Non-invasive genetic approaches for estimation of ungulate population size: a study on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) based on faeces

Ebert, Cornelia; Sandrini, J.; Spielberger, Bettina; Thiele, Bernhard; Hohmann, Ulf

doi:10.32800/abc.2012.35.0267

Cited by 22 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Further, we applied a strict rule in detecting homozygotes to ensure a minimum allelic dropout rate and increase the probability of consensus homozygous genotypes to be true homozygotes (Taberlet et al., 1996). The dropout rate across loci and years of approximately 20% is in accordance with observed dropout rates in other NiG studies (e.g., Ebert, Sandrini, Spielberger, Thiele, & Hohmann, 2012; Hansen, Ben‐David, & McDonald, 2008). While such restrictive genotype calling limited the overall genotyping success rate, it allowed us to keep the error rate at a reasonably low level.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Hare's affairs: Lessons learnt from a noninvasive genetic monitoring for tracking mountain hare individuals

Schenker

Bollmann

Rehnus

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Systematic monitoring of individuals and their abundance over time has become an important tool to provide information for conservation. For genetic monitoring studies, noninvasive sampling has emerged as a valuable approach, particularly so for elusive or rare animals. Here, we present the 5‐year results of an ongoing noninvasive genetic monitoring of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in a protected area in the Swiss Alps. We used nuclear microsatellites and a sex marker to identify individuals and assign species to noninvasively collected feces samples. Through including a marker for sex identification, we were able to assess sex ratio changes and sex‐specific demographic parameters over time. Male abundance in the area showed high fluctuations and apparent survival for males was lower than for females. Generally, males and females showed only little temporary migration into and out of the study area. Additionally, using genotyped tissue samples from mountain hares, European hares (Lepus europaeus) and their hybrids, we were able to provide evidence for the first occurrence of a European hare in the study area at an elevation of 2,300 m a.s.l. in spring 2016. For future monitoring studies, we suggest to include complementary analysis methods to reliably infer species identities of the individuals analyzed and, thus, not only monitor mountain hare individual abundance, but also assess the potential threats given through competitive exclusion by and hybridization with the European hare.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Hare's affairs: Lessons learnt from a noninvasive genetic monitoring for tracking mountain hare individuals

Schenker

Bollmann

Rehnus

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Non-invasive population size estimation approaches have to date been applied for several ungulate species, amongst them different Odocoileus species (e.g. Brinkman et al (2011) for Sitka black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis in Alaska; Goode et al (2014) and Brazeal et al (2017) for mule deer O. hemionus and O. h. columbianus), argali sheep Ovis ammon (Harris et al 2010), Sonoran pronghorn Antilocapra americana sonoriensis (Woodruff et al 2016), roe deer Capreolus capreolus (Ebert et al 2012) and mountain goats Oreamnos americanus (Poole et al 2011). For red deer, a first evaluation of the technical background for non-invasive population monitoring was carried out in a pilot study (Valière et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating red deer (Cervus elaphus) population size based on non-invasive genetic sampling

Ebert¹,

Sandrini²,

Welter³

et al. 2021

Eur J Wildl Res

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Some deer species are of conservation concern; others are officially managed as a food source or for their trophies, whereas in many regions, deer are regarded as overabundant or even as a nuisance causing damages. Regardless of local management issues, in most cases, reliable data on deer population sizes and sex ratios are lacking. Non-invasive genetic approaches are promising tools for the estimation of population size and structure. We developed and tested a non-invasive genetic approach for red deer (Cervus elaphus) population size and density estimation based on faeces collected from three free-ranging red deer populations in south-western Germany. Altogether, we genotyped 2762 faecal samples, representing 1431 different individuals. We estimated population density for both sexes separately using two different approaches: spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) approach and a single-session urn model (CAPWIRE). The estimated densities of both approaches were similar for all three study areas, ranging between total densities of 3.3 (2.5–4.4) and 8.5 (6.4–11.3) red deer/km2. The estimated sex ratios differed significantly between the studied populations (ranging between 1:1.1 and 1:1.7), resulting in considerable consequences for management. In further research, the issues of population closure and approximation of the effectively sampled area for density estimation should be addressed. The presented approach can serve as a valuable tool for the management of deer populations, and to our knowledge, it represents the only sex-specific approach for estimation of red deer population size and density.

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“…Genetic sex ratio analyses within the study area revealed a higher percentage of females to males roe deer within the population of the central Palatinate Forest (2011: 1 ♂ : 1.4 ♀, Ebert et al (2012b)). Hence, the sex ratio of the standing roe deer population in our study area does not reflect the sex ratio of the lynx prey to such an extent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…In 2012, wild boar density within the centre of the Palatinate Forest was estimated at around 4.5-5.0 individuals km -² (Ebert et al 2012a). Deer densities were estimated at around 3.3 red deer km -² (Ebert et al 2021) and 5.9 roe deer km -² (Ebert et al 2012b) within the same area. For the rest of the whole study area, only hunting bag data exists, which is currently only geographically assigned within state-managed parts of the forest (Fig.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Roe deer population trend after reintroduction of Eurasian lynx within the Palatinate Forest: a first insight into a long-term study

Tröger

Tsegaye²,

Hohmann³

2021

EuroJEcol

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After becoming extinct approximately 250 years ago in the Palatinate Forest, the first Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) were reintroduced within this area in 2016, with 20 lynx reintroduced in the following five years. We observed the roe deer population within the Palatinate Forest before (2016) and during (2017–2019) the lynx reintroduction by estimating the population and evaluating the hunting bag. The roe deer population estimation based on the distance sampling method was conducted on ten defined transects with an average length of 48 km from 2016 to 2019, observing a 6,000 km transect length for 120 nights overall. An average of 6.54 ± 1.28 roe deer km-² was estimated over the course of the four years (2016 – 2019). Since we suspect that our estimations might underestimate the roe deer population within the Palatinate Forest, hence we preferred to use the roe deer count index for further analysis. Over the first four years (2016–2019), significant differences were neither found in the roe deer count index nor for the hunting bag in relation to the reintroduction of the lynx. The data and findings presented in this study provide a first insight into a long-term observation of a predator-prey system within the Palatinate Forest, with roe deer not having experienced a natural predator over a long time. In order to make coherent interpretations, long-term data is needed to estimate the population trends of both species within the Palatinate Forest.

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Non-invasive genetic approaches for estimation of ungulate population size: a study on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) based on faeces

Cited by 22 publications

References 42 publications

Hare's affairs: Lessons learnt from a noninvasive genetic monitoring for tracking mountain hare individuals

Hare's affairs: Lessons learnt from a noninvasive genetic monitoring for tracking mountain hare individuals

Estimating red deer (Cervus elaphus) population size based on non-invasive genetic sampling

Roe deer population trend after reintroduction of Eurasian lynx within the Palatinate Forest: a first insight into a long-term study

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