Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca ) and co

Noninvasive tracking of jaguars (Panthera onca ) and co

Noninvasive tracking of jaguars
(Panthera onca) and
co-occurring feline species in Belize
by genotyping feces and remote
camera trapping
Claudia Wultsch
Scientific committee
Marcella Kelly & Mike Vaughan
Eric Hallerman, Dean Stauffer, Lisette Waits
Overview
• Background
• Belize
• Study areas
• Cat species and threats
• Research objectives
• Anticipated problems
• Acknowledgement
• Questions and comments
Belize
Study areas
1. Mountain Pine Forest Reserve (MPR)
2. Chiquibul Nationalpark (CN)
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2. Chiquibul Forest Reserve (CFR)
3. Rio Brava Conservation Area (RBCA)
4. Cockscomb Basin
Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS)
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4
2
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5. Golden Stream Corridor
Reserve (GSCP)
Forest types
Lowland and submontane
Broadleaf forest
Lowland and submontane
Pine forest
Wild cat species in Belize
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Cougar (Puma concolor)
Wild cat species in Belize
Ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis)
Margay
(Felis wiedii)
Jaguarundi
(Herpailurus yaguarondi )
Jaguar distribution
Threats to survival
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Habitat fragmentation
Conflicts with cattle rangers
Car collisions
Poaching
Lack of information on
basic cat biology and
ecology
Difficult to study
• Elusive and often nocturnal
• Occur in dense forest
at low densities
• Wide-ranging
• Conventional invasive
studies – not efficient
Non-invasive monitoring
Remote-sensing cameras
Non-invasive genetic monitoring
• Hair, urine, feces, saliva, regurgitates
etc.
> sample size
< less effort and time
< dangerous for animal and
researcher
Molecular scatology
Fecal DNA analysis
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Species identification
Taxonomic relationship
Detection of hybrids
Individual identity and sex
Parentage
Genetic variation
Movement between
populations
• Prey
Molecular scatology
Advantages
Disadvantages
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• Low DNA quantity
and quality
• Degraded (> hot and
humid habitat)
• Genotyping error
• Low-density species
(endangered species)
Powerful
Non-intrusive
Elusive species
High capture rate
No sex and behavioral
bias
Objective 1
Standardized protocol for
molecular scatology studies in the tropics
• Locating scat
• Collecting scat
• Storing scat
Locating feces samples
Scat detector dog
Scat survey design
2 types of transects – 1.5 km length
Type A - Linear
Type B
Diamond-shaped
Scat survey area
3 km
Collection and storage of
feces samples
Collection protocol
• Scat categories (age, moisture, odor
strength, mold y/n)
• Location (habitat type, wind speed, GPS)
• Scat located by dog y/n
• Weather and temperature
Storage of samples – 2 methods
• 95% ethanol
• DET buffer
Analysis
• Locating scat
Mean # of scats per transect
and per time (h, d)
• Collecting and storing
Success rate of PCR
amplification of microsatellite
loci relative to scat variables
and the environment
Objective 2
Cat population estimates
• Species
• Individual
• Sex
Cat population estimates
Abundance and density
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Individual identification
genetically “tagged”
Each scat sample
single capture
One week (20 transects)
1 capture event
Develop capture history for each individual
Analysis in CAPTURE
abundance
Abundance/ effective study area
cat density
per km2
• Sex-ratios
Results will be summarized
per species and per study area
Objective 3
Camera trapping vs. genotyping feces
1.5 km
3 km
Comparison of
2 non-invasive techniques
Cat densities and sex-ratios will be compared
per species and per study area
• Consistency between both methods
• Accuracy – methods biased toward
gender or behavior or not?
Objective 4
Population variation and structure
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat loss and
degradation
Human-induced
barriers
• Roads/highways
• Agricultural land
Natural barriers
• Mountains
• Rivers
Genetic variation and structure
Genetic variation
• Genetic diversity
• Genetic differentiation
• Genetic distance
Measurement through
different levels of:
• Allelic diversity
• Heterozygosity
Genetic variation
Based on different levels of observed heterozygosity
Low levels of genetic variation
within a population
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Reduced fitness
Increased genetic drift
Increased inbreeding depression
Population may be isolated
Population structure
Population subdivision
A) No subdivision
B) Intermediate subdivision
C) Extreme subdivision
Based on genotype and allele frequencies
Population structure
Genetic distance -> Genetic relatedness
Assignment test
Sub 1
FST
Sub 1
Gene flow
Central
Belize
Southern
Belize
Sub 2
Sub 2
Genetics and Conservation
Genetic variation and population structure
Does habitat fragmentation has an
negative effect on the felines in Belize?
Are conservation measures (corridor,
translocation etc.) needed ?
Anticipated problems
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Sample size
Degradation of DNA
Costs
Logistics
Acknowledgements
Drs. Marcella Kelly & Mike Vaughan, major advisers
Dr. Eric Hallerman, Dr. Dean Stauffer, Dr. Lisette Waits
FIW grad students, my friends and family
Feline Conservation Center, Rosamond, California
Naples Zoo, Florida
Woodland Park Zoo, Washington State
Questions
&
Comments