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Cavedon M, Neufeld L, Finnegan L, Hervieux D, Michalak A, Pelletier A, Polfus J, Schwantje H, Skinner G, Steenweg R, Thacker C, Poissant J, Musiani M. Genomics of founders for conservation breeding: the Jasper caribou case. CONSERV GENET 2023; 24:855-867. [PMID: 37969360 PMCID: PMC10638200 DOI: 10.1007/s10592-023-01540-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Conservation breeding programs are increasingly used as recovery actions for wild animals; bringing founders into captivity to rear captive populations for future reintroduction into the wild. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recommends that founders should come from genetically close populations and should have sufficient genetic diversity to avoid mating among relatives. Genomic data are highly informative for evaluating founders due to their high resolution and ability to capture adaptive divergence, yet, their application in that context remains limited. Woodland caribou are federally listed as a Species at Risk in Canada, with several populations facing extirpation, such as those in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia (BC). To prevent local extirpation, Jasper National Park (JNP) is proposing a conservation breeding program. We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms for 144 caribou from 11 populations encompassing a 200,0002 km area surrounding JNP to provide information useful for identifying appropriate founders for this program. We found that this area likely hosts a caribou metapopulation historically characterized by high levels of gene flow, which indicates that multiple sources of founders would be appropriate for initiating a breeding program. However, population structure and adaptive divergence analyses indicate that JNP caribou are closest to populations in the BC Columbia range, which also have suitable genetic diversity for conservation breeding. We suggest that collaboration among jurisdictions would be beneficial to implement the program to promote recovery of JNP caribou and possibly other caribou populations in the surrounding area, which is strategically at the periphery of the distribution of this endangered species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10592-023-01540-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Deparment of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Lalenia Neufeld
- Jasper National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Jasper, Canada
| | - Laura Finnegan
- fRI Research, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, AB T7V 1V3 Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6J4 Canada
| | - Anita Michalak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Agnes Pelletier
- Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Northeast Region, 400-10003-110Th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7 Canada
| | - Jean Polfus
- Canadian Wildlife Service – Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Ave, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9 Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J 9 Canada
| | - Geoff Skinner
- Jasper National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Jasper, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Canadian Wildlife Service – Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Ave, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9 Canada
| | - Caeley Thacker
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J 9 Canada
| | - Jocelyn Poissant
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dipartimento Scienze Biologiche Geologiche Ambientali, Università Di Bologna, Via Zamboni, 33 - 40126 Bologna, Italia
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McNay RS, Lamb CT, Giguere L, Williams SH, Martin H, Sutherland GD, Hebblewhite M. Demographic responses of nearly extirpated endangered mountain caribou to recovery actions in Central British Columbia. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2580. [PMID: 35319129 PMCID: PMC9285560 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Recovering endangered species is a difficult and often controversial task that challenges status quo land uses. Southern Mountain caribou are a threatened ecotype of caribou that historically ranged in southwestern Canada and northwestern USA and epitomize the tension between resource extraction, biodiversity conservation, and Indigenous Peoples' treaty rights. Human-induced habitat alteration is considered the ultimate cause of caribou population declines, whereby an increased abundance of primary prey-such as moose and deer-elevates predator populations and creates unsustainable caribou mortality. Here we focus on the Klinse-Za and Quintette subpopulations, part of the endangered Central Group of Southern Mountain caribou in British Columbia. These subpopulations were trending toward immediate extirpation until a collaborative group initiated recovery by implementing two short-term recovery actions. We test the effectiveness of these recovery actions-maternity penning of adult females and their calves, and the reduction of a primary predator, wolves-in increasing vital rates and population growth. Klinse-Za received both recovery actions, whereas Quintette only received wolf reductions, providing an opportunity to test efficacy between recovery actions. Between 1995 and 2021, we followed 162 collared female caribou for 414 animal-years to estimate survival and used aerial counts to estimate population abundance and calf recruitment. We combined these data in an integrated population model to estimate female population growth, total population abundance, and recovery action effectiveness. Results suggest that the subpopulations were declining rapidly (λ = 0.90-0.93) before interventions and would have been functionally extirpated (<10 animals) within 10-15 years. Wolf reduction increased population growth rates by ~0.12 for each subpopulation. Wolf reduction halted the decline of Quintette caribou and allowed them to increase (λ = 1.05), but alone would have only stabilized the Klinse-Za (λ = 1.02). However, maternity penning in the Klinse-Za increased population growth by a further ~0.06, which when combined with wolf reductions, allowed populations to grow (λ = 1.08). Taken together, the recovery actions in these subpopulations increased adult female survival, calf recruitment, and overall population growth, more than doubling abundance. Our results suggest that maternity penning and wolf reductions can be effective at increasing caribou numbers in the short term, while long-term commitments to habitat protection and restoration are made.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of BiologyUniversity of British ColumbiaKelownaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Line Giguere
- Wildlife Infometrics IncMackenzieBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sara H. Williams
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Hans Martin
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | | | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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Johnson CA, Sutherland GD, Neave E, Leblond M, Kirby P, Superbie C, McLoughlin PD. Science to inform policy: Linking population dynamics to habitat for a threatened species in Canada. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A. Johnson
- Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | | | - Erin Neave
- Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Mathieu Leblond
- Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Patrick Kirby
- Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Clara Superbie
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada
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