Silence of the Wild Boar

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Silence of the Wild Boar Silence of the Wild Boar Sergei Khomenko Disease Ecology and Wildlife Specialist 39th General Session of the EuFMD, Rome, Italy 28 April, 2011 Historical range of Sus scrofa FMD in wild boar: 1. Caucasus 1902 1908 1911 2 1917 5 1919 1925 1 2. Kazakh- 1927 stan 1931 3 1941 4 3. Kyrgyz- 1953 stan 4. Israel 1987- 1999 2007 5. Europe 1920s? 2011 Marek & Hutÿra, 1931; Sludskiy, 1956; Danilkin, 2002 Photo: Keith Sumption How European Wild Boar celebrate Pascua in Italy LR / SR / PIGS 90 Heads (%) 80 Holdings (%) 70 60 50 % 40 30 20 10 0 LR SR Pigs DATA: Bulgarian NVS, 2011 Population & n holdings Livestock Heads Holdings LR 6299 226 Livestock Sheep 30289 694 Goat 5986 982 composition Pigs 3909 367 Total 46,483 2,269 January, 2011 Free-range East Balkan pigs (!) - FMD Low livestock density in affected areas DATA: Bulgarian NVS, 2011 ??? Molecular phylogenetics indicates likely persistence in wildlife (?) 30/12/2010 TCS tree based on 7087 nt BUL/1/2010 02/2011 (most L-fragment ) Wild boar 8 nt changes 12LPN1 Kosti 4 nt changes 02/2011 14 nt changes 12LPN3 Rezovo 6 nt changes BUL/11/2011 TUR/926/2010 Kirovo Bursa 4 nt changes 19/03/2011 26/07/2010 31 31 ntnt changes changes 13 nt changes 28/03/2011 BUL/26/2011 Granichar 28/03/2011 BUL/20/2011 BUL/30/2011 11 nt changes Golyamo Fakia Bukovo 01/04/2011 Putative common ancestor of Bulgarian wild board and first phase of the outbreaks Putative common ancestor of the second phase of the Bulgarian outbreaks CREDITS : FAO-WRL for FMD, Pirbright/Lindholm laboratory Denmark/Bulgarian NRL Abound wild ungulates n=11,000 (max density = 4 heads/km2) DATA: Bulgarian NVS, 2011 5059 (2.1) 3931 (1.5) No hunting management 5-7,000 wild boar A few deer 1657 (0.7) EuFMD Research group/FAO EMPRES Wildlife Unit Joint Meeting (Berlin, 11-12 April) • review FMD surveillance in domestic and wildlife species in the two countries; • identify gaps in knowledge and priorities for surveillance; • review findings from FMD experimental studies in wild boar; • identify the likelihood of persistence of FMD in wildlife based on modelling results. FMD outbreaks and WB sero-surveillance results in BG and TR in Feb-March, 2011 BULGARIA 5,000 wild boars 19 Wild boar sera ALL: NEG 5-7,000 wild boars 5 out of 11 Wild boar sera NSP +, Type O TURKEY Surveillance in wildlife • not representative, controversial result, does not cover all species; • to be continued in Thrace in both countries: – (a) Summer: emergency randomized sampling at the forest/farmland interface – trapping & hunting; – (b) Winter: ecologically stratified sampling strategy to find out disease status of wildlife population. Outcomes of TRTR--IRIR FMD data analysis workshop, Ankara Interpolated N outbreaks v forest 1. 14 million FMD susceptible livestock; 2. Estimated 60-80.000 wild boars; 3. Approx. 1800 FMD outbreaks (2009-10). - Tentative WB sampling locations • Winter hunting season Pilot project in 2011-2012, hunting TR Anatolia clubs/grounds based; • Longitudinal sero-survey, ~400 samples from shot wild boars; • Include lymph node collection for virus isolation; • Protocols and professional sample collectors; • Preparations and development of project proposal underway. Unknowns of FMD epidemiology in Wild Boar and other wildlife • Transmission parameters (duration of infection, long-shedders; (maternal) antibody protection, role of habitat fragmentation - connectivity etc); • Environmental persistence, including potential role of abortion and contamination of environment, scavenging etc; • Clinical course of FMD, effect on behavior and epidemiological implications; • Most of the above is similarly relevant to deer species. Experimental • Clinical signs on the 4 DPI (domestic 2 DPI) – infection e.g. incubation 4 days; • Most severe and evident lesions – 7 DPI; • Less clinically affected, apparently did not loose mobility, no lameness; • Viraemia: 1 DPI through at least 9 DPI; • NSP antibodies detected 7-8 DPI. CREDITS : A. Breithaupt, K. Depner, B. Haas, M. Beer ( FLI – Federal Research Institute for Animal Health Institute of Diagnostic Virology) Modeling FMD epidemic in Wild Boar • May last 1.5-2 yr nearly irrespective of transmission rates & infectious period; • WB transient host only, re- introductions needed; • Population size (+spatial extent of population, fragmentation) most important; Major challenge for FMD modeling: multispecies host environment 3 wildlife + including livestock + owners’ behavior) CREDITS: Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Martin Lange, Hans-Hermann Thulke (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Leipzig, EcoEpi Group) Which forest beast is the most important for FMD? % of wild animals compared to domestic WB numbers, distribution and population dynamics database for the whole of Northern Eurasia Update and refine WB population data for disease spread modeling, rapid risk assessment Spread of TADs across international borders suspected to involve wildlife 2007 - ASF 2004-2011 - FMD 2011 - FMD Georgia-Russian China-Mongolia- Turkey-Bulgaria Federation Russian Federation Sus scrofa + Sus scrofa Procapra gutturosa Thanks to many people helping to break the silence of the Wild Boar.
Recommended publications
  • Prioritizing Conservation Planning for Rare and Endangered Species in Arid Area of China, a Case Study of Mammal
    The 2nd MEECAL conference, Sino-German Prioritizing Conservation Planning for Rare and Endangered Species in Arid Area of China, A case study of Mammal Xiaofeng Luan Beijing Forestry University, School of Nature Conservation E-mail: [email protected] Tel:+86-13910090393 CONTENT Background Data and method Result Discussion Xiaofeng Luan, Emal: [email protected]; Tel: +86-13910090393 BACKGROUND ● Wildlife are sensitive to human pressure and global climate change, so they are good indicators for environmental change, . Conservation become the prior issue in this region Vs.use. ● Worldwide, the main threats to mammals are habitat loss and degradation. Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) can be an effective way for regional conservation management. ●Only a few research focus on the systematic conservation planning in Northwest of China, especially arid area ● Therefore, we aim to provide the scientific basis and references for priority setting and conservation planning in this region. Xiaofeng Luan, Emal: [email protected]; Tel: +86-13910090393 Data We obtained the species data(distribution) from several ways, including fauna, papers, nature reserve investigations, news, and other publications Xiaofeng Luan, Emal: [email protected]; Tel: +86-13910090393 Data We obtained ecological baseline data Vegetation in China (1:1,000,000) SRTM 90m Digital Elevation Data v4.1--International Scientific & Technical Data Mirror Site, Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (http://www.gscloud.cn) Administrative map--Geographic Information Center of the National Foundation(http://ngcc.sbsm.gov.cn/) National Nature Reserves--nature reserve investigation Climate baseline--IPCC, International Scientific & Technical Data Mirror Site, Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
    [Show full text]
  • Diet of Gazella Subgutturosa (G黮denstaedt, 1780) and Food
    Folia Zool. – 61 (1): 54–60 (2012) Diet of Gazella subgutturosa (Güldenstaedt, 1780) and food overlap with domestic sheep in Xinjiang, China Wenxuan XU1,2, Canjun XIA1,2, Jie LIN1,2, Weikang YANG1*, David A. BLANK1, Jianfang QIAO1 and Wei LIU3 1 Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China 3 School of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China Received 16 May 2011; Accepted 12 August 2011 Abstract. The natural diet of goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) was studied over the period of a year in northern Xinjiang, China using microhistological analysis. The winter food habits of the goitred gazelle and domestic sheep were also compared. The microhistological analysis method demonstrated that gazelle ate 47 species of plants during the year. Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae were major foods, and ephemeral plants were used mostly during spring. Stipa glareosa was a major food item of gazelle throughout the year, Ceratoides latens was mainly used in spring and summer, whereas in autumn and winter, gazelles consumed a large amount of Haloxylon ammodendron. Because of the extremely warm and dry weather during summer and autumn, succulent plants like Allium polyrhizum, Zygophyllum rosovii, Salsola subcrassa were favored by gazelles. In winter, goitred gazelle and domestic sheep in Kalamaili reserve had strong food competition; with an overlap in diet of 0.77. The number of sheep in the reserve should be reduced to lessen the pressure of competition.
