Wildlife in a politically divided world: insularism inflates estimates of brown bear abundance

-Political borders dictate how biological diversity is monitored and managed, yet wild animals often move freely between jurisdictions. We quantified bias in brown bear (Ursus arctos) abundance estimates introduced when analytical methods ignore that the same individuals may be accounted for in more than one jurisdiction. A spatially explicit population model revealed that up to 49% of female bears detected in Norway via microsatellite analysis of scat and hair samples have their center of activity in neighboring countries (Finland, Russia, and Sweden). Not accounting for detections of “foreign residents” resulted in abundance estimates that were inflated by as much as 119%. Like man- agement and conservation, monitoring of transboundary wildlife populations should take place at ecologically relevant scales to avoid biased abundance es- timates and a false sense of control. When political realities isolate jurisdictions from their neighbors, spatially explicit analytical approaches can allow local or national programs a glimpse beyond their borders. Jurisdiction; large carnivore management; natural resource policy; noninvasive genetic monitoring; spatially explicit capture-recapture; transboundary wildlife

Høflighet i menneskeâmaskin-dialoger

Tidligere studier innenfor menneskeâmaskin-interaksjon hevder at mennesker er høflige mot datamaskiner (Nass, Moon & Carney 1999, Reeves & Nass 1996). Forklaringen er at folk oppfatter datamaskiner som ââ¬Åsosiale agenterââ¬Â, og derfor vil de (ubevisst) interagere med dem som om de var mennesker. I denne artikkelen presenteres undersøkelser av to ulike datasett som kaster lys over høflighet i norske menneskeâmaskin-dialoger. Datasettene har mange fellestrekk, bl.a. at de begge dokumenterer mennesker som kommuniserer med et automatisk dialogsystem via telefonen om opplysning eller tjenester. Hovedforskjellen er at det ene er data fra et eksperiment, mens det andre er opptak av autentiske telefonsamtaler. Ulike (u)høflighetsmarkører i norsk blir diskutert og undersøkt i de to datasettene. I de autentiske telefonsamtalene finner vi flere eksempler på uhøflig adferd og svært få eksempler på høflig adferd. Funnene viser at mennesker ikke er høflige mot datamaskiner. Påstander om at mennesker (ubevisst) er høflige mot datamaskiner, bør dermed revideres

The role of predation and food limitation on claims for compensation, reindeer demography and population dynamics

1.A major challenge in biodiversity conservation is to facilitate viable populations of large apex predators in ecosystems where they were recently driven to ecological extinction due to resource conflict with humans. 2. Monetary compensation for losses of livestock due to predation is currently a key instrument to encourage human–carnivore coexistence. However, a lack of quantitative estimates of livestock losses due to predation leads to disagreement over the practise of compensation payments. This disagreement sustains the human–carnivore conflict. 3. The level of depredation on year-round, free-ranging, semi-domestic reindeer by large carnivores in Fennoscandia has been widely debated over several decades. In Norway, the reindeer herders claim that lynx and wolverine cause losses of tens of thousands of animals annually and cause negative population growth in herds. Conversely, previous research has suggested that monetary predator compensation can result in positive population growth in the husbandry, with cascading negative effects of high grazer densities on the biodiversity in tundra ecosystems. 4. We utilized a long-term, large-scale dataset to estimate the relative importance of lynx and wolverine predation and density-dependent and climatic food limitation on claims for losses, recruitment and population growth rates in Norwegian reindeer husbandry. 5. Claims of losses increased with increasing predator densities, but with no detectable effect on population growth rates. Density-dependent and climatic effects on claims of losses, recruitment and population growth rates, were much stronger than the effects of variation in lynx and wolverine densities. 6. Synthesis and applications. Our analysis provides a quantitative basis for predator compensation and estimation of the costs of reintroducing lynx and wolverine in areas with free-ranging semidomestic reindeer. We outline a potential path for conflict management which involves adaptive monitoring programs, open access to data, herder involvement, and development of management strategy evaluation (MSE) models to disentangle complex responses including multiple stakeholders and individual harvester decisions. depredation, human–carnivore conflict, MODIS, onset of spring, plant productivity, predator compensation, Rangife

