Parks Canada Agency

(1)

The use of molecular tools in Parks Canada Agency

Briar Howes, PhD

Species at Risk Programme / Programme des espèces en péril Parks Canada / Parcs Canada

(2)

Conservation genetics

•

“the application of genetics to preserve species as dynamic entities …”

•

“a mixture of ecology, molecular biology, population genetics, mathematical modeling and evolutionary

systematics”

•

“conservation biology + genetics = conservation

genetics”

(3)

“Elephant seals: genetic variation and near extinction”

Bonnell & Solander 1974

(4)

“Elephant seals: genetic variation and near extinction”

Bonnell & Solander 1974

(5)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

• Taxonomic identification

• Delineating management units of a species

• Population biology

• Stock management

• Disease analysis

• DNA forensics

• Population monitoring

• Genetic monitoring

(6)

Taxonomic Identification

• DNA analyses can be used to identify species that may be difficult to identify using traditional observation methods

• Examples of applications:

–

Species inventories

– Monitoring groups of species that are hard to I.D.

– Forensics (investigation of suspected poaching)

Taxonomic identification

(7)

Fundy NP

Presence of the eastern cougar confirmed

•

Scent posts used to attract candidate mammals

• Hair snags on posts collect tissue for DNA analysis

• DNA analysis used to confirm the presence of eastern cougar in the park

(8)

(9)

Nahanni NPR

What biodiversity

will a park protect?

(10)

Nahanni NPR

• DNA analysis (barcoding) can identify species that are hard to ID using traditional morphological systems

• recent surveys suggest that

there are many more ant species than previously expected

• accurate species inventory knowledge is crucial for park management and biodiversity monitoring

(11)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(12)

Delineating management units

• DNA analyses can be used to delineate taxonomic groups below the species level

• Groups within a species may have important evolutionary and ecological differences that

warrant independent conservation management

Delineating management units

(13)

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence

Carolinian

Five-lined skink

SC / En

(14)

Ontario

Genetic distinction supports COSEWIC split assessment

•

Genetic data and statistical analyses of Ontario skinks

showed two groups: Carolinian and Great Lakes/St Lawrence

•

COSEWIC decided to split the species into two management units:

- Carolinian (En)

- GL/SL (SC)

(15)

Great Lakes/St Lawrence Carolinian

(16)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(17)

Population biology

• Very broad and commonly used application

• Used to gain insight into the biological characteristics of a species or population

• Examples of applications:

- assessment of genetic threats

- identifying population connectivity - understanding mating systems

Population biology

(18)

Population biology

Grizzly bear

SC

(19)

Population biology

Western Canada NPs

•

Hair snags are used on and surrounding crossings

• DNA from hair is used to estimate the proportion of

individuals in the area that use crossings

• Genetic relatedness of

individuals using crossings is

compared to relatedness of

individuals found surrounding

crossings

(20)

Population biology

Blanding’s turtle En (Nova Scotia)

Are Kejimkujik’s turtles isolated from other

populations?

Howes et al. 2007 and refs therein

(21)

Population biology

Nova Scotia

• Tissue collected from 3 populations of the Blanding’s turtle in southern NS

•

DNA analysis and gene flow

estimates shed light on population connectivity and movement patterns of individuals

•

Genetic “sources” and “sinks”

within the metapopulation can be identified

(22)

Population biology

(23)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(24)

Stock management

• DNA analysis can be used to enhance the management of captive or semi-captive

populations

• Examples of applications:

- discriminating wild and captive individuals - discriminating hybrids from pure individuals - evaluating appropriate breeding strategies

Stock management

(25)

Stock management

iBoF Atlantic salmon

En

How can managers ensure only pure

individuals are used in the

breeding program?

