Richmond, .D. The first substantiated case of trans-oceanic tortoise dispersal. Journal of Natural History 40: 41-43
Gerlach J & Taylor, M. Habitat as a critical factor in the decline of the Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat Coleura seychellensis. Acta Chiopt.. 8; 129-139
Brooks, T.M., Mittermeier, R.A., Fonseca, G.A.B. da, Gerlach, J., Hoffmann, M., Lamoreux, J.F., Mittermeier, C.G., Pilgrim, J.D. & Rodrigues, A.S.L. Global biodiversity conservation priorities. Science 313; 59-61

Gerlach, J. 2007 Tortues géantes de l’Ocean Indien. Chéloniens 6; 22-27
Short-term climate change and the extinction of the snail Rhachistia aldabrae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata). Biology Letters 3(5): 581-584 [highlighted in Nature Reports Climate Change doi:10.1038/climate.2007.43]
Distribution and status of the Seychelles frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Sooglossidae). Herpetol. Journ. 17; 115-122
Breeding and reintroduction of Seychelles giant tortoises. Testudo 6
Vocalisations of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis. Le Rhinolophe 18
Social behaviour of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis. Le Rhinolophe 18
Meijden, A. van der, Boistel, R., Gerlach, J., Ohler, A., Vences, M. & Meyer, A. Molecular phylogenetic evidence for paraphyly of the genus Sooglossus, with the description of a new genus of Seychellean frogs. Bio. J. Linn. Soc. 91; 347-359

Gerlach, J. 2008 Pelusios castanoides intergularis Bour 1983 – Seychelles Yellow-Bellied Mud Turtle, Seychelles Chestnut-Bellied Terrapin. Chelonian Research Monographs 5.
Pelusios subniger parietalis Bour 1983 – Seychelles Black Mud Turtle. Chelonian Research Monographs 5.
Preliminary conservation status and needs of an oceanic island fauna: the case of Seychelles insects. J. Insect. Conserv. 12: 293-305
Fragmentation and demography as causes of population decline in Seychelles terrapins. Chelonian Cons. & Biol. 7; 78-88
Climate change and identification of terrestrial protected areas in the Seychelles Islands. Biodiversity 9; 24-29
Status and conservation of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis on Silhouette island, Seychelles. Endangered Species Research.
Setting conservation priorities – a Key Biodiversity Areas analysis for the Seychelles islands.Open Conservation Journal 2; 44-53
Population and conservation status of the reptiles of the Seychelles islands. Phelsuma 16; 31-48
Cariou, M.-L.,Lachaise, D., Gerlach, J., Matyot, P., Montchamp, C., Legrand, D. & McEvey, S.F. Drosophilidae of Seychelles: biogeography, ecology and conservation status. Phelsuma 16; 19-30
Gerlach, J. & Gerlach, R. A new species of Asterropteryx cheek-spined goby (Pices, Gobiidae) from the Seychelles islands. Phelsuma 16; 57-63

Barnes, R.S.K., Smith, D.J., Barnes, D.K.A. & Gerlach, J. Variation in the distribution of supralittoral vegetation around an atoll cay: Desroches (Amirante Islands, Seychelles). Atoll Res. Bull. 565
Gerlach, J. 2009. Redescription of the skull of Dipsochelys abrupta. Chel. Cons. & Biol. 7: 251-254
Gerlach, J. 2009 Ontogeny of the cheek-spined goby Asterropteryx semipunctata (Pisces, Gobiidae). Phelsuma 17: 9-11
New animal species from Aldabra atoll. Phelsuma 17: 12-16
Aldabrachelys arnoldi (Bour 1983) - Arnold's Giant Tortoise. Chelonian Research Monographs 5.
Legrand, D., M. Tenaillon, P. Matyot, J. Gerlach, D. Lachaise & M.-L. Cariou. Species-wide genetic variation and demographic history of Drosophila sechellia, a species lacking population structure. Genetics 182: 1197-1206
Senterre, B., Gerlach, J., Mougal, J. & Matatiken, D. Old growth mature forest types and their floristic composition along the altitudinal gradient on Silhouette Island (Seychelles) - the telescoping effect on a continental mid-oceanic island. Phytophylactica 39: 157-174

Suvi, T., L. Tedersoo, K. Abarenkov, K. Beaver, J. Gerlach & U. Koljag. 2010. Mycorrhizal symbionts of Pisonia grandis and P. sechellarum in Seychelles: identification of mycorrhizal fungi and description of new Tomentella species. Mycologia 102: 522-533

New taxa described: