Diversity

Research

13 pages, 6125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploration Behaviour of European Bison (Bison bonasus) after Its Reintroduction to Żednia Forest District in North-Eastern Poland

by Maria Sobczuk, Daniel Klich, Anna Uciechowska-Grakowicz and Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040575 - 19 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2525

Abstract

Reintroduction of European bison into the natural environment is one of the most important conservation measures applied for this species. After creating a free herd of European bison, spatial monitoring is crucial. It allows for observation of the population, as well as the [...] Read more.

Reintroduction of European bison into the natural environment is one of the most important conservation measures applied for this species. After creating a free herd of European bison, spatial monitoring is crucial. It allows for observation of the population, as well as the detection of potential threats and needs for intervention. In 2016, a new free herd of European bison was introduced to the Żednia District in Knyszyńska Forest. After a few months spent in the acclimation enclosure, the animals were released. The course of their acclimatisation was observed with GPS collars during the next 7 years. Thanks to telemetry monitoring, we could determine the moment when the herd stabilised its home range within available habitats. Monitoring performed for 7 years after the release of the herd confirmed the previously established home range. The fact that the animals remain close to the release site and that there is no damage to the winter crops confirms that the reintroduction site was well chosen. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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19 pages, 1729 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learn the Past and Present to Teach the Future—Role of Active Surveillance of Exposure to Endemic and Emerging Viruses in the Approach of European Bison Health Protection

by Magdalena Larska, Jarosław Tomana, Wojciech Socha, Jerzy Rola, Piotr Kubiś, Wanda Olech and Michał K. Krzysiak

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040535 - 7 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2381

Abstract

As the population size of free-living European bison in Poland has increased significantly over the last few years, conservation and management should be reconsidered to face new challenges, which aim to protect the whole population, not just individuals. The aim of our study [...] Read more.

As the population size of free-living European bison in Poland has increased significantly over the last few years, conservation and management should be reconsidered to face new challenges, which aim to protect the whole population, not just individuals. The aim of our study was to analyse prevalence and identify risk factors for infections with viruses affecting reproduction (BVDV, BoHV-1, and BoHV-4), causing respiratory diseases (BRV3, BAdV-3, and BRSV), and emerging vector-borne viruses (BTV and SBV). Over 600 serum samples used in serology and 270 lung tissue samples, and 284 nasal swabs used in virological tests were collected from 24 free-living and captive European bison herds between 2016 and 2023. The seroprevalences varied between low (0.3–6.1% for BVDV, BoHV-1, and BoHV-4), medium (15.9% for BRSV and 22.1% for BTV) and high (43.3% for BRV3, 59.5% for BAdV-3, and 69.5% for SBV). Interspecies’ and intraspecies’ risk of endemic viral infections was observed to be density-dependent, while the effect of anthropogenic factors on the spread of infections in free-living European bison has not been demonstrated. BTV is no longer circulating, while SBV has become endemic. The higher exposure to viruses in the European bison eliminated on the basis of a veterinary decision indicates the importance of an expert supervision for disease control and prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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15 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Artificial Waterholes for European Bison as Biodiversity Hotspots in Forest Ecosystems: Ecological Effects of Species Reintroduction Activities

by Katarzyna Anna Thor, Krystian Adam Ołdak, Daniel Klich, Karolina Gajewska, Bartłomiej Popczyk, Krzysztof Klimaszewski and Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030446 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2375

Abstract

Despite the growing population of European bison (Bison bonasus), it is necessary to plan the reintroduction of these animals to new areas. Reintroduction of European bison often requires the improvement of natural conditions. Such preparatory activities allow European bison to more [...] Read more.

