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Tumendemberel O, Hendricks SA, Hohenlohe PA, Sullivan J, Zedrosser A, Saebø M, Proctor MF, Koprowski JL, Waits LP. Range-wide evolutionary relationships and historical demography of brown bears (Ursus arctos) revealed by whole-genome sequencing of isolated central Asian populations. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5156-5169. [PMID: 37528604 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Phylogeographic studies uncover hidden pathways of divergence and inform conservation. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) have one of the broadest distributions of all land mammals, ranging from Eurasia to North America, and are an important model for evolutionary studies. Although several whole genomes were available for individuals from North America, Europe and Asia, limited whole-genome data were available from Central Asia, including the highly imperilled brown bears in the Gobi Desert. To fill this knowledge gap, we sequenced whole genomes from nine Asian brown bears from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, Northern Mongolia and the Himalayas of Pakistan. We combined these data with published brown bear sequences from Europe, Asia and North America, as well as other bear species. Our goals were to determine the evolutionary relationships among brown bear populations worldwide, their genetic diversity and their historical demography. Our analyses revealed five major lineages of brown bears based on a filtered set of 684,081 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found distinct evolutionary lineages of brown bears in the Gobi, Himalayas, northern Mongolia, Europe and North America. The lowest level of genetic diversity and the highest level of inbreeding were found in Pakistan, the Gobi Desert and Central Italy. Furthermore, the effective population size (Ne ) for all brown bears decreased over the last 70,000 years. Our results confirm the genetic distinctiveness and ancient lineage of brown bear subspecies in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the Himalayas of Pakistan and highlight their importance for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odbayar Tumendemberel
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Sarah A Hendricks
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Jack Sullivan
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Mona Saebø
- Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | | | - John L Koprowski
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Lisette P Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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de Jong MJ, Niamir A, Wolf M, Kitchener AC, Lecomte N, Seryodkin IV, Fain SR, Hagen SB, Saarma U, Janke A. Range-wide whole-genome resequencing of the brown bear reveals drivers of intraspecies divergence. Commun Biol 2023; 6:153. [PMID: 36746982 PMCID: PMC9902616 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04514-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Population-genomic studies can shed new light on the effect of past demographic processes on contemporary population structure. We reassessed phylogeographical patterns of a classic model species of postglacial recolonisation, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), using a range-wide resequencing dataset of 128 nuclear genomes. In sharp contrast to the erratic geographical distribution of mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotypes, autosomal and X-chromosomal multi-locus datasets indicate that brown bear population structure is largely explained by recent population connectivity. Multispecies coalescent based analyses reveal cases where mtDNA haplotype sharing between distant populations, such as between Iberian and southern Scandinavian bears, likely results from incomplete lineage sorting, not from ancestral population structure (i.e., postglacial recolonisation). However, we also argue, using forward-in-time simulations, that gene flow and recombination can rapidly erase genomic evidence of former population structure (such as an ancestral population in Beringia), while this signal is retained by Y-chromosomal and mtDNA, albeit likely distorted. We further suggest that if gene flow is male-mediated, the information loss proceeds faster in autosomes than in X chromosomes. Our findings emphasise that contemporary autosomal genetic structure may reflect recent population dynamics rather than postglacial recolonisation routes, which could contribute to mtDNA and Y-chromosomal discordances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno J. de Jong
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14-16, Frankfurt am Main, 60325 Germany
| | - Aidin Niamir
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14-16, Frankfurt am Main, 60325 Germany
| | - Magnus Wolf
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14-16, Frankfurt am Main, 60325 Germany ,grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse. 9, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrew C. Kitchener
- grid.422302.50000 0001 0943 6159Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP UK
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- grid.265686.90000 0001 2175 1792Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick E1H1R2 Canada
| | - Ivan V. Seryodkin
- grid.465394.90000 0004 0611 5319Pacific Geographical Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 7 Radio St., Vladivostok, 690041 Russia
| | - Steven R. Fain
- National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, OR USA
| | - Snorre B. Hagen
- grid.454322.60000 0004 4910 9859Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Division of Environment and Natural Resources, Svanhovd, N-9925 Svanvik, Norway
| | - Urmas Saarma
- grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, Tartu, 50409 Estonia
| | - Axel Janke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14-16, Frankfurt am Main, 60325 Germany ,grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse. 9, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.511284.b0000 0004 8004 5574LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14-16, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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3
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Hsiao C, Ju YT, Chang CH, Chen SW, Tsai HW, Wang L, Lin WC, Hwang MH. Genetic status and conservation implications of endangered Formosan black bears. URSUS 2022. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-21-00011.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hsiao
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ten Ju
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hao Chang
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Wei Chen
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Tsai
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ching Lin
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsiu Hwang