    [Show full text]
  • Resistance-Based Connectivity Model to Construct Corridors of the Przewalski’S Gazelle (Procapra Przewalskii) in Fragmented Landscape
    sustainability Article Resistance-Based Connectivity Model to Construct Corridors of the Przewalski’s Gazelle (Procapra Przewalskii) in Fragmented Landscape Jingjie Zhang 1,2,3, Feng Jiang 1,2,3, Zhenyuan Cai 1,3, Yunchuan Dai 4, Daoxin Liu 1,2, Pengfei Song 1,2 , Yuansheng Hou 5, Hongmei Gao 1,3 and Tongzuo Zhang 1,3,* 1 Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, China; [email protected] (J.Z.); [email protected] (F.J.); [email protected] (Z.C.); [email protected] (D.L.); [email protected] (P.S.); [email protected] (H.G.) 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China 3 Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810001, China 4 Institute for Ecology and Environmental Resources, Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, Chongqing 400020, China; [email protected] 5 Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Bureau, Xining 810001, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Habitat connectivity is indispensable for the survival of species that occupy a small habitat area and have isolated habitat patches from each other. At present, the development of human economy squeezes the living space of wildlife and interferes and hinders the dispersal of species. The Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra Przewalskii) is one of the most endangered ungulates, which has experienced a significant reduction in population and severe habitat shrinkage. Although the Citation: Zhang, J.; Jiang, F.; Cai, Z.; population of this species has recovered to a certain extent, human infrastructure severely hinders the Dai, Y.; Liu, D.; Song, P.; Hou, Y.; gene flow between several patches of this species.
    [Show full text]
  • Human-Wildlife Conflict in the Chang Tang Region of Tibet
    Human-Wildlife Conflict in the Chang Tang Region of Tibet: The Impact of Tibetan Brown Bears and Other Wildlife on Nomadic Herders Dawa Tsering, John Farrington, and Kelsang Norbu August 2006 WWF China – Tibet Program Author Contact Information: Dawa Tsering, Tibet Academy of Social Sciences and WWF China – Tibet Program Tashi Nota Hotel 24 North Linkuo Rd. Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region 850 000 People’s Republic of China [email protected] (+86)(891) 636-4380 John D. Farrington Tibet University 36 Jiangsu Road Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region 850 000 People’s Republic of China [email protected] [email protected] Kelsang Norbu WWF China – Tibet Program Tashi Nota Hotel 24 North Linkuo Rd. Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region 850 000 People’s Republic of China [email protected] Human-Wildlife Conflict in the Chang Tang Region of Tibet Abstract The multiple-use Chang Tang and Seling Lake Nature Reserves were created in 1993 to protect the unique assemblage of large fauna inhabiting the high-altitude steppe grasslands of northern Tibet, including the Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild ass, Tibetan brown bear, Tibetan Gazelle, wild yak, and snow leopard. Prior to creation of the reserve, many of these species were heavily hunted for meat and sale of parts. Since creation of the reserve, however, killing of wildlife by subsistence hunters and commercial poachers has declined while in the past five years a new problem has emerged, that of human-wildlife conflict. With human, livestock, and wildlife populations in the reserves all increasing, and animals apparently emboldened by reserve-wide hunting bans, all forms of human-wildlife conflict have surged rapidly since 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • WILDLIFE in a CHANGING WORLD an Analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
    WILDLIFE IN A CHANGING WORLD An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ Edited by Jean-Christophe Vié, Craig Hilton-Taylor and Simon N. Stuart coberta.indd 1 07/07/2009 9:02:47 WILDLIFE IN A CHANGING WORLD An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ first_pages.indd I 13/07/2009 11:27:01 first_pages.indd II 13/07/2009 11:27:07 WILDLIFE IN A CHANGING WORLD An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ Edited by Jean-Christophe Vié, Craig Hilton-Taylor and Simon N. Stuart first_pages.indd III 13/07/2009 11:27:07 The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect those of IUCN. This publication has been made possible in part by funding from the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland Red List logo: © 2008 Copyright: © 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Vié, J.-C., Hilton-Taylor, C.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial Patterns in Relative Primary Productivity and Gazelle Migration in the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia
    Biological Conservation 102 (2001) 205–212 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Spatial patterns in relative primary productivity and gazelle migration in the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia Peter Leimgruber a,*, William J. McShea a, Christopher J. Brookes b, Lhamsuren Bolor-Erdene b, Chris Wemmer a, Chris Larson a aNational Zoological Park, Conservation and Research Center, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA bEastern Steppes Biodiversity Project, PO Box 350, Choibalsan, Dornod, Mongolia Received 19 May 2000; received in revised form 20 December 2000; accepted 3 January 2001 Abstract The Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) of the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia shows seasonal migrations to traditional winter and calving grounds with diffuse movements during the intervening periods. We used a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from coarse-resolution satellite imagery, to map relative primary productivity of steppes between April 1992 and December 1995. Productivity peaks were variable between years, but winter and calving grounds had highest NDVI scores during periods of use by gazelles. Gazelle movements to these areas track shifts in primary productivity across the steppe. Diffuse move- ments in summer were not matched to peaks in productivity. Productivity ‘hotspots’ utilized by gazelles during critical periods in their life cycle should be first priority for conservation and the impact of livestock grazing on these areas should be evaluated. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Mongolian gazelle; Ungulate migration; Primary productivity; Steppe; NDVI 1. Introduction and a short birthing season, usually sometime between mid-June and mid-July (Lushchekina, 1990, in Lhagva- Zeer, as Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) are suren and Milner-Gulland, 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Decline of the Tibetan Gazelle Procapra Picticaudata in Ladakh, India
    Oryx Vol 40 No 2 April 2006 Short Communication Decline of the Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata in Ladakh, India Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Rinchen Wangchuk and Charudutt Mishra Abstract The Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata is gazelle’s decline. Although hunting has been brought endemic to the Tibetan plateau. In the Ladakh region of under control in the last two decades, intensified live- northern India its range declined from c. 20,000 km2 in stock grazing appears to have prevented the gazelle’s the early 1900s to c. 1,000 km2 in the late 1980s. Here we recovery and may be precipitating further declines. report the results of our recent (1999–2003) assessments The species needs immediate, participatory conservation of the gazelle’s conservation status in Ladakh. Range- management, as well as a reassessment of its IUCN Red wide surveys indicate that the present population of the List status. Tibetan gazelle in Ladakh is c. 50, restricted to a range of c. 100 km2. Populations in the Tso Kar basin and Dungti have gone extinct within the past decade. Throughout Keywords Antilopinae, declines, livestock, Procapra the last century hunting was the primary cause of the picticaudata, Tibetan gazelle, Trans-Himalaya. The Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata is endemic to and rolling slopes interspersed with lake basins. The veg- the Tibetan plateau. Its historical distribution was wide, etation includes open alpine steppe communities with occurring across most of the Tibetan plateau from c. 15% vegetation cover. Vegetation is usually dominated Sichuan and Gansu provinces in the east, Xinjiang pro- by grass, and biomass rarely exceeds 15 g m−2 (Schaller, vince in the north, Greater Himalaya in the south, and the 1998; data from adjoining sites in Tibet).
    [Show full text]
  • Adding a Piece to the Puzzle of Giraffe