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Parker LD, Campana MG, Quinta JD, Cypher B, Rivera I, Fleischer RC, Ralls K, Wilbert TR, Boarman R, Boarman WI, Maldonado JE. An efficient method for simultaneous species, individual, and sex identification via in-solution single nucleotide polymorphism capture from low-quality scat samples. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:1345-1361. [PMID: 34779133 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Understanding predator population dynamics is important for conservation management because of the critical roles predators play within ecosystems. Noninvasive genetic sampling methods are useful for the study of predators like canids that can be difficult to capture or directly observe. Here, we introduce the FAECES* method (Fast and Accurate Enrichment of Canid Excrement for Species* and other analyses) which expands the toolbox for canid researchers and conservationists by using in-solution hybridization sequence capture to produce single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes for multiple canid species from scat-derived DNA using a single enrichment. We designed a set of hybridization probes to genotype both coyotes (Canis latrans) and kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) at hundreds of polymorphic SNP loci and we tested the probes on both tissues and field-collected scat samples. We enriched and genotyped by sequencing 52 coyote and 70 kit fox scats collected in and around a conservation easement in the Nevada Mojave Desert. We demonstrate that the FAECES* method produces genotypes capable of differentiating coyotes and kit foxes, identifying individuals and their sex, and estimating genetic diversity and effective population sizes, even using highly degraded, low-quantity DNA extracted from scat. We found that the study area harbours a large and diverse population of kit foxes and a relatively smaller population of coyotes. By replicating our methods in the future, conservationists can assess the impacts of management decisions on canid populations. The method can also be adapted and applied more broadly to enrich and sequence multiple loci from any species of interest using scat or other noninvasive genetic samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian D Parker
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.,Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Jessica D Quinta
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Brian Cypher
- Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University, Turlock, California, USA
| | - Isabel Rivera
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Katherine Ralls
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Tammy R Wilbert
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Ryan Boarman
- Conservation Science Research and Consultation, Spring Valley, California, USA
| | - William I Boarman
- Conservation Science Research and Consultation, Spring Valley, California, USA
| | - Jesús E Maldonado
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.,Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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Abstract
For the past decade, the land rush discourse has analyzed foreign investment in land and agriculture around the world, with Africa being a continent of particular focus due to the scale of acquisitions that have taken place. Gabon, a largely forested state in Central Africa, has been neglected in the land rush conversations, despite having over half of its land allocated to forestry, agriculture, and mining concessions. This paper draws on existing evidence and contributes new empirical data through expert interviews to fill this critical knowledge gap. We situate Gabon’s historic relationship with land, establishing the intrinsic relationship between colonial land tenure systems and present-day land rights. Our findings analyze the macro context of investors and investments, as well as the impacts related to rural–urban linkages and infrastructure development into the forests, civil society, human–environment relationships, and certification programs. While challenges continue to be experienced, the promise of Gabon’s first national land use plan—the use of sustainable concessions and mandatory forestry certification—offers a unique opportunity for Gabon to transition towards a future that better benefits its population while also protecting its natural resources.
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Chen Y, Sun Y, Atzeni L, Gibson L, Hua M, Li K, Shi K, Dudgeon D. Anthropogenic pressures increase extinction risk of an isolated Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in southwestern China, as revealed by a combination of molecular- and landscape-scale approaches. Integr Zool 2021; 17:1078-1094. [PMID: 33728791 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Identification of the effect of anthropogenic threats on ecosystem is crucial. We used molecular tools and remote sensing to evaluate the population status of an isolated Asian elephant population in southwestern China in response to changes in habitat suitability between 1989 and 2019. A total of 22 unique genotypes were identified from 117 dung samples collected between March and June 2018 using microsatellite DNA analysis, including 13 males and 9 females. Based on the size of fecal boli, 1 animal was a juvenile, 9 were subadults, and 12 were adults, indicating that recruitment was limited. The effective population size was small (15.3) but there was no signature of a recent population bottleneck. We observed a low genetic diversity (He = 0.46 ± 0.05) and a high level of inbreeding (Fis of 0.43 ± 0.11), suggesting low population viability and high risk of extinction. In total, these elephants lost nearly two thirds (62%) of their habitat in 3 decades. The expansion of agriculture and rubber plantations followed by an increase in human settlements after 1989 increased the isolation of this population. We recommend that resettlement of 800 inhabitants of 2 villages and the abandonment of associated farmland and rubber plantations would make an additional 20 km2 of suitable habitat available. This could allow a population increase of 14 elephants, possibly by translocating individuals from elsewhere in China. Our findings can be applied to the management and conservation of other fragmented populations in China or in other range countries of Asian elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yakuan Sun
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.,Eco-Bridge Continental, Beijing, China
| | - Luciano Atzeni
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Luke Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mei Hua
- Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Keyu Li
- School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Kun Shi
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.,Eco-Bridge Continental, Beijing, China
| | - David Dudgeon
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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