Despite the growing population of European bison (Bison bonasus), it is necessary to plan the reintroduction of these animals to new areas. Reintroduction of European bison often requires the improvement of natural conditions. Such preparatory activities allow European bison to more easily adapt to new places, but also impact the functioning of animals from other taxa. The aim of the presented study was to examine the impact of waterholes for European bison on the development of local populations of amphibians and dragonflies (Odonata), as well as the creation of new feeding grounds for bats. We examined 15 reservoirs in the Augustów Forest District located in northeastern Poland, of which five were waterholes for European bison built in 2013–2014, four were semi-natural reservoirs transformed into waterholes for European bison in 2018, and six were natural reservoirs. Dragonflies were studied in 2021–2022; amphibians in 2018 and 2020; and bats in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In total, 24 species of dragonflies (Odonata), 10 species of amphibians, and 13 species of bats were found. The results of the inventory of three taxonomic groups using different comparative variants indicate a significant impact of the construction of waterholes for European bison on the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem. We concluded that the waterholes for European bison present better resistance to drying out than natural reservoirs. In addition, waterholes warm up more quickly, supporting better conditions for amphibians. The surface of the reservoirs and their exposed surroundings are favorable for insects (including dragonflies), and these are a source of food for bats, becoming attractive feeding grounds for them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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11 pages, 2691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Genetic Diversity of the European Bison (Bison bonasus) Population in Lithuania

by Romualdas Lapickis, Loreta Griciuvienė, Artūras Kibiša, Indrė Lipatova, Asta Aleksandravičienė, Irma Ražanskė, Marlena Wojciechowska, Marta Kloch, Wanda Olech and Algimantas Paulauskas

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030406 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3257

Abstract

The European bison is a species well known for its low genetic variability due to historical bottleneck incidents. Restoration of the European bison population in Lithuania began at the end of the 20th century, and the Lithuanian population was re-established with ten individuals [...] Read more.

The European bison is a species well known for its low genetic variability due to historical bottleneck incidents. Restoration of the European bison population in Lithuania began at the end of the 20th century, and the Lithuanian population was re-established with ten individuals from the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve in Russia and one free-roaming individual captured in Lithuania. This research focused on the genetic diversity and genetic structure of European bison in Lithuania based on microsatellite markers and mtDNA sequences. The results of the microsatellite analysis revealed that the Lithuanian population (n = 34) has a different genetic structure to individuals in Poland (n = 16), Germany (n = 10), and Sweden (n = 6). The analysis of the mtDNA sequences showed a low level of variation, with two haplotypes observed in the Lithuanian bison population. H1 was more frequent and was also found in Poland, Romania, and Russia. The results of this investigation show that individuals should be continuously genetically monitored, registering their migrations and relocations for the successful management of the species in Lithuania. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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13 pages, 3043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Diversity of Wisent Bison bonasus Based on STR Loci Analyzed in a Large Set of Samples

by Wanda Olech, Marlena Wojciechowska, Marta Kloch, Magdalena Perlińska-Teresiak and Zuza Nowak-Życzyńska

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030399 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2501

Abstract

Wisent Bison bonasus is an example of a species saved from extinction and reintroduced into nature after a few decades of captive breeding. There were only twelve founders of the Lowland–Caucasian line (LC) and even fewer (seven out of twelve) of Lowland (LB) [...] Read more.

Wisent Bison bonasus is an example of a species saved from extinction and reintroduced into nature after a few decades of captive breeding. There were only twelve founders of the Lowland–Caucasian line (LC) and even fewer (seven out of twelve) of Lowland (LB) animals. The genetic diversity in studies based on pedigree or markers is very low. In this paper, we present a summary of the long-term genetic monitoring conducted for the worldwide population of European bison. We summarized the long-term genetic monitoring studies conducted on the worldwide population of wisents to date. We genotyped 2227 wisents from two genetic lines (LC and LB) and different populations at ten microsatellite loci. We found low polymorphism, with only 2.7 alleles per locus, and much lower values of observed heterozygosity (0.380 and 0.348 in the LC and LB lines, respectively) than expected heterozygosity. The difference between the lines is only noticeable in allele proportions, so the number of markers is not enough to distinguish the two genetic lines. We also present the genetic distance among four free-roaming populations that are geographically close to each other. We found that the genetic distance of one of them is larger than that of the others, which could be the effect of genetic drift. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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10 pages, 1523 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Temporal Trends in Skull Morphology of the European Bison from the 1950s to the Present Day

by Tomasz Szara, Daniel Klich, Anna M. Wójcik and Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030377 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2486

Abstract

The shape and size of the skull are determined by various factors. These factors act not only on single individuals in their ontogenesis, but can affect entire populations in the long term, thus determining developmental trends. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.

The shape and size of the skull are determined by various factors. These factors act not only on single individuals in their ontogenesis, but can affect entire populations in the long term, thus determining developmental trends. The aim of this study was to determine whether the craniometric features of the European bison skull and their proportions are constant or change over time. In total, 1097 European bison skulls from the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Warsaw University of Life Sciences were examined. It has been shown that almost all examined skull dimensions tend to decrease. The opposite phenomenon was observed for the height of the skull in males. The results of the work prove that European bison adapt to changing environmental conditions related to climate warming, food availability, and population density. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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12 pages, 573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Inbreeding and Fitness Is Different between Two Genetic Lines of European Bison

by Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030368 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2791

Abstract

The pedigree data for European bison are published in the European Bison Pedigree Book, established one hundred years ago. The species passed a serious bottleneck and was kept in captivity for more than 30 years. After reintroduction, some individuals were captured and moved [...] Read more.

The pedigree data for European bison are published in the European Bison Pedigree Book, established one hundred years ago. The species passed a serious bottleneck and was kept in captivity for more than 30 years. After reintroduction, some individuals were captured and moved to enclosures, which caused gaps in pedigree data. To prevent the underestimation of inbreeding value, only animals with a fully known pedigree were used in the analysis. European bison were divided into two genetic lines, Lowland-Caucasian (LC) and Lowland (LB), with different numbers of founders (all 12 vs. 7 of them). The relation between inbreeding and survival up to one month of age, calculated using logistic regression, gave different results for every genetic line. In the LC line (N = 5441), the average inbreeding level was equal to 0.253 and the influence into survival was negative (exp(B) = 0.190), but in the LB line (N = 1227), the inbreeding level was much higher (0.410) but the influence into survival was positive (exp(B) = 6.596). It could be assumed that the difference between lines is a result of purging in the first period of species restitution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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12 pages, 645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Theory Meets Practice: Balancing Genetic Diversity and Behaviour When Choosing Founders for a Recently Reintroduced Bison (Bison bison) Herd in Banff National Park, Canada

by Gregory A. Wilson, Tara L. Fulton and Karsten Heuer

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030366 - 3 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2435

Abstract

The tragic decline of plains bison (Bison bison bison) in North America is well known. By the turn of the 20th century, plains bison, once numbering in the tens of millions, were extirpated from the wild in Canada. Banff National Park, [...] Read more.

The tragic decline of plains bison (Bison bison bison) in North America is well known. By the turn of the 20th century, plains bison, once numbering in the tens of millions, were extirpated from the wild in Canada. Banff National Park, AB, Canada, is within the original range of bison in North America, and still contains suitable habitat for the species. In 2017, we used measures of genetic diversity, as well as age and reproductive status, to select 16 plains bison for reintroduction to an unoccupied corner of their former historic range in Banff National Park. However, five of the preferred founders from this genetically diverse group needed to be substituted for less ideal candidates when aggressive behavior was observed, which could have compromised animal welfare during translocation. The level of genetic diversity in the founding population was therefore lower than if all proposed founders had been used, although the difference was not substantial. As expected, adults in this small, reintroduced herd had lower observed heterozygosity and number of alleles than the larger source herd, but expected heterozygosity was higher, likely a result of preferentially choosing individuals with rare alleles. Another substantial contribution to genetic diversity was in unborn fetuses: sired by males that were not translocated, the calves born a few months later provided a boost to the genetic diversity of this small founder herd. Where opportunities allow, the inclusion of pregnant females can significantly increase the genetic diversity of small founder populations. When compared to other founded herds of bison, the techniques described here have ensured that the newly established Banff NP herd is one of the most diverse bison herds in Canada, despite its relatively small number of founders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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12 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of European Bison (Bison bonasus) Translocations on the Persistence and Genetic Diversity of Ex Situ Herds—A Modelling Study

by Magda Kaczmarek-Okrój and Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020129 - 18 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2277

Abstract

The conservation of the genetic diversity of the European bison population is carried out mainly in ex situ herds, constituting a functional metapopulation. The breeders have to balance between the available capacity of the reserves and the need to enrich the free and [...] Read more.

