Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou

Methods to monitor and manage populations of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and caribou are often impractical, costly, and can be harmful to the animals. Non-invasive techniques that produce high quality and accurate results are better alternatives. We collected blood and faecal samples during 2008 -...

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Main Author: Morden, C-Jae C.
Format: Thesis
Language:unknown
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/1/Morden_MSc_F2010.pdf
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spelling ftcanadathes:oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMG.6881 2023-05-15T18:04:22+02:00 Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou Morden, C-Jae C. 2010-07 application/pdf http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/1/Morden_MSc_F2010.pdf unknown http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/ http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/1/Morden_MSc_F2010.pdf Morden, C-Jae C. <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Morden=3AC-Jae_C=2E=3A=3A.html> (2010) Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou. Masters thesis, Concordia University. Thesis NonPeerReviewed 2010 ftcanadathes 2013-11-23T23:14:32Z Methods to monitor and manage populations of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and caribou are often impractical, costly, and can be harmful to the animals. Non-invasive techniques that produce high quality and accurate results are better alternatives. We collected blood and faecal samples during 2008 - 2010 from two herds of Fenno-Scandian reindeer to explore the potential of using faecal samples to determine the age class (calf, yearling and adult), the sex, as well as the reproductive status of individuals. This was done using two main techniques: faecal progesterone metabolite concentrations (specifically faecal pregnane) and faecal pellet morphometrics. Faecal pregnane was highly correlated with plasma progesterone and therefore, in theory could be a substitute for traditional hormone procedures. We were not successful in using faecal pregnane for sexing or aging individual reindeer. Using plasma progesterone and faecal pregnane, we were able to determine a pregnancy cut-off value for all of the study reindeer, and were therefore able to clearly differentiate pregnant from non-pregnant females. Using a combination of pellet dimensions including maximum length, width, and depth, we were able to differentiate with high accuracy, three age classes of reindeer (calf, yearling, and adult). A combination of faecal sampling using pregnane and pellet size, with the addition of current faecal DNA techniques, may allow the collection of important population data essential for monitoring and management of wild and elusive species such as wild reindeer and woodland caribou. Thesis Rangifer tarandus Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada)
institution Open Polar
collection Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada)
op_collection_id ftcanadathes
language unknown
description Methods to monitor and manage populations of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and caribou are often impractical, costly, and can be harmful to the animals. Non-invasive techniques that produce high quality and accurate results are better alternatives. We collected blood and faecal samples during 2008 - 2010 from two herds of Fenno-Scandian reindeer to explore the potential of using faecal samples to determine the age class (calf, yearling and adult), the sex, as well as the reproductive status of individuals. This was done using two main techniques: faecal progesterone metabolite concentrations (specifically faecal pregnane) and faecal pellet morphometrics. Faecal pregnane was highly correlated with plasma progesterone and therefore, in theory could be a substitute for traditional hormone procedures. We were not successful in using faecal pregnane for sexing or aging individual reindeer. Using plasma progesterone and faecal pregnane, we were able to determine a pregnancy cut-off value for all of the study reindeer, and were therefore able to clearly differentiate pregnant from non-pregnant females. Using a combination of pellet dimensions including maximum length, width, and depth, we were able to differentiate with high accuracy, three age classes of reindeer (calf, yearling, and adult). A combination of faecal sampling using pregnane and pellet size, with the addition of current faecal DNA techniques, may allow the collection of important population data essential for monitoring and management of wild and elusive species such as wild reindeer and woodland caribou.
format Thesis
author Morden, C-Jae C.
spellingShingle Morden, C-Jae C.
Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
author_facet Morden, C-Jae C.
author_sort Morden, C-Jae C.
title Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
title_short Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
title_full Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
title_fullStr Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
title_full_unstemmed Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
title_sort faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou
publishDate 2010
url http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/1/Morden_MSc_F2010.pdf
genre Rangifer tarandus
genre_facet Rangifer tarandus
op_relation http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/
http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/6881/1/Morden_MSc_F2010.pdf
Morden, C-Jae C. <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Morden=3AC-Jae_C=2E=3A=3A.html> (2010) Faecal sampling as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for reindeer and caribou. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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