Can ground counts reliably monitor ibex Capra ibex populations

: Can ground counts reliably monitor ibex Capra ibex populations? -Wildl. Biol. 14: 489-499. Although ground counts are often used to monitor ungulate populations, several studies show that counts of ungulates have low precision and often underestimate population size. We assessed the reliability of ibex Capra ibex counts as performed in French national parks, by analysing up to 23 years of annual censuses of six ibex populations for which a subset of animals were individually marked. We compared the population growth rate obtained from census data (estimated by use of four different methods) with the growth rate calculated from a demographic model including parameters estimated from capture-markrecapture methods. The correlations between count-based estimates and growth rate obtained from demographic models were adequate to suggest that ground counts can monitor trends in population size of ibex, provided that the occasional undercounts are identified. Substantial undercounts in some years led to biologically impossible values of yearly population growth (l>1.35) and, in the longest time series available, to marked autocorrelations in counts. Managers should replicate counts within the same year to check for underestimated counts. To reduce errors, population biologists analysing time series of ungulate counts should check the plausibility of annual growth rates estimated from two consecutive counts

Myotis genotypes

Individual genotypes from 210 samples arising from 165 individuals of a maternity roost located in Le Bourg d'Oisans (French Alps), hosting Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii individuals. Num = sample identifier, ID = individual identifier, Sampling = Sampling date, Type = bat type (Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii or hybrid), Sex = F: females and M: males, D15 to H23.M = fragment length for each microsatellite locus at each allele (2 alleles by column), NA = missing data

Investigating Hybridization between the Two Sibling Bat Species Myotis myotis and M. blythii from Guano in a Natural Mixed Maternity Colony.

International audienceBecause they can form seasonal mixed-species groups during mating and maternal care, bats are exciting models for studying interspecific hybridization. Myotis myotis and M. blythii are genetically close and morphologically almost identical, but they differ in some aspects of their ecology and life-history traits. When they occur in sympatry, they often form large mixed maternity colonies, in which their relative abundance can vary across time due to a shift in the timing of parturition. For the first time, we used non-invasive genetic methods to assess the hybridization rate and colony composition in a maternity colony of M. myotis and M. blythii located in the French Alps. Bat guano was collected on five sampling dates spread across the roost occupancy period and was analysed for individual genotype. We investigated whether the presence of hybrids followed the pattern of one of the parental species or if it was intermediate. We identified 140 M. myotis, 12 M. blythii and 13 hybrids among 250 samples. Parental species appeared as genetically well-differentiated clusters, with an asymmetrical introgression towards M. blythii. By studying colony parameters (effective size, sex ratio and proportion of the three bat types) across the sampling dates, we found that the abundances of hybrid and M. blythii individuals were positively correlated. Our study provides a promising non-invasive method to study hybridization in bats and raises questions about the taxonomic status of the two Myotis species. We discuss the contribution of this study to the knowledge of hybrid ecology, and we make recommendations for possible future research to better understand the ecology and behaviour of hybrid individuals

Data from: Investigating hybridization between the two sibling bat species Myotis myotis and M. blythii from guano in a natural mixed maternity colony

Because they can form seasonal mixed-species groups during mating and maternal care, bats are exciting models for studying interspecific hybridization. Myotis myotis and M. blythii are genetically close and morphologically almost identical, but they differ in some aspects of their ecology and life-history traits. When they occur in sympatry, they often form large mixed maternity colonies, in which their relative abundance can vary across time due to a shift in the timing of parturition. For the first time, we used non-invasive genetic methods to assess the hybridization rate and colony composition in a maternity colony of M. myotis and M. blythii located in the French Alps. Bat guano was collected on five sampling dates spread across the roost occupancy period and was analysed for individual genotype. We investigated whether the presence of hybrids followed the pattern of one of the parental species or if it was intermediate. We identified 140 M. myotis, 12 M. blythii and 13 hybrids among 250 samples. Parental species appeared as genetically well-differentiated clusters, with an asymmetrical introgression towards M. blythii. By studying colony parameters (effective size, sex ratio and proportion of the three bat types) across the sampling dates, we found that the abundances of hybrid and M. blythii individuals were positively correlated. Our study provides a promising non-invasive method to study hybridization in bats and raises questions about the taxonomic status of the two Myotis species. We discuss the contribution of this study to the knowledge of hybrid ecology, and we make recommendations for possible future research to better understand the ecology and behaviour of hybrid individuals

Historical agricultural changes and the expansion of a water vole population in an Alpine valley

International audienceSmall mammal population outbreaks are one of the consequences of socio-economic and technological changes in agriculture. They can cause important economic damage and generally play a key role in food webs, as a major food resource for predators. The fossorial form of the water vole, Arvicola terrestris, was unknown in the Haute Romanche Valley (French Alps) before 1998. In 1998, the first colony was observed at the top of a valley and population spread was monitored during 12 years, until 2010. Spread occurred as a high population density wave. Based on farming history (1810–2003, 193 years) and spatio-temporal analysis of crop rotations, our study indicates that this water vole population outbreak has been promoted by the presence of grassland corridors that increase hayfield connectivity. These corridors appeared as a result of the conversion of cropped fields to hay meadows where water vole outbreaks have occurred. Spatial mosaic management for grasslands with decreasing spatial connectedness should be considered to prevent vole outbreak risks and promote biodiversity

Ontologie de la physiologie du corps humain pour la modélisation et la simulation du système musculosquelettique

National audienceNous présentons dans cet article un pipeline innovant pour la modélisation anatomique et la simulation des fonc- tions du système musculosquelettique. Ce pipeline a pour originalité de combiner des méta-données génériques (informations anatomiques) à des données réelles d'un sujet. Nous basons notre approche sur une description physiologique inédite du corps humain organisée dans une on- tologie. Cette ontologie permet à un utilisateur de sélectionner les fonctions à simuler, afin de récupérer une description anatomique formelle de celles-ci. Cette description comprend la liste des entités impliquées dans les fonctions (os, articulations et muscles), les paramètres des modèles biomécaniques ainsi que les géométries liés à chacune de ces entités. Combinées, ces données permettent de produire des simulations génériques que l'on peut recaler sur des données de sujets pour des simulations spécifiques à ceux-ci. Cette personnalisation utilise des données telles que des géométriques issues d'IRM (ou de radiographie) ainsi que des paramètres mécaniques. Elles sont assemblées pour visualiser et animer les simulations de ces fonctions pour ces sujets. Ce pipeline a pour but de faciliter et d'accélérer le processus de modélisation anatomique pour la simulation. Nous détaillons au travers d'un exemple de simulation des fonctions du genou et de la hanche, les différentes étapes de modélisation de ce pipeline

Number of bats sampled on each sampling date and the repartition of <i>M</i>. <i>myotis</i>, <i>M</i>. <i>blythii</i> and hybrid individuals.

<p>The numbers on each bar represent the proportion (%) of each bat type for a given sampling date.</p

Sample characteristics on each sampling date.

<p>Sample characteristics on each sampling date.</p

The 12 microsatellite markers used in the present study.

<p>The 12 microsatellite markers used in the present study.</p