Introductions over introductions: the genomic adulteration of an early genetically valuable alien species in the United Kingdom.

Invasive alien species are a major cause of biodiversity loss. Nevertheless, non-native species can also contribute to conservation objectives. In 1673, the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), a galliform native to southwest Europe, was introduced from France (A. r. rufa) into the UK for hunting purposes. Nowadays, hunters constantly supplement natural populations of A. rufa in its native range with stocks of captive-bred individuals. Such birds are usually genetically unscreened, and human-mediated hybridization with the exotic chukar (Alectoris chukar) has undermined genomic integrity of the species. Alectoris rufa in the UK has never been genetically investigated, and birds from East Anglian estates with no modern history of supplementation offer a potential genomic backup for the highly polluted native-range A. r. rufa. We genotyped modern and ancient (1824–1934) birds at the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) level to determine present and past kinship between East Anglian and native-range A. rufa. We used Short Tandem Repeats (STR) and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to identify A. rufa × A. chukar hybrids. The kinship of East Anglian birds with A. r. rufa was confirmed. No A. chukar introgression was found in ancient East Anglian A. rufa. Among modern partridges, we found birds with A. chukar mtDNA, and both STRs and RAPDs disclosed many A. rufa × A. chukar hybrids. While the genetic analysis pointed to the increase of diversity and decline of disparity over time within and among A. rufa populations, respectively, the conservation value of the resource historically introduced to the UK proved to have been quashed by three decades of recent releases of A. chukar and its A. rufa hybrids. © 2014, Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Resource-Area-Dependence Analysis: inferring animal resource needs from home-range and mapping data

An animal’s home-range can be expected to encompass the resources it requires for surviving or reproducing. Thus, animals inhabiting a heterogeneous landscape, where resource patches vary in size, shape and distribution, will naturally have home-ranges of varied sizes, so that each home-range encompasses a minimum required amount of a resource. Home-range size can be estimated from telemetry data, and often key resources, or proxies for them such as the areas of important habitat types, can be mapped. We propose a new method, Resource-Area-Dependence Analysis (RADA), which uses a sample of tracked animals and a categorical map to i) infer in which map categories important resources are accessible, ii) within which home range cores they are found, and iii) estimate the mean minimum areas of these map categories required for such resource provision. We provide three examples of applying RADA to datasets of radio-tracked animals from southern England: 15 red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris, 17 gray squirrels S. carolinensis and 114 common buzzards Buteo buteo. The analyses showed that each red squirrel required a mean (95% CL) of 0.48 ha (0.24–-0.97) of pine wood within the outermost home-range, each gray squirrel needed 0.34 ha (0.11–1.12) ha of mature deciduous woodland and 0.035–0.046 ha of wheat, also within the outermost home-range, while each buzzard required 0.54 ha (0.35–0.82) of rough ground close to the home-range center and 14 ha (11–17) of meadow within an intermediate core, with 52% of them also relying on 0.41 ha (0.29–0.59) of suburban land near the home-range center. RADA thus provides a useful tool to infer key animal resource requirements during studies of animal movement and habitat use

Differential impact of LPG-and PG-deficient Leishmania major mutants on the immune response of human dendritic cells

<div><p>Background</p><p><i>Leishmania major</i> infection induces robust interleukin-12 (IL12) production in human dendritic cells (hDC), ultimately resulting in Th1-mediated immunity and clinical resolution. The surface of <i>Leishmania</i> parasites is covered in a dense glycocalyx consisting of primarily lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and other phosphoglycan-containing molecules (PGs), making these glycoconjugates the likely pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) responsible for IL12 induction.</p><p>Methodology/Principal Findings</p><p>Here we explored the role of parasite glycoconjugates on the hDC IL12 response by generating <i>L</i>. <i>major</i> Friedlin V1 mutants defective in LPG alone, (FV1 <i>lpg1-</i>), or generally deficient for all PGs, (FV1 <i>lpg2-</i>). Infection with metacyclic, infective stage, <i>L</i>. <i>major</i> or purified LPG induced high levels of <i>IL12B</i> subunit gene transcripts in hDCs, which was abrogated with FV1 <i>lpg1-</i> infections. In contrast, hDC infections with FV1 <i>lpg2-</i> displayed increased <i>IL12B</i> expression, suggesting other PG-related/<i>LPG2</i> dependent molecules may act to dampen the immune response. Global transcriptional profiling comparing WT, FV1 <i>lpg1-</i>, FV1 <i>lpg2-</i> infections revealed that FV1 <i>lpg1-</i> mutants entered hDCs in a silent fashion as indicated by repression of gene expression. Transcription factor binding site analysis suggests that LPG recognition by hDCs induces IL-12 in a signaling cascade resulting in Nuclear Factor κ B (NFκB) and Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) mediated transcription.</p><p>Conclusions/Significance</p><p>These data suggest that <i>L</i>. <i>major</i> LPG is a major PAMP recognized by hDC to induce IL12-mediated protective immunity and that there is a complex interplay between PG-baring <i>Leishmania</i> surface glycoconjugates that result in modulation of host cellular IL12.</p></div

The GWCT Grey Partridge Recovery Programme: a Species Action Plan in Action

In 1994, the UK government launched its Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). Its list of BAP species included the grey partridge Perdix perdix, whose UK numbers had declined by 91% since 1962. The government set numerical targets in its grey partridge Species Action Plan, then nominated the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) as lead partner to take the Plan forward. To this end, the GWCT has sought to raise awareness of the issues among the farming and shooting communities with promotional material. It has encouraged land and shoot managers to join its Partridge Count Scheme and established local Partridge Groups as a focus for information dissemination, guiding management with local targets set using landscape characteristics to estimate the potential distribution of grey partridges at the 1-km^2 level. Leading by example, the GWCT has demonstrated on the ground how appropriate management leads to successful grey partridge recovery, and it has initiated research into optimal methods of re-establishing grey partridges in areas of extinction. I consider the current population status of the grey partridge in the UK, review the targets of the Species Action Plan in the light of that status, and discuss the chances of success

A Review of Gray Partridge Restocking in the UK and its Implications for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan

The gray partridge Perdix perdix has been the subject of many re-introduction projects throughout the world. In earlier attempts many releases simply aimed to increase the number of individuals for harvesting. This is very different from a conservation project aiming to establish a self-sustaining population. In recent decades, the gray partridge has declined severely in abundance and it is a species of conservation concern throughout Western Europe. Until now, gray partridge releasing projects have mainly focused on releasing large numbers of captive-reared individuals, of which few survive because of heavy predation and low breeding success. We reviewed the scientific and gamekeepering literature, and found that nevertheless a number of traditional methods for rearing and releasing gray partridges exist. Although these have primarily been developed to supplement existing wild stocks to produce shootable resources, some can be re-used today for conservation purposes. The most promising system for producing birds for re-introduction and supplementation purposes is to obtain eggs from a reliable source, hatch and rear the chicks under bantams to eight weeks of age, then foster to failed pairs of wild gray partridges. A less labour-intensive alternative is to hatch and raise chicks under artificial heat and foster these to unsuccessful wild pairs. Obviously these two systems are dependent on the presence of local free-living wild birds. If no pairs of wild gray partridges are present it is necessary to establish a founder population first. We see two methods to achieve this goal, the release of coveys in autumn or of pairs in spring. An important pre-requisite to any restocking scheme is appropriate management including the provision of suitable habitat for feeding and nesting and the control of predators, otherwise restocking is unlikely to lead to long-term establishment