The conservation of the genetic diversity of the European bison population is carried out mainly in ex situ herds, constituting a functional metapopulation. The breeders have to balance between the available capacity of the reserves and the need to enrich the free and semi-free herds with appropriate individuals. If there are limitations (e.g., financial) in the transfer of individuals, breeders report a problem of surplus individuals. The aim of this study was to estimate the migration parameters in the wisent metapopulation ex situ to maintain genetic diversity in hypothetical herds. The analysis was a two-step process. The first part of this study was carried out between the years 1998 and 2017, based on information from the European Bison Pedigree Book about eight selected herds. The average annual share of exported and imported individuals in the chosen metapopulation were calculated (8.81% (SD: 11.51) and 0.75% (SD: 2.15), respectively). The proportion of males to females among the exported animals was close to 1:1. The sex ratio of imported animals was close to 2:1 (M:F). The majority of transports were exports of animals (92.1%). The share of individuals exported from different age–sex groups was calculated. On this basis, in the second part of the study, the proportion of exported surplus individuals in the smallest hypothetical herd was established as 5.89% of the adult females, or 8.98% of adult males, or 32.70% of females aged 1–3 years. In order to maintain the genetic sustainability of hypothetical herds it is crucial to import individuals (M/F: 1/1; interval: 10 years). The results of this study will provide necessary information to determine the tools of wisent population management in the enclosure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

12 pages, 525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Wisent to the Lab and Back Again—A Complex SNP Set for Population Management as an Effective Tool in European Bison Conservation

by Marlena Wojciechowska, Karol Puchała, Zuzanna Nowak-Życzyńska, Magdalena Perlińska-Teresiak, Marta Kloch, Wioleta Drobik-Czwarno and Wanda Olech

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010116 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2570

Abstract

Proper management and genetic monitoring of the modern European bison (Bison bonasus) population is one of the most important responsibilities for this species’ conservation. Up-to-date, complex genetic analysis performed using a consistent molecular method is needed for population management as a [...] Read more.

Proper management and genetic monitoring of the modern European bison (Bison bonasus) population is one of the most important responsibilities for this species’ conservation. Up-to-date, complex genetic analysis performed using a consistent molecular method is needed for population management as a tool to further validate and maintain the genetic diversity of the species. The identification of the genetic line when pedigree data are missing, as well as the identification of parentage and individuals, are crucial for this purpose. The aim of our research was to create a small but informative panel of SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) markers that can be used for routine genotyping of the European bison at low cost. In our study, we used a custom-designed microarray to genotype a large number of European bison, totaling 455 samples from two genetic lines. The results of this analysis allowed us to select highly informative markers. In this paper, we present an effective single nucleotide polymorphism set, divided into separate panels to perform genetic analyses of European bison, which is needed for population monitoring and management. We proposed a total of 20 SNPs to detect hybridization with Bos taurus and Bison bison, a panel of 50 SNPs for individuals and parentage identification, as well as a panel of 30 SNPs for assessing membership of the genetic line. These panels can be used together or independently depending on the research goal and can be applied using various methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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11 pages, 504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Facing into the Blizzard: Resiliency and Mortality of Native and Domestic North American Ungulates to Extreme Weather Events

by Jeff M. Martin

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010011 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2871

Abstract

Unseasonably early blizzards in the northern Great Plains threaten large mammal populations unacclimated for variable and extreme winter conditions. This region averaged 22 blizzards per winter season during the 2010s, up from 6 during the 1960s, and is anticipated to average 32 blizzards [...] Read more.

