Practical aspects of genetic management of small populations – The Olkuska sheep example

Abstract

The study aimed to identify important factors threatening genetic diversity within small sheep populations, and to propose sustainable management strategies. Demographic evolution, genetic diversity and current genetic management practices were analyzed in a population of Polish Olkuska sheep. Unbalanced contributions of individual rams to the next generation were observed due to differences in the period of their utilization, the number of progeny and the number of daughters used in reproduction. Matings between closely related animals were common. Pedigree completeness was satisfactory and inbreeding coefficient was high, 11.71% for lambs born in 2012. Relatively high values of potential and realized coancestries within flocks showed the importance of keeping more than one ram. The genetic conservation index and average relatedness coefficient, and their comparison between regions was helpful in considering management options. The information on genetic relationships and genetic conservation parameters of rams should be provided to breeders with simple interpretations.     

Impact of climate change on the small mammal community of the Yukon boreal forest

Long‐term monitoring is critical to determine the stability and sustainability of wildlife populations, and if change has occurred, why. We have followed population density changes in the small mammal community in the boreal forest of the southern Yukon for 46 years with density estimates by live trapping on 3–5 unmanipulated grids in spring and autumn. This community consists of 10 species and was responsible for 9% of the energy flow in the herbivore component of this ecosystem from 1986 to 1996, but this increased to 38% from 2003 to 2014. Small mammals, although small in size, are large in the transfer of energy from plants to predators and decomposers. Four species form the bulk of the biomass. There was a shift in the dominant species from the 1970s to the 2000s, with Myodes rutilus increasing in relative abundance by 22% and Peromyscus maniculatus decreasing by 22%. From 2007 to 2018, Myodes comprised 63% of the catch, Peromyscus 20%, and Microtus species 17%. Possible causes of these changes involve climate change, which is increasing primary production in this boreal forest, and an associated increase in the abundance of 3 rodent predators, marten (Martes americana), ermine (Mustela ermine) and coyotes (Canis latrans). Following and understanding these and potential future changes will require long‐term monitoring studies on a large scale to measure metapopulation dynamics. The small mammal community in northern Canada is being affected by climate change and cannot remain stable. Changes will be critically dependent on food–web interactions that are species‐specific.     

辽东半岛结缕草无性系种群构件生物量相关模型及形成规律

按生物构件的理论,分析了辽东半岛结缕草无性系种群叶片、叶鞘、分株、匍匐茎各构件生物量以及总生物量间的相关模型和构件生物量的分配、形成规律,探讨了其不同生物量基于种群大小(密度)的形成规律。结果表明,辽东半岛结缕草无性系种群的总生物量及各构件生物量均随着种群密度的增大而以线性函数增加,各构件生物量与总生物量以及各构件生物量间亦均以线性函数增加,生物量增加比率均表现为:分株>匍匐茎,叶鞘>叶片,总生物量增量的27.2%分配给叶片,29.2%分配给叶鞘,43.6%分配给匍匐茎,叶片,叶鞘和匍匐茎构件生物量的积累是按1∶1.1∶1.6比例形成。     

An insight into population structure and gene flow within pure‐bred cats

Investigation of genetic structure on the basis of pedigree information requires indicators adapted to the specific context of the populations studied. On the basis of pedigree‐based estimates of diversity, we analysed genetic diversity, mating practices and gene flow among eight cat populations raised in France, five of them being single breeds and three consisting of breed groups with varieties that may interbreed. When computed on the basis of coancestry rate, effective population sizes ranged from 127 to 1406, while the contribution of founders from other breeds ranged from 0.7 to 16.4%. In the five breeds, F_IS ranged between 0.96 and 1.83%, with this result being related to mating practices such as close inbreeding (on average 5% of individuals being inbred within two generations). Within the three groups of varieties studied, F_IT ranged from 1.59 to 3%, while values were estimated between 0.04 and 0.91%, which was linked to various amounts of gene exchanges between subpopulations at the parental level. The results indicate that cat breeds constitute populations submitted to low selection intensity, contrasting with relatively high individual inbreeding level caused by close inbreeding practices.     

