13 research outputs found
Envisioning the future with \u27compassionate conservation\u27: An ominous projection for native wildlife and biodiversity
The ‘Compassionate Conservation’ movement is gaining momentum through its promotion of ‘ethical’ conservation practices based on self-proclaimed principles of ‘first-do-no-harm’ and ‘individuals matter’. We argue that the tenets of ‘Compassionate Conservation’ are ideological - that is, they are not scientifically proven to improve conservation outcomes, yet are critical of the current methods that do. In this paper we envision a future with ‘Compassionate Conservation’ and predict how this might affect global biodiversity conservation. Taken literally, ‘Compassionate Conservation’ will deny current conservation practices such as captive breeding, introduced species control, biocontrol, conservation fencing, translocation, contraception, disease control and genetic introgression. Five mainstream conservation practices are used to illustrate the far-reaching and dire consequences for global biodiversity if governed by ‘Compassionate Conservation’. We acknowledge the important role of animal welfare science in conservation practices but argue that ‘Compassionate Conservation’ aligns more closely with animal liberation principles protecting individuals over populations. Ultimately we fear that a world of ‘Compassionate Conservation’ could stymie the global conservation efforts required to meet international biodiversity targets derived from evidenced based practice, such as the Aichi targets developed by the Convention on Biological Diversity and adopted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the United Nations
Genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in the Greater Limpopo transfrontier conservation area
The Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) is one of the last refuges for the endangered African wild dog and hosts roughly one-tenth of the global population. Wild dogs in this area are currently threatened by human encroachment, habitat fragmentation and scarcity of suitable connecting habitat between protected areas. We derived genetic data from mitochondrial and nuclear markers to test the following hypotheses: (i) demographic declines in wild dogs have caused a loss of genetic variation, and (ii) Zimbabwean and South African populations in the GLTFCA have diverged due to the effects of isolation and genetic drift. Genetic patterns among five populations, taken with comparisons to known information, illustrate that allelic richness and heterozygosity have been lost over time, presumably due to effects of inbreeding and genetic drift. Genetic structuring has occurred due to low dispersal rates, which was most apparent between Kruger National Park and the Zimbabwean Lowveld. Immediate strategies to improve gene flow should focus on increasing the quality of habitat corridors between reserves in the GLTFCA and securing higher wild dog survival rates in unprotected areas, with human-mediated translocation only undertaken as a last resort
Inbreeding, heterozygosity and fitness in a reintroduced population of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
It is crucial to understand the genetic health and
implications of inbreeding in wildlife populations, especially
of vulnerable species. Using extensive demographic
and genetic data, we investigated the relationships among
pedigree inbreeding coefficients, metrics of molecular
heterozygosity and fitness for a large population of
endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South
Africa. Molecular metrics based on 19 microsatellite loci
were significantly, but modestly correlated to inbreeding
coefficients in this population. Inbred wild dogs with
inbreeding coefficients of C0.25 and subordinate individuals
had shorter lifespans than outbred and dominant
contemporaries, suggesting some deleterious effects of
inbreeding. However, this trend was confounded by packspecific
effects as many inbred individuals originated from
a single large pack. Despite wild dogs being endangered
and existing in small populations, findings within our
sample population indicated that molecular metrics were
not robust predictors in models of fitness based on breeding
pack formation, dominance, reproductive success or lifespan
of individuals. Nonetheless, our approach has generated
a vital database for future comparative studies to
examine these relationships over longer periods of time.
Such detailed assessments are essential given knowledge
that wild canids can be highly vulnerable to inbreeding
effects over a few short generations