Unseasonably early blizzards in the northern Great Plains threaten large mammal populations unacclimated for variable and extreme winter conditions. This region averaged 22 blizzards per winter season during the 2010s, up from 6 during the 1960s, and is anticipated to average 32 blizzards by the 2050s. In early October 2013, the fatal Atlas Blizzard affected four livestock and captive species in 16 counties of western South Dakota. Expected one-week total death losses for the study area were estimated from national average background mortality rates: 161 cattle, 102 sheep, 9 horses, and 6 bison. However, observed death loss varied significantly (McNemar’s Test: p < 0.001) from the expected during the blizzard with: 35,682 cattle; 6428 sheep; 400 horses; and 40 bison. Observed proportional mortalities varied significantly from the expected proportional mortalities in cattle (83.9% vs. 58.0%); sheep (15.1% vs. 36.7%); horse (0.9% vs. 3.2%); and bison (0.1% vs. 2.1%; chi-squared goodness-of-fit: χ²₃ = 16.85, p ≤ 0.001). Husbandry practices, animal behavior, and physiology may also explain some of the inequitable death losses for each species. Bison appear to be resilient to blizzards and blizzards are expected to increase due to climate change, therefore, bison may offer viability for ranchers in the face of blizzards and more variable weather. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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18 pages, 2628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Buffalo on the Edge: Factors Affecting Historical Distribution and Restoration of Bison bison in the Western Cordillera, North America

by Jonathan James Farr and Clifford A. White

Diversity 2022, 14(11), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110937 - 1 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7545

Abstract

The historic western edge of the bison (Bison bison) range and the ecological processes that caused its formation are frequently debated with important implications for bison restoration across North America. We test the hypothesis that a combination of bottom-up habitat suitability [...] Read more.

The historic western edge of the bison (Bison bison) range and the ecological processes that caused its formation are frequently debated with important implications for bison restoration across North America. We test the hypothesis that a combination of bottom-up habitat suitability and top-down harvest pressure from Indigenous peoples were important processes in forming the western edge of bison distribution. Using 9384 historical journal observations from 1691–1928, we employ MaxEnt ecological niche modelling to identify suitable bison habitat across the Western Cordillera from bottom-up climatic, land cover, and topographic factors. We then use mixed-effect logistic regression to test if bison occurrence in journal records can be in part explained by the abundance of humans, wolves, or grizzly bears, in addition to MaxEnt-derived habitat suitability. We find support for our hypothesis because of the limited suitable habitat in the Rocky Mountains that likely prevented westward bison dispersal from their core habitat, and there was a negative relationship between bison occurrence and human harvest pressure. On this basis, we propose that intensive human harvest from large populations in the Western Cordillera, subsidized by other wildlife, salmon, and vegetation resources, is an underappreciated socioecological process that needs to be restored alongside bison populations. Co-managing bison with Indigenous peoples will also mitigate the adverse effects of overabundant bison populations and maximize the ecological and cultural benefits of bison restoration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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13 pages, 2379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The First 3 Years: Movements of Reintroduced Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) in Banff National Park

by Adam Zier-Vogel and Karsten Heuer

Diversity 2022, 14(10), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100883 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3888

Abstract

We assessed 3 years of post-release movements of a reintroduced plains bison (Bison bison bison) population for evidence of anchoring, settling, exploratory and adaptive behavior within a 1200 km² target reintroduction zone in Banff National Park. We first held them in [...] Read more.

We assessed 3 years of post-release movements of a reintroduced plains bison (Bison bison bison) population for evidence of anchoring, settling, exploratory and adaptive behavior within a 1200 km² target reintroduction zone in Banff National Park. We first held them in a soft-release pasture for 18 months, then partially constrained their movements with drift fences and hazing trials to discourage excursions from a 1200 km² target reintroduction zone. Their post-release movements were within 13 km of the soft-release pasture for the first 3 months, but management interventions were needed to keep the animals within 29 km of the release site and inside the reintroduction zone for the remainder of the 3-year study period. Bison exploration was high in the first year but decreased thereafter, as did the size of their annual home range. Step lengths did not decrease but the frequency of “surge movements” (step lengths > 4 km in 2 h) did. Fence visits did not decrease over time but the need to herd/haze the bison from other, unfenced boundary areas did. The reintroduced bison seasonally selected for rugged, high-elevation habitat despite being translocated from a flat landscape. Our results suggest wild bison reintroductions to areas of just a few hundred square kilometres are possible without perimeter fencing, so long as good habitat and management interventions to discourage broad movements are in place. Trends suggest such interventions will need to continue in Banff until the bison range can be expanded and/or bison movements are constrained by other forces, such as regulated hunting outside the park. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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12 pages, 564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Legal Obstacles in the Eradication of Bovine Tuberculosis in European bison (Bison bonasus)—A Threat to an Effective Reintroduction Strategy