动物攻击行为的研究进展

在动物界同一种群动物个体之间经常会发生互相攻击的行为。随着行为遗传学的研究,结果发现,攻击行为是一个多因素调控、彼此相互作用的复杂过程;遗传对动物攻击行为具有独立作用,同时,遗传与环境在动物攻击行为的发生发展中存在着交互作用。作者主要就遗传与环境对动物攻击行为的影响作一综述。     

毒死蜱对桔小实蝇体内代谢酶的影响

为了解毒死蜱对桔小实蝇体内代谢酶的影响,采用不同浓度的毒死蜱对桔小实蝇敏感种群进行连续处理,测定其体内的羧酸酯酶（CarE）、谷胱甘肽S-转移酶（GSTs）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、过氧化物酶（POD）的活性。结果表明：随着毒死蜱浓度的增加,桔小实蝇的敏感性出现逐渐下降的趋势,体内的CarE活性得到显著提升（F=43.21,p=0.024）,抗性倍数为1.74,GSTs活性也显著上升（F=47.73,p=0.018）,抗性倍数为1.98,但对CAT、POD的提升作用较小,表明毒死蜱对桔小实蝇体内的CarE、GSTs活力具有一定的诱导作用。     

天山北坡不同区域及海拔对天然草地鸭茅群落物种种间关系影响

以天山北坡不同区域与海拔地段鸭茅群落主要物种为研究对象,采用邻接格子样方法测定鸭茅群落物种优势度,通过方差比率计算、χ²检验、联结指数即秩相关分析种间联结性,分析鸭茅群落主要优势物种在群落中的分布及优势物种鸭茅与其他物种之间的关系,探讨区域与海拔梯度变化对鸭茅群落物稳定性的影响。结果表明,1)东、西两段山地鸭茅群落主要物种种间联结性在海拔1800~2200 m间呈现出由正关联逐渐向负关联过渡,群落稳定性有随海拔升高呈逐渐减弱趋势。2)联结系数及联结指数结果均说明不同区域与海拔梯度对的鸭茅群落物种间的联结程度有一定影响,但均表现不强,而处于弱联结的较多或无联结,群落中各物种间较松散。3)鸭茅种群与群落内其他种之间的相关性有时呈正联结,有时呈负联结,这与区域与海拔地段所处的环境因素存在异质性有关。研究结果为揭示影响鸭茅群落物稳定性因素,预测鸭茅种群动态和种间竞争与共存机制提供重要的理论依据。     

野生动物种群格局分析方法

本文综述了几种种群格局分析方法，以苍鹭营巢的分布格局为例，探讨了这些方法在野生动物种群生态学上的应用，为研究野生动物种群的数量动态及其行为规律提供了理论基础。     

温度和食物对褶皱臂尾轮虫种群增长及繁殖的影响

本试验设3个温度（20、25和30℃）和3个食物浓度（1×106、10×106和20×106 cells/mL）,研究不同温度和不同食物浓度对褶皱臂尾轮虫种群增长及繁殖的影响。试验期为10 d。结果表明,最大种群密度均随温度和食物浓度的升高而先增加后减少。温度为25℃食物浓度为10×106 cells/mL时,最大种群密度为74.39±1.81 ind/mL,与其他组比差异显著（P〈0.05）。随温度升高,轮虫的最大种群密度高峰值出现的时间也呈现逐渐前移的趋势,最大种群增长率则随温度和食物浓度的增加而升高。温度30℃食物20×106 cells/mL时,最大种群增长率为0.70±0.013,与其他组比差异显著（P〈0.05）。食物浓度对轮虫的怀卵率有显著影响,在同一温度下最大怀卵率随食物浓度的升高而增大,食物为20×106 cells/mL的最大怀卵率为56.43±1.07%,与其他浓度组比差异显著（P〈0.05）。在本试验条件下,温度和食物对褶皱臂尾轮虫的种群增长及繁殖均有显著影响。温度25℃食物浓度10×106 cells/mL为培养条件的最优组合。