(26)

Stock management

Inner Bay of Fundy

•

~70% embryos produced by aquaculture/wild pairs die within weeks

•

iBoF Atlantic salmon recovery:

captive rearing at Mactaquac Fish Culture Station

•

Hybrids are genetically screened and removed from the captive

rearing program Station

(27)

Stock management

Southern Ontario

• SSP = Species Survival Plan

• administered by the AZA

• designed to manage a captive population that can be used to support other conservation efforts

•

aim = a captive population that is demographically and genetically

stable and that is representative of natural populations

(28)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(29)

Disease analysis

• DNA analysis can be used to detect disease organisms in individuals

• Examples of applications:

- identifying presence of disease

- estimating the prevalence of disease in a population

- identifying most likely origin of the disease

Disease analysis

(30)

Disease analysis

Grasslands NP

•

Years of planning for re-

introduction of Ferrets to GNP … is it feasible?

•

Risk of disease transmitted by co- occurring species (fleas, dogs,

coyotes)

•

Prevalence of plague, distemper, and tularemia assessed in GNP prior to re-introduction of ferret

(31)

Disease analysis

Black-footed ferret Ex

What is a population’s

disease risk?

(32)

Disease analysis

Elk

Bovine TB

(33)

Disease analysis

Riding Mountain NP

• Bovine TB present in elk and deer surrounding RMNP and is a threat to region’s cattle industry

•

Diagnosis of M. bovine by DNA analysis (PCR) is quicker and more sensitive than traditional methods

•

DNA analysis can also identify different strains of the bacterium and assign a strain to a certain geographic origin

(34)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(35)

DNA forensics

• Forensics is the use of science and technology to investigate and establish facts in criminal or civil courts of law

• DNA analysis has greatly influenced the field of forensics

DNA forensics

(36)

DNA forensics

(37)

DNA forensics

Cape Breton Highlands NP

poaching in a NP

(38)

DNA forensics

Cape Breton Highlands NP

•

Remains of a poached moose within a NP was found

• Individual responsible for

poaching was suspected; search warrant for the individual’s

property was obtained

• DNA analysis showed DNA match between hair at the poaching site and suspect’s property

(39)

DNA forensics

CWS, Nova Scotia

Are wild ducks being illegally harvested?

•

Individual suspected of complementing his domestic

population of ducks with wild chicks

•

DNA parentage analysis confirmed that the majority of the individual’s ducks were not offspring from his two registered (legal) ducks

• jail sentence of 9 months

(40)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(41)

Population monitoring

• “Genetic tags” can be used in leiu of physical tags (e.g. bird bands) to monitor a population

• DNA analysis can assign a unique genotype to an individual in the same way that a fingerprint can be assigned to an individual

• Particularly useful for animals that are rare or difficult to capture

Population monitoring

(42)

(43)

Grizzly bear SC

How can we track a

population’s abundance

over time?

(44)

Western Canada NPs

• Hair or scat samples from bears are collected

•

DNA analysis outputs the

genotype of a particular sample (a

“genetic tag”)

•

Population estimates are based on minimum number of unique

genotypes (Min. Pop. Size) or on mark-recapture methods if sample size is sufficient

(45)

Outline

Conservation genetics in Parks Canada Agency

(46)

Monitoring a population’s genetic parameters

• Genetic monitoring is a relatively novel notion

• Monitoring of a population’s genetic parameter(s) through time

• Examples of genetic parameters:

- effective population size

- metapop’n structure / migration rates - hybridization levels

Genetic monitoring

(47)

Genetic monitoring

Peregrine falcon

• many believed that recovered pop’s were suffering from reduced genetic diversity

•

Brown et al. (2007) tested this hypothesis by comparing genetic diversity and structure of historical and contemporary samples

(48)

Genetic monitoring

Peregrine falcon SC / Th

How has a severe

demographic bottleneck affected a species’

genetic integrity?

• recovered pop’s showed no sign of reduced genetic

diversity, were likely recovered before a genetic bottleneck

(49)

Genetic monitoring

iBoF Atlantic salmon En

What are potential factors in failed re-

establishment attempts?

Fraser et al .2007

(50)

Genetic monitoring

historical 2 pop’s go extinct

2 pop’s re-established

New damn

2 failed re-establishments

Genetic samples collected

New damn

1 2

3 4

(51)

Questions?

• Molecular tools

• Parks Canada

• Parks Canada & Species at Risk

• Species at Risk Act