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Henson LH, Service C, Stronen AV, Moody J, Housty W, Reece D, vonHoldt B, Darimont CT. Genetic evidence to inform management of rare genetic variants and gene flow: Balancing the conservation of the rare “Spirit bear” allele and population genetic diversity across a complex landscape. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren H. Henson
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | - Christina Service
- Kitasoo/Xai'xais Stewardship Authority Klemtu British Columbia Canada
| | - Astrid Vik Stronen
- Department of Biology University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences Insubria University Varese Italy
| | - Jason Moody
- Nuxalk Stewardship Office Bella Coola British Columbia Canada
| | - William Housty
- Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department Bella Coola British Columbia Canada
| | - Donald Reece
- Gitga'at Oceans and Lands Department Hartley Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
| | - Chris T. Darimont
- Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
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2
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Puckett EE, Davis IS. Spatial patterns of genetic diversity in eight bear (Ursidae) species. URSUS 2021. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-20-00029.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. Puckett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Isis S. Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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Krejsa DM, Talbot SL, Sage GK, Sonsthagen SA, Jung TS, Magoun AJ, Cook JA. Dynamic landscapes in northwestern North America structured populations of wolverines (Gulo gulo). J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Cyclic climatic and glacial fluctuations of the Late Quaternary produced a dynamic biogeographic history for high latitudes. To refine our understanding of this history in northwestern North America, we explored geographic structure in a wide-ranging carnivore, the wolverine (Gulo gulo). We examined genetic variation in populations across mainland Alaska, coastal Southeast Alaska, and mainland western Canada using nuclear microsatellite genotypes and sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and Cytochrome b (Cytb) gene. Data from maternally inherited mtDNA reflect stable populations in Northwest Alaska, suggesting the region harbored wolverine populations since at least the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21 Kya), consistent with their persistence in the fossil record of Beringia. Populations in Southeast Alaska are characterized by minimal divergence, with no genetic signature of long-term refugial persistence (consistent with the lack of pre-Holocene fossil records there). The Kenai Peninsula population exhibits mixed signatures depending on marker type: mtDNA data indicate stability (i.e., historical persistence) and include a private haplotype, whereas biparentally inherited microsatellites exhibit relatively low variation and a lack of private alleles consistent with a more recent Holocene colonization of the peninsula. Our genetic work is largely consistent with the early 20th century taxonomic hypothesis that wolverines on the Kenai Peninsula belong to a distinct subspecies. Our finding of significant genetic differentiation of wolverines inhabiting the Kenai Peninsula, coupled with the peninsula’s burgeoning human population and the wolverine’s known sensitivity to anthropogenic impacts, provides valuable foundational data that can be used to inform conservation and management prescriptions for wolverines inhabiting these landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianna M Krejsa
- Department of Biology and Angelo State Natural History Collections, Angelo State University, ASU Station 10890, San Angelo, TX 76909-0890, USA
| | - Sandra L Talbot
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - George K Sage
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | | | - Thomas S Jung
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada
| | - Audrey J Magoun
- Wildlife Research and Management, 3680 Non Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Murphy SM, Augustine BC, Ulrey WA, Guthrie JM, Scheick BK, McCown JW, Cox JJ. Consequences of severe habitat fragmentation on density, genetics, and spatial capture-recapture analysis of a small bear population. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181849. [PMID: 28738077 PMCID: PMC5524351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss and fragmentation of natural habitats caused by human land uses have subdivided several formerly contiguous large carnivore populations into multiple small and often isolated subpopulations, which can reduce genetic variation and lead to precipitous population declines. Substantial habitat loss and fragmentation from urban development and agriculture expansion relegated the Highlands-Glades subpopulation (HGS) of Florida, USA, black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) to prolonged isolation; increasing human land development is projected to cause ≥ 50% loss of remaining natural habitats occupied by the HGS in coming decades. We conducted a noninvasive genetic spatial capture-recapture study to quantitatively describe the degree of contemporary habitat fragmentation and investigate the consequences of habitat fragmentation on population density and genetics of the HGS. Remaining natural habitats sustaining the HGS were significantly more fragmented and patchier than those supporting Florida’s largest black bear subpopulation. Genetic diversity was low (AR = 3.57; HE = 0.49) and effective population size was small (NE = 25 bears), both of which remained unchanged over a period spanning one bear generation despite evidence of some immigration. Subpopulation density (0.054 bear/km2) was among the lowest reported for black bears, was significantly female-biased, and corresponded to a subpopulation size of 98 bears in available habitat. Conserving remaining natural habitats in the area occupied by the small, genetically depauperate HGS, possibly through conservation easements and government land acquisition, is likely the most important immediate step to ensuring continued persistence of bears in this area. Our study also provides evidence that preferentially placing detectors (e.g., hair traps or cameras) primarily in quality habitat across fragmented landscapes poses a challenge to estimating density-habitat covariate relationships using spatial capture-recapture models. Because habitat fragmentation and loss are likely to increase in severity globally, further investigation of the influence of habitat fragmentation and detector placement on estimation of this relationship is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Murphy
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ben C. Augustine
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Wade A. Ulrey
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Joseph M. Guthrie
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Brian K. Scheick
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - J. Walter McCown
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - John J. Cox
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
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Sun CC, Fuller AK, Hare MP, Hurst JE. Evaluating population expansion of black bears using spatial capture-recapture. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine C. Sun
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Angela K. Fuller
- U.S. Geological Survey; New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Matthew P. Hare
- Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Jeremy E. Hurst
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Albany NY 12233 USA
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Pelletier A, Obbard ME, Harnden M, McConnell S, Howe EJ, Burrows FG, White BN, Kyle CJ. Determining causes of genetic isolation in a large carnivore (Ursus americanus) population to direct contemporary conservation measures. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172319. [PMID: 28235066 PMCID: PMC5325280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The processes leading to genetic isolation influence a population’s local extinction risk, and should thus be identified before conservation actions are implemented. Natural or human-induced circumstances can result in historical or contemporary barriers to gene flow and/or demographic bottlenecks. Distinguishing between these hypotheses can be achieved by comparing genetic diversity and differentiation in isolated vs. continuous neighboring populations. In Ontario, American black bears (Ursus americanus) are continuously distributed, genetically diverse, and exhibit an isolation-by-distance structuring pattern, except on the Bruce Peninsula (BP). To identify the processes that led to the genetic isolation of BP black bears, we modelled various levels of historical and contemporary migration and population size reductions using forward simulations. We compared simulation results with empirical genetic indices from Ontario black bear populations under different levels of geographic isolation, and conducted additional simulations to determine if translocations could help achieve genetic restoration. From a genetic standpoint, conservation concerns for BP black bears are warranted because our results show that: i) a recent demographic bottleneck associated with recently reduced migration best explains the low genetic diversity on the BP; and ii) under sustained isolation, BP black bears could lose between 70% and 80% of their rare alleles within 100 years. Although restoring migration corridors would be the most effective method to enhance long-term genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding, it is unrealistic to expect connectivity to be re-established. Current levels of genetic diversity could be maintained by successfully translocating 10 bears onto the peninsula every 5 years. Such regular translocations may be more practical than landscape restoration, because areas connecting the peninsula to nearby mainland black bear populations have been irreversibly modified by humans, and form strong barriers to movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Pelletier
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Martyn E. Obbard
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Harnden
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Sabine McConnell
- Department of Computing and Information Systems, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Eric J. Howe
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Frank G. Burrows
- Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, Parks Canada, Tobermory, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley N. White
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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Çilingir FG, Akın Pekşen Ç, Ambarlı H, Beerli P, Bilgin CC. Exceptional maternal lineage diversity in brown bears (Ursus arctos) from Turkey. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Gözde Çilingir
- Department of Biology; Middle East Technical University; Ankara Turkey
- Department of Biological Sciences; National University of Singapore; Singapore
| | - Çiğdem Akın Pekşen
- Department of Biology; Middle East Technical University; Ankara Turkey
- Deparment of Biology; Yüzüncüyıl University; Van Turkey
| | - Hüseyin Ambarlı
- Department of Biology; Middle East Technical University; Ankara Turkey
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management; Düzce University; Düzce Turkey
| | - Peter Beerli
- Department of Scientific Computing; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL USA
| | - C. Can Bilgin
- Department of Biology; Middle East Technical University; Ankara Turkey
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Connectivity and population subdivision at the fringe of a large brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in North Western Europe. CONSERV GENET 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0317-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Pelletier A, Obbard ME, White BN, Doyle C, Kyle CJ. Small-scale genetic structure of American black bears illustrates potential postglacial recolonization routes. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-212.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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De Barba M, Waits LP, Genovesi P, Randi E, Chirichella R, Cetto E. Comparing opportunistic and systematic sampling methods for non-invasive genetic monitoring of a small translocated brown bear population. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01752.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Nsubuga AM, Holzman J, Chemnick LG, Ryder OA. The cryptic genetic structure of the North American captive gorilla population. CONSERV GENET 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-009-0015-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Frantz AC, Cellina S, Krier A, Schley L, Burke T. Using spatial Bayesian methods to determine the genetic structure of a continuously distributed population: clusters or isolation by distance? J Appl Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2008.01606.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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