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

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Populasjonsovervåking av brunbjørn. DNA-analyse av prøver innsamlet i Norge i 2015

Det nasjonale overvåkningsprogrammet for rovvilt i Norge har i 2015 samlet inn prøver med antatt opphav fra brunbjørn (Ursus arctos) for syvende år på rad. Totalt ble det samlet inn 1 293 prøver i 2015 (860 ekskrementprøver, 422 hårprøver, 10 vevsprøver og 1 blodprøve). Av disse prøvene var 57 % positive for brunbjørn, og det ble påvist 128 ulike bjørner, hvorav 53 hunnbjørner og 75 hannbjørner. Dette er en reduksjon sammenlignet med forrige år da det ble påvist 54 hunnbjørner og 82 hannbjørner, og er også det laveste antallet registrert de siste syv årene. Over samme periode har andelen hunnbjørner økt, og var i 2015 andelen økt til 41 %. Beregninger av antall ynglinger i samme periode ligger relativt stabilt på ca. 6 ynglinger. Som tidligere år er forekomsten av brunbjørn i hovedsak konsentrert i fylkene Finnmark (49), Hedmark (43) og Nord-Trøndelag (19). Av det totale antallet i 2015 er 70 %( 89 individer) tidligere påvist i Norge, noe som utgjør omtrent samme gjenfunnsandel som forrige år.publishedVersio

Habitat differentiation within the large-carnivore community of Norway's multiple-use landscapes

The re-establishment of large carnivores in Norway has led to increased conflicts and the adoption of regional zoning for these predators. When planning the future distribution of large carnivores, it is important to consider details of their potential habitat tolerances and strength of inter-specific differentiation. We studied differentiation in habitat and kill sites within the large-carnivore community of south-eastern Norway.We compared habitat selection of the brown bear Ursus arctos L., Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx L., wolf Canis lupus L. and wolverine Gulo gulo L., based on radio-tracking data. Differences in kill site locations were explored using locations of documented predator-killed sheep Ovis aries L. We modelled each species’ selection for, and differentiation in, habitat and kill sites on a landscape scale using resource selection functions and multinomial logistic regression. Based on projected probability of occurrence maps, we estimated continuous patches of habitat within the study area.Although bears, lynx, wolves and wolverines had overlapping distributions, we found a clear differentiation for all four species in both habitat and kill sites. The presence of bears, wolves and lynx was generally associated with rugged, forested areas at lower elevations, whereas wolverines selected rugged terrain at higher elevations. Some degree of sympatry was possible in over 40% of the study area, although only 1·5% could hold all four large carnivores together.Synthesis and applications. A geographically differentiated management policy has been adopted in Norway, aimed at conserving viable populations of large carnivores while minimizing the potential for conflicts. Sympatry of all four carnivores will be most successful if regional zones are established of adequate size spanning an elevational gradient. High prey densities, low carnivore densities, low dietary overlap and scavenging opportunities have most probably led to reduced competitive exclusion. Although regional sympatry enhances the conservation of an intact guild of large carnivores, it may well increase conflict levels and resistance to carnivore conservation locally

Populasjonsovervåkning av brunbjørn 2005-2008: Rapport for Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag, Nordland, Troms og Finnmark 2006