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Sec. 1, Hsech-Fu Road, Pingtung, 912301 Taiwan
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Molodtseva AS, Makunin AI, Salomashkina VV, Kichigin IG, Vorobieva NV, Vasiliev SK, Shunkov MV, Tishkin AA, Grushin SP, Anijalg P, Tammeleht E, Keis M, Boeskorov GG, Mamaev N, Okhlopkov IM, Kryukov AP, Lyapunova EA, Kholodova MV, Seryodkin IV, Saarma U, Trifonov VA, Graphodatsky AS. Phylogeography of ancient and modern brown bears from eastern Eurasia. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022; 135:722-733. [PMID: 35359699 PMCID: PMC8943912 DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is an iconic carnivoran species of the Northern Hemisphere. Its population history has been studied extensively using mitochondrial markers, which demonstrated signatures of multiple waves of migration, arguably connected with glaciation periods. Among Eurasian brown bears, Siberian populations remain understudied. We have sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of four ancient (~4.5-40 kya) bears from South Siberia and 19 modern bears from South Siberia and the Russian Far East. Reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships between haplotypes and evaluation of modern population structure have demonstrated that all the studied samples belong to the most widespread Eurasian clade 3. One of the ancient haplotypes takes a basal position relative to the whole of clade 3; the second is basal to the haplogroup 3a (the most common subclade), and two others belong to clades 3a1 and 3b. Modern Siberian bears retain at least some of this diversity; apart from the most common haplogroup 3a, we demonstrate the presence of clade 3b, which was previously found mainly in mainland Eurasia and Northern Japan. Our findings highlight the importance of South Siberia as a refugium for northern Eurasian brown bears and further corroborate the hypothesis of several waves of migration in the Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Molodtseva
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexey I Makunin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Ilya G Kichigin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nadezhda V Vorobieva
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey K Vasiliev
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail V Shunkov
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | | | - Peeter Anijalg
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Egle Tammeleht
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marju Keis
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Gennady G Boeskorov
- Geological Museum, Institute of Diamond and Precious Metals Geology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Nikolai Mamaev
- Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Innokenty M Okhlopkov
- Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Alexey P Kryukov
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Elena A Lyapunova
- N. K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina V Kholodova
- A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan V Seryodkin
- Pacific Institute of Geography, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Urmas Saarma
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Alexander S Graphodatsky
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Wilson AE, Michaud SA, Jackson AM, Stenhouse G, McClelland CJR, Coops NC, Janz DM. Protein biomarkers in serum as a conservation tool to assess reproduction: a case study on brown bears ( Ursus arctos). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab091. [PMID: 34888057 PMCID: PMC8651255 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the reproductive characteristics of a species can complement existing conservation strategies by understanding the mechanisms underlying demography. However, methodology to determine important aspects of female reproductive biology is often absent in monitoring programs for large mammals. Protein biomarkers may be a useful tool to detect physiological changes that are indicative of reproductive state. This study aimed to identify protein biomarkers of reproductive status in serum collected from free-ranging female brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta, Canada, from 2001 to 2018. We hypothesized that the expression of proteins related to reproduction in addition to energetics and stress can be used to answer specific management-focused questions: (i) identify when a female is pregnant, (ii) detect if a female is lactating, (iii) determine age of sexual maturity (i.e. primiparity) and (iv) assess female fertility (i.e. reproduction rate). Furthermore, we investigated if silver spoon effects (favourable early life conditions provide fitness benefits through adulthood) could be determined using protein expression. A target panel of 19 proteins with established relationships to physiological function was measured by peptide-based analysis using liquid chromatography and multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry and their differential expression was evaluated using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We found biomarkers of pregnancy (apolipoprotein B-100 and afamin), lactation (apolipoprotein B-100 and alpha-2-macroglobulin) and sexual maturity (corticosteroid-binding globulin), but there were no statistically significant relationships with protein expression and fertility. The expression of proteins related to reproduction (afamin) and energetics (vitamin-D binding protein) was associated with the nutritional quality of the individual's present habitat rather than their early life habitat. This study highlights potential biomarkers of reproductive status and provides additional methods for monitoring physiological function in wildlife to inform conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey E Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Sarah A Michaud
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Angela M Jackson
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Gordon Stenhouse
- Grizzly Bear Program, fRI Research, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta T7V 1V3, Canada
| | | | - Nicholas C Coops
- Department of Forest Resource Management, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David M Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
