Preliminary study of wolf packs stability based on genetic data

Maja Jelenčič, Tomaž Skrbinšek, Peter Trontelj University of Ljubljana, Department of Biology, Slovenia

SloWolf Project

Culling of wolves in Slovenia

In 1999 a sustainable management of wolf population started assuming census population size of around 100 specimens Culling of wolves is belived to

• reduce the number of attacks on livestock,

• to limit the spatial expansion of the wolves,

• to reduce illegal hunting due to competition with hunters for ungulates.

0 0

2

0

1

3

2

5 5

11

4

6

11

6

0

9

10 10

14

2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16 Recorded wolf mortality

*2013 culling not finished yet

Genetic monitoring of wolves

wolf mortality samples from 2003

non-invasive samples • from 2007 sporadic

samples • from 2010 organized

sampling - SloWolf

wolf telemetry samples from 2007

PCR

Recognizing individials...

• 10 microsatellites + SRY for individual identification • reference samples:

• 10 additional microsatellites • a set of additional 15 markers + AMEL is being run at the moment (all together 35)

laser and sensor

capillaries

samples

Parentage/relatedness analysis

Still some errors possible – work in progress! Big potential!

Using program Colony, reasonably stable pedigree structure for 95 animals (July 2011)

Parentage/relatedness analysis

95 animals; crossed – dead animal; square – male; circle – female

AH.03K724/01/11

AU.0AHC12/07/11

AP.08E315/11/10

AU.0ALU10/07/10

*13NA

#12NA

*9NA

#13NA

*1NA

AP.08CX11/12/10

AH.038A

23/06/11

F0X

16/12/09

AH.03HA

06/05/11

AH.03HX

29/03/11

AL.06H8

28/12/10

AP.08CP

25/01/11

AP.08CK

07/03/11

AU.0ALH

22/10/10

AU.0AMA

26/08/10

AU.0C8L

13/01/09

AP.08E2

12/12/10

AP.08E5

17/01/11

AP.08E7

22/10/10

*6

NA

AU.0AL7

25/06/10

*7

NA

74F

25/02/10

AU.0AEK

06/05/11

EAM

10/11/09

*14

NA

AU.0C1E

10/04/10

*12

NA

AU.0C3M

28/05/10

6LU

11/10/09

74F

25/02/10

#4

NA

532y

14/09/07

AU.0C8M

12/09/07

*3

NA

AU.0AEF

29/06/11

*18

NA

*12

NA

#10

NA

*15

NA

*18

NA

#16

NA

*19

NA

*12

NA

399y

04/11/06

414y

11/09/06

534y

25/10/07

AU.0AKK

03/09/10

54E

25/02/10

AU.0APF

25/01/11

AU.0C0X

08/02/11

AU.0AXP

31/12/10

AU.0C0M

19/02/11

AU.0C4X

08/01/11

AP.08E8

21/10/10

AU.0C46

23/11/10

C0H

07/11/09

438y

21/12/06

528y

03/08/07

TINA

01/09/07

052y

26/07/03

AH.03HM

29/03/11

AU.0C70

01/04/10

*5

NA

AU.0AJ0

08/06/11

AU.0AME

22/08/10

AU.0AJ7

10/06/11

AH.03M1

22/06/10

AU.0AEF

29/06/11

AL.06H1

21/12/10

AU.0C4P

29/12/10

703y

24/01/09

702y

22/01/09

AP.08E6

12/01/11

AH.03HT

11/03/11

AU.0C5F

29/11/10

CY.12EL

03/06/10

AU.0C58

26/11/10

AU.0C6C

01/04/10

CE.0JPU

20/10/10

AH.038C

17/07/11

Red – “caught” reproductive animals;

Yellow– “unknown” reproductive animals (that can also be form Croatia or Bosnia and are parents of wolf sampled in Slovenia).

Parentage of wolves in Kočevska – Gorski Kotar area

• Arrows go from parents to their off-springs

mother AU.0ALU and her daughter AU.0AL7

Parentage of wolves in Kočevska – Gorski Kotar area

In most of the packs wolves have more than one partner - high mortality in the population!

Parentage of wolves in Kočevska – Gorski Kotar area

Pack Gomance

Non-invasive M Non-invasive F

Pack Gomance

hit by a train at Most na Soči

legally killed, 47 kg

female, mating (new pack in Javorniki area)

legally killed

Non-invasive M Non-invasive F

Pack Gomance

hit by a train at Most na Soči

legally killed, 47 kg

female, mating (new pack in Javorniki area)

legally killed

Non-invasive M Non-invasive F

AP.08E3

15/11/10

AU.0ALU

10/07/10

*13

NA

AP.08CK

07/03/11

AU.0ALH

22/10/10

AU.0AMA

26/08/10

AU.0C8L

13/01/09

AP.08E2

12/12/10

AP.08E5

17/01/11

AP.08E7

22/10/10

AU.0AL7

25/06/10

Pack Gomance

hit by a train at Most na Soči

legally killed, 47 kg

female, mating (new pack in Javorniki area)

legally killed

Non-invasive M Non-invasive F

AP.08E3

15/11/10

AU.0ALU

10/07/10

*13

NA

AP.08CK

07/03/11

AU.0ALH

22/10/10

AU.0AMA

26/08/10

AU.0C8L

13/01/09

AP.08E2

12/12/10

AP.08E5

17/01/11

AP.08E7

22/10/10

AU.0AL7

25/06/10

Menišija plateau – young female Tina (2007, again 2010)

Captured at Javorniki plateau (2007), dispersion to Lj. Barje and Menišija plateau (2008).

scat from 20. 3. 2010 - the last information about Tina

Tvigi – killed in traffic 7.3.2011

male

??

Conclusions

For known animals 28 reproduction/mating events were genetically recorded.

In 35,7 % mating events an individual had 2 or 3 partners.

Heavy persecution and loss of reproductive animals make a typical reproductive animal change several partners during its lifetime.

Although it seems that a wolf population can numerically compensate a considerable culling pressure, the impact on the social structure is high. This should be taken into account in populations where culling is used as a conservation and regulation measure.

Conclusions

The project is funded by The European Union under the LIFE + program and by The Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment .