Genetic Monitoring in the Alpine population of Bearded
Vulture: Strategic Considerations
(c) Genswein - Greve
Daniel Hegglin, Barbara Hefti-Gautschi
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
1
What is the base of the reintroduction project?
ƒ No captures for the project
ƒ Captive stock: zoos & breeding centers
ƒ 5 breeding centers
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Richard Faust Zuchtzentrum, Austria
Haute Savoie, Sallanches, France
Natur- und Tierpark Goldau, Switzerland
Valcallent, Spain
Guadalentin, Spain
ƒ ~ 30 zoos and animal parks
Richard Faust Bartgeier Zuchtzentrum Haringsee (c) Klaus Robin
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
2
What is the productivity in the captive stock?
ƒ start 1976, first fledgling 1979
ƒ 130 captive Bearded Vultures in 2008
numbers until 2008
ƒ 800 eggs
ƒ 375 hatchlings
ƒ 313 fledlings
= > until 2009: 160 fledlings released
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
3
Where have the bearded vultures been released?
Total releases in the alps
since 1986: 160 (100%)
Haute-Savoie
1987: 39 (24%)
National park Hohe Tauern
1986: 49 (31%)
Engadina & Stelvio Nationalpark
1991: 37 (23%)
National parks
Mercantour & Alpi Marittime
1993: 35 (22%)
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
4
How is the genetic monitoring organized?
Breeding network
IBM
database
management
strategies
field worker
genetic samples
database genetics
• 14 microsatellites
• genetic fingerprint of most released bird
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
5
How is the genetical situation of the breeding stock?
Characterisation on the base of 14 microsatellites
(PhD Thesis of Barbara Hefti-Gautschi)
ƒ 36 founder birds (+ some immatures)
ƒ mainly Asian origin
ƒ genetic variability > Pyrenean population
ƒ no evidence for inbreeding depression
ƒ outbreeding depression (hatching probability)
• Gautschi et al., Heredity 2003
• Gautschi et al., Conservation Genetics 2003
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
6
What are the questions of the genetic monitoring?
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To what extent are founders represented in the released population?
Are there indications for a genetic drift?
Are there indications for a founder effect?
Is the genetics equally represented in the alpine space?
Is there a genetic flow between the release regions?
How can we increase the effective population size?
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
7
Where from come the released birds?
Austria
Haute-Savoie
Engadina/Stelvio
Argentera/Mercantour
witdth of line ~ number of released birds
stars: release sites
dots: zoo‘s & breeding stations
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
8
Is there genetic drift?
Breeding stock (2005)
released population 05
breeding wild birds 2006
many microsatellite allels not yet present:
- released population
-18%
- wild breeding population -40%
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
9
mortality breeding stock < mortality in the wild
18
productive birds
non productive birds
16
14
12
10
increase effective population size by an even
representation of founders in the released population
bars sum up to the 160 released birds
1st, 2nd & 3rd generation: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
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ck
031
ding s
to
030
004
155
154
010
014
274
153
152
132
131
020
199
135
134
065
009
150
151
023
022
002
003
035
034
0
021
2
trade off
026
4
rare lin
es in t
he bre
e
162
retain
161
6
027
8
019
contribution to 160 released birds
How are the founders represented in the released population?
founders
10
How are the founders represented in the released population?
18
Austria
Merc.-Alpi Marit.
Haute-Savoie
Engadina-Stelvio
16
14
12
10
8
6
poorly represented at various sites
4
bars sum up to the 160 released birds
1st, 2nd & 3rd generation: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
201
031
030
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162
161
027
004
155
154
010
014
274
153
152
132
131
020
199
135
134
065
009
150
151
023
022
002
003
035
034
0
021
2
019
contribution to 160 released birds
good representation at various sites
founders
11
At which age birds starts to reproduce?
yearly survival*: 1. year ~ 0.89
>1 year ~ 0.95
mortality until 8 years:
~ 0.38
18
* Schaub, Zink, Beissmann, Sarrazin & Arlettaz:
Journal of Applied Ecology 2009
15
12
9
mean age 8.3 years
6
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
2008
2008
2008
2007
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2007
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2007
2006
2005
2005
2005
2002
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2000
1998
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1997
0
1997
3
12
18
Austria
Merc.-Alpi Marit.