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Endo Y, Osada N, Mano T, Masuda R. Demographic History of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) on Hokkaido Island, Japan, Based on Whole-Genomic Sequence Analysis. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6355033. [PMID: 34410373 PMCID: PMC8449831 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) on Hokkaido Island, Japan, have detected three geographically distinct subpopulations representing different mitochondrial lineages and shown that gene flow between subpopulations has occurred due to male-biased dispersal. In this study, we determined whole-genomic sequences for six Hokkaido brown bears and analyzed these data along with previously published genomic sequences of 17 brown bears from other parts of the world. We found that the Hokkaido population is genetically distinct from the other populations, keeping genetic diversity higher than the endangered populations in western Europe but lower than most populations on the continents. A reconstruction of historical demography showed no increase in population size for the Hokkaido population during the Eemian interglacial period (130,000–114,000 years ago). In a phylogenetic analysis of the autosomal data, the Hokkaido population formed a clade distinct from North American and European populations, showing that it has maintained genetic diversity independently from continental populations following geographical isolation on the island. This autosomal genetic similarity contrasts with the geographically separate mitochondrial lineages on Hokkaido and indicates the occurrence of male-driven gene flow between subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Endo
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Naoki Osada
- Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Mano
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hokkaido Research Organization, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Masuda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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7
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Long‐term monitoring using DNA sampling reveals the dire demographic status of the critically endangered Gobi bear. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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8
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Nasanbat B, Ceacero F, Ravchig S. A small neighborhood well-organized: seasonal and daily activity patterns of the community of large and mid-sized mammals around waterholes in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Front Zool 2021; 18:25. [PMID: 34001162 PMCID: PMC8130113 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00412-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Animal communities have complex patterns of ecological segregation at different levels according to food resources, habitats, behavior, and activity patterns. Understanding these patterns among the community is essential for the conservation of the whole ecosystem. However, these networks are difficult to study nowadays, due to anthropic disturbances and local extinctions, making it difficult to conclude if segregation patterns are natural or human-induced. We studied ecological segregation in a community of large and mid-sized mammals in the Great Gobi Desert, a remote arid area free from recent extinctions and human disturbances. Activity patterns of 10 sympatric mammal species were monitored around 6 waterholes through camera-trapping over a two-year period, and analyzed them primarily through circular statistics. Results Complex patterns of spatial, seasonal, and daily segregation were found. Overlap in seasonal activity was detected in only 3 of the 45 possible pairs of species. Four species used the waterholes all-year-round, while others peaked their activity during different periods. The Bactrian camel showed continuous daily activity, the grey wolf had bimodal activity, and the argali and Siberian ibex were diurnal, while the others had nocturnal peaks during different hours. Daily and spatial overlap were both detected in only 6 of the 45 pairs. Only one species pair (snow leopard and Eurasian lynx) showed an overlap at two levels: seasonal and daily. Climate and moon phase significantly affected the activity of certain species. Conclusions Altogether, the results showed complex patterns of ecological segregation at different levels in the use of the key resource in arid environments: waterholes. These results are important for understanding the biology of these species under natural conditions, as well as potential changes in altered ecosystems, and may help to design conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Battogtokh Nasanbat
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia.,Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.,School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Francisco Ceacero
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia.
| | - Samiya Ravchig
- School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Identifying priority core habitats and corridors for effective conservation of brown bears in Iran. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1044. [PMID: 33441776 PMCID: PMC7806652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79970-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Iran lies at the southernmost range limit of brown bears globally. Therefore, understanding the habitat associations and patterns of population connectivity for brown bears in Iran is relevant for the species’ conservation. We applied species distribution modeling to predict habitat suitability and connectivity modeling to identify population core areas and corridors. Our results showed that forest density, topographical roughness, NDVI and human footprint were the most influential variables in predicting brown bear distribution. The most crucial core areas and corridor networks for brown bear are concentrated in the Alborz and Zagros Mountains. These two core areas were predicted to be fragmented into a total of fifteen isolated patches if dispersal of brown bear across the landscape is limited to 50,000 cost units, and aggregates into two isolated habitat patches if the species is capable of dispersing 400,000 cost units. We found low overlap between corridors, and core habitats with protected areas, suggesting that the existing protected area network may not be adequate for the conservation of brown bear in Iran. Our results suggest that effective conservation of brown bears in Iran requires protection of both core habitats and the corridors between them, especially outside Iran’s network of protected areas.
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Tee TL, Lai WL, Ju Wei TK, Shern OZ, van Manen FT, Sharp SP, Wong ST, Chew J, Ratnayeke S. An evaluation of noninvasive sampling techniques for Malayan sun bears. URSUS 2020. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-s-20-00004.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thye Lim Tee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
| | - Wai Ling Lai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
| | - Terence Kok Ju Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
| | - Ooi Zhuan Shern
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Stuart P. Sharp
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Siew Te Wong
- Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jactty Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
| | - Shyamala Ratnayeke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor DE 47500, Malaysia
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