Populasjonsovervåkning av brunbjørn (Ursus arctos) i Norges fem nordligste fylker ble gjennomført med hjelp av DNA-analyse av ekskrementer og hårprøver. Totalt ble det analysert 750 ulike prøver i undersøkelsen. Av disse prøvene ble 720 prøver samlet inn i 2006, mens resten var fra tidligere år. Statens naturoppsyn samlet inn prøver hele sesongen, mens i Trøndelagsfylkene ble det i tillegg samlet inn prøver om høsten av elgjegere. Resultatet fra DNA ekstraksjonen gav 34% fungerende prøver, med stor variasjon for ulike fylker (10-50%). Prøvene som gav DNA utbytte ble analysert to ganger med seks ulike mikrosatellitt markører (G1D, G10B, UarMU05, UarMu09, UarMU15 og UarMU26) og en kjønnstest. For 2006, gav DNA identifisering 71 ulike individer, med en overvekt av hannbjørner (62 %). Rapporten inneholder også analyse av hårprøver fra Sør-Varanger i 2005, samt noen andre 2005 prøver fra andre områder. En gjentatt analyse av 166 faesprøver fra Øst-Finnmark i 2005 ble også utført. Videre er innsamlingen av prøver i ”Midt-Norge” (Trøndelagsfylkene og Nordland-sør) analysert, og et bestandsestimat for regionen gav et estimat på 35 individer. Resultatene i rapporten blir vurdert opp mot feltobservasjoner og feilkilder, og videre arbeid blir diskutert.publishedVersio

A multilocus assay reveals high nucleotide diversity and limited differentiation among Scandinavian willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is so far very little data on autosomal nucleotide diversity in birds, except for data from the domesticated chicken and some passerines species. Estimates of nucleotide diversity reported so far in birds have been high (~10^-3) and a likely explanation for this is the generally higher effective population sizes compared to mammals. In this study, the level of nucleotide diversity has been examined in the willow grouse, a non-domesticated bird species from the order Galliformes, which also holds the chicken. The willow grouse (<it>Lagopus lagopus</it>) has an almost circumpolar distribution but is absent from Greenland and the north Atlantic islands. It primarily inhabits tundra, forest edge habitats and sub-alpine vegetation. Willow grouse are hunted throughout its range, and regionally it is a game bird of great cultural and economical importance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We sequenced 18 autosomal protein coding loci from approximately 15–18 individuals per population. We found a total of 127 SNP's, which corresponds to 1 SNP every 51 bp. 26 SNP's were amino acid replacement substitutions. Total nucleotide diversity (<it>π</it>_<it>t</it>) was between 1.30 × 10^-4and 7.66 × 10^-3(average <it>π</it>_{<it>t </it>}= 2.72 × 10^-3± 2.06 × 10^-3) and silent nucleotide diversity varied between 4.20 × 10^-4and 2.76 × 10^-2(average <it>π</it>_{<it>S </it>}= 9.22 × 10^-3± 7.43 × 10^-4). The synonymous diversity is approximately 20 times higher than in humans and two times higher than in chicken. Non-synonymous diversity was on average 18 times lower than the synonymous diversity and varied between 0 and 4.90 × 10^-3(average <it>π</it>_{<it>a </it>}= 5.08 × 10^-4± 7.43 × 10³), which suggest that purifying selection is strong in these genes. <it>F</it>_STvalues based on synonymous SNP's varied between -5.60 × 10^-4and 0.20 among loci and revealed low levels of differentiation among the four localities, with an overall value of <it>F</it>_ST= 0.03 (95% CI: 0.006 – 0.057) over 60 unlinked loci. Non-synonymous SNP's gave similar results. Low levels of linkage disequilibrium were observed within genes, with an average r²= 0.084 ± 0.110, which is expected for a large outbred population with no population differentiation. The mean per site per generation recombination parameter (ρ) was comparably high (0.028 ± 0.018), indicating high recombination rates in these genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found unusually high levels of nucleotide diversity in the Scandinavian willow grouse as well as very little population structure among localities with up to 1647 km distance. There are also low levels of linkage disequilibrium within the genes and the population recombination rate is high, which is indicative of an old panmictic population, where recombination has had time to break up any haplotype blocks. The non-synonymous nucleotide diversity is low compared with the silent, which is in agreement with effective purifying selection, possibly due to the large effective population size.</p