Haute-Savoie
Engadina-Stelvio
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
bars sum up to the 160 released birds
1st, 2nd & 3rd generation: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
201
031
030
026
162
161
027
004
155
154
010
014
274
153
152
132
131
020
199
135
134
065
009
150
151
023
022
002
003
035
034
0
021
2
019
contribution to 160 released birds
How affects mortality founder representation?
founders
13
How are founders represented in wild breeding & wild born birds?
18%
breeding birds 1. generation (N=26)
16%
wildborns 1. generation (N=52)
14%
breeding birds 2. generation (N=5)
12%
wildborns 1. generation (N=9)
10%
8%
considerably risk for founder effect
(actual productivity is high!)
6%
4%
2%
0%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
14
What is the sex ratio of the released birds?
ƒ biased sex ratio lowers effective population size Ne
ƒ until 2009: 72 males / 86 females = 0.84
ƒ => surplus of females:
ƒ - Total
- Argentera-Mercantour
- Haute-Savoie
- Switzerland
- Austria
14
3
3
1
7
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
15
Is there a gene flow between the release regions?
1(ev.2)
2
1 4
1
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
16
Where do the succesfully breeding birds come from?
1)
2)
3)
4)
1)
2)
3)
4)
39
23
10
1
1)
2)
3)
4)
1)
2)
3)
4)
37
26
11
4
number released -2009
number released -2003
number reproducing bird:
1. generation (until 2009)
number reproducing bird:
2. generation (until 2009)
35
23
3
0
1)
2)
3)
4)
49
37
1 (e.2)
0
80% % breeders of birds
released before >5 years
60%
40%
20%
0%
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
N=23 N=23 N=26 N=37
17
18
Austria
Merc.-Alpi Marit.
Haute-Savoie
Engadina-Stelvio
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
bars sum up to the 160 released birds
1st, 2nd & 3rd generation: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
201
031
030
026
162
161
027
004
155
154
010
014
274
153
152
132
131
020
199
135
134
065
009
150
151
023
022
002
003
035
034
0
021
2
019
contribution to 160 released birds
How affects could release site specific mortality affect genetics?
founders
18
18
Austria
Merc.-Alpi Marit.
Haute-Savoie
Engadina-Stelvio
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
bars sum up to the 160 released birds
1st, 2nd & 3rd generation: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
201
031
030
026
162
161
027
004
155
154
010
014
274
153
152
132
131
020
199
135
134
065
009
150
151
023
022
002
003
035
034
0
021
2
019
contribution to 160 released birds
How affects could release site specific mortality affect genetics?
founders
19
conclusions
ƒ founder population genetically divers but small
ƒ evidence for genetic drift and founder effects
ƒ most founders insufficently represented in the wild
ƒ unbalanced sex ratio
-> several factors that reduce effective population size
ƒ considerable gene flow between the release region
ƒ chance to get a breeder:
significant release site related differences!
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
20
recommendations 1
ƒ more founders
ƒ further releases to establish more even representation of founders
ƒ preferentially release of males
ƒ establishement of gene flow
a) between neighbouring populations
b) between wild population & breeding stock
ƒ genetic consideration in the selection of the release site:
birds from underrepresented sites at secure sites
ƒ releases: proceed quickly to diminish founder effects
ƒ genetic monitoring
- visit of nests -> genetic samples from fledglings
- estimation of effective population size
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
21
A site specific release strategy
er
d
e
e
t br
e
g
to
nce
a
h
c
high
specific releases
-> better & more even
founder representation
Only descendents of
highly productive founders:
investigations on reasons
for mortality
1. phase only release
of descendent of
highly productive founders
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
22
What is the strategy for Swiss Foundation of Bearded Vulture
• establishement of an new release area ...
... to promote a fast colonization in the whole alpine region
... establish a source population with a high genetic diversity
• only releases of descendents from founders that are poorly
represented in the wild
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
23
... many thanks
... to Hans Frey, Alex Llopis, Karl
Hofbauer and all the people involved
in the breeding network
... to Richard Zink and all the pople
that contributed to the IBM
... to all people who collected genetic
samples in the field
... and for your attention!
Swiss Foundation for Bearded Vultures / 23.-25. Okt. 09 Bormio
24