Evaluation of experimental genetic management in reintroduced bighorn sheep |
| |
Authors: | Olson Zachary H Whittaker Donald G Rhodes Olin E |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, 195 Marstellar Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907.;2. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem, Oregon 97303. |
| |
Abstract: | Positive demographic responses have been reported in several species where the immigration or supplementation of genetically distinct individuals into wild populations has resulted in a genetic rescue effect. However, rarely have researchers incorporated what could be considerable risk of outbreeding depression into planning for genetic management programs. We assess the genetic effects of an experiment in genetic management involving replicate populations of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) in Oregon, USA, which previously experienced poor productivity and numerical declines. In the experiment, two declining populations were supplemented with ewes from a more genetically diverse population of California bighorn sheep in Nevada. We incorporated analysis of genetic samples representing both experimental populations prior to supplementation, samples from the supplemented individuals, and samples collected from both experimental populations approximately one generation after supplementation. We used genetic analyses to assess the integration of supplemented and resident populations by identifying interpopulation hybrids. Further, we incorporated demographic simulations to assess the risk of outbreeding depression as a result of the experimental augmentation. Finally, we used data from microsatellites and mitochondrial sequences to determine if genetic management increased genetic diversity in the experimental populations. Our analyses demonstrated the success of genetic management by documenting interpopulation hybrids, identifying no evidence for outbreeding depression as a result of contact between the genetically distinct supplemented and resident populations, and by identifying increased population-level metrics of genetic diversity in postsupplementation populations compared with presupplementation levels. |
| |
Keywords: | Bighorn sheep genetic management genetic rescue inbreeding depression outbreeding depression Ovis canadensis californiana |
本文献已被 PubMed 等数据库收录! |
|