by Małgorzata Bruczyńska, Anna Didkowska, Andrzej Dzikowski, Michał Rudy, Blanka Orłowska, Mirosław Welz, Monika Krajewska-Wędzina, Wanda Olech and Krzysztof Anusz

Diversity 2022, 14(9), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090710 - 27 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2660

Abstract

In Poland, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is most often detected in cattle, although some cases have also been reported in pigs and in other non-domestic species. BTB is believed to be mainly present in the Bieszczady region, in the south-eastern part of the country. [...] Read more.

In Poland, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is most often detected in cattle, although some cases have also been reported in pigs and in other non-domestic species. BTB is believed to be mainly present in the Bieszczady region, in the south-eastern part of the country. The present study analyses the practical applications of the law regarding the eradication of tuberculosis among European bison in Poland, as well as the influence of legal rules in species conservation effects. Its aim is to present and evaluate the effectiveness of legal provisions in selected cases of BTB detected in European bison. The analysis highlights key “critical points” in the management of cases of BTB in European bison, which resulted from the problematic interpretation and application of the existing legal provisions. Findings indicate that before the Animal Health Law, the eradication of BTB in European bison in Poland was not regulated clearly enough by the applicable laws in force prior to 2021. This posed a threat to an effective reintroduction strategy for bison based on creating larger metapopulations and maintaining small, isolated reservoir herds (breading centers) for fallback in the case of infectious disease. It should be emphasized that in the current legal system, there is no doubt that a District Veterinary Officer has the competence to prevent and control tuberculosis in European bison. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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21 pages, 2550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Characterization of Endangered Indian Mithun (Bos frontalis), Indian Bison/Wild Gaur (Bos gaurus) and Tho-tho Cattle (Bos indicus) Populations Using SSR Markers Reveals Their Diversity and Unique Phylogenetic Status

by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anupama Mukherjee, Sanjeev Kumar, Harendra Verma, Shivam Bhardwaj, Oshin Togla, Siddhartha Narayan Joardar, Imsusosang Longkumer, Moonmoon Mech, Kobu Khate, Kezhavituo Vupru, Meraj Haider Khan, Suresh Kumar and Chandan Rajkhowa

Diversity 2022, 14(7), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14070548 - 7 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6137

Abstract

Mithun (Bos frontalis) or gayal and Indian Bison or wild gaur (Bos gaurus) are listed among the rare and endangered bovine species of India. The remote location of mithun in four North Eastern Hill states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, [...] Read more.

Mithun (Bos frontalis) or gayal and Indian Bison or wild gaur (Bos gaurus) are listed among the rare and endangered bovine species of India. The remote location of mithun in four North Eastern Hill states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram), scattered population size, and non-availability of genetic diversity status are major limitations towards devising a suitable breeding and conservation policy of these species. Since several studies have demonstrated the successful applicability of microsatellite/SSR markers across related genera/families in both crop plants and animal species, 30 FAO recommended cattle microsatellites were utilized for the assessment of the genetic diversity of Indian mithun, bison, and local Tho-tho cattle. Mitochondrial transmembrane protein coding cytochrome B (CYTB) complete sequence data of 71 bovine samples from India were also used to reinforce the study. Population structuring clustered the all bovines into three subgroups as per geographical location and species. Bottleneck analysis indicated a mode shift in the allelic frequency distribution of gaur, indicating minor genetic bottleneck events in the past, while no bottleneck was found in mithun and Tho-tho cattle. To our knowledge, this study represents the first report of molecular genetic characterization showing the population structure and status of genetic diversity in rare Indian bovines, namely, Mithun, Gaur, and Tho-tho cattle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bison and Beyond: Achievements and Problems in Wildlife Conservation)

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