Living on the edge: assessing vulnerability of the great crested newt at its southern range margin
The LIVEABLE project addresses the conservation challenges faced by the Great Crested Newt, a protected amphibian species in Europe whose distribution is shrinking due to habitat fragmentation and loss. These challenges are particularly acute at the southern edge of its range, where environmental pressures such as rising temperatures may further limit its survival.
At this range margin, the species also interacts with the Marbled Newt, creating a contact zone marked by competition and hybridization, which may threaten the genetic integrity and persistence of the Great Crested Newt. Understanding how these multiple pressures combine is essential for effective conservation strategies under climate change.
The Pinail National Nature Reserve in France offers a unique natural laboratory, with a high density of ponds and exceptional amphibian diversity, making it an ideal site to investigate the ecological constraints shaping species distributions and interactions.
LIVEABLE is funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) through the AFR programme (PhD student: Mathilde Foucteau – PhD co-supervisors: Nicolas Titeux and Olivier Lourdais – Grant reference: 17922003). This PhD project implements a multidisciplinary and technology-driven approach to better understand species persistence at ecological boundaries. The project combines long-term ecological data, targeted environmental measurements, and technological innovation to disentangle the effects of habitat characteristics, climate-related stressors, and species interactions.
A central innovation is the use of NEWCAM, a patented underwater camera-trap developed by the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology. This system enables non-invasive, automated monitoring of aquatic organisms by capturing high-resolution images and videos without handling individuals.
The project is structured around three complementary research axes:
LIVEABLE will generate new insights into how species persist at the limits of their distribution under changing environmental conditions, with direct implications for conservation planning.
Key expected impacts include:
Beyond its regional focus, the project’s outcomes will contribute to the international biodiversity research community by demonstrating how emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches can address complex ecological questions and inform conservation in a rapidly changing world.
A new underwater camera trap for freshwater wildlife monitoring
L'Hoste L., Mestdagh X., Besnard A., Didry Y., Foucteau M., Gama A., Haas R., Minette F., Priol P., Schwartz R., Titeux N.
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 16, n° 8, pp. 1625-1635, 2025
Foucteau M., Berry T., Duchesne T., Sellier Y., Titeux N., Lourdais O.
Wetlands, vol. 46, n° 6, art. no. 93, 2026