Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation
Times Cited: 1 International audience Asian bears face major threats due to the impact of human activities as well as a critical lack of knowledge about their status, distribution and needs for survival. Once abundant in northern Pakistan, the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) has been...
Published in: | Biological Conservation |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2007
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 |
id |
ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:halsde-00276506v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:halsde-00276506v1 2023-05-15T18:41:57+02:00 Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation Bellemain, E. Nawaz, M. A. Valentini, A. Swenson, J. E. Taberlet, P. Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Himalayan Wildlife Foundation Dipartimento di Ecologia e Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (DECOS) Università degli studi della Tuscia Viterbo Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 2007 https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 en eng HAL CCSD Elsevier info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 halsde-00276506 https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 ISSN: 0006-3207 Biological Conservation https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 Biological Conservation, 2007, 134 (4), pp.537-547. ⟨10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004⟩ Bottleneck Feces Individual identification Pakistan Ursus arctos [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2007 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 2023-02-22T05:38:08Z Times Cited: 1 International audience Asian bears face major threats due to the impact of human activities as well as a critical lack of knowledge about their status, distribution and needs for survival. Once abundant in northern Pakistan, the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) has been exterminated in most of its former distribution range. It presently occurs sparsely, in small populations, the Deosai National Park supporting the largest isolate. This decline might imply a reduction in genetic diversity, compromising the survival of the population. Using a combination of fecal DNA analysis and field data, our study aimed at assessing the size and genetic status of the Deosai population and give guidelines for its conservation and management. Using fecal genetic analysis, we estimated the population to be 40-50 bears, which compares well with the field census of 38 bears. The northern Pakistani brown bear population may have undergone an approximate 200-300-fold decrease during the last thousand years, probably due to glaciations and the influence of growing human population. However, in spite of the presence of a bottleneck genetic signature, the Deosai population has a moderate level of genetic diversity and is not at immediate risk of inbreeding depression. Gene flow might exist with adjacent populations. We recommend careful monitoring of this population in the future both with field observations and genetic analyses, including sampling of adjacent populations to assess incoming gene flow. The connectivity with adjacent populations in Pakistan and India will be of prime importance for the longterm survival of Deosai bears. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Biological Conservation 134 4 537 547 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
Bottleneck Feces Individual identification Pakistan Ursus arctos [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
spellingShingle |
Bottleneck Feces Individual identification Pakistan Ursus arctos [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment Bellemain, E. Nawaz, M. A. Valentini, A. Swenson, J. E. Taberlet, P. Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
topic_facet |
Bottleneck Feces Individual identification Pakistan Ursus arctos [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
description |
Times Cited: 1 International audience Asian bears face major threats due to the impact of human activities as well as a critical lack of knowledge about their status, distribution and needs for survival. Once abundant in northern Pakistan, the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) has been exterminated in most of its former distribution range. It presently occurs sparsely, in small populations, the Deosai National Park supporting the largest isolate. This decline might imply a reduction in genetic diversity, compromising the survival of the population. Using a combination of fecal DNA analysis and field data, our study aimed at assessing the size and genetic status of the Deosai population and give guidelines for its conservation and management. Using fecal genetic analysis, we estimated the population to be 40-50 bears, which compares well with the field census of 38 bears. The northern Pakistani brown bear population may have undergone an approximate 200-300-fold decrease during the last thousand years, probably due to glaciations and the influence of growing human population. However, in spite of the presence of a bottleneck genetic signature, the Deosai population has a moderate level of genetic diversity and is not at immediate risk of inbreeding depression. Gene flow might exist with adjacent populations. We recommend careful monitoring of this population in the future both with field observations and genetic analyses, including sampling of adjacent populations to assess incoming gene flow. The connectivity with adjacent populations in Pakistan and India will be of prime importance for the longterm survival of Deosai bears. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
author2 |
Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Himalayan Wildlife Foundation Dipartimento di Ecologia e Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (DECOS) Università degli studi della Tuscia Viterbo Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bellemain, E. Nawaz, M. A. Valentini, A. Swenson, J. E. Taberlet, P. |
author_facet |
Bellemain, E. Nawaz, M. A. Valentini, A. Swenson, J. E. Taberlet, P. |
author_sort |
Bellemain, E. |
title |
Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
title_short |
Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
title_full |
Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
title_fullStr |
Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern Pakistan and implications for conservation |
title_sort |
genetic tracking of the brown bear in northern pakistan and implications for conservation |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
ISSN: 0006-3207 Biological Conservation https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 Biological Conservation, 2007, 134 (4), pp.537-547. ⟨10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 halsde-00276506 https://hal.science/halsde-00276506 doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.09.004 |
container_title |
Biological Conservation |
container_volume |
134 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
537 |
op_container_end_page |
547 |
_version_ |
1766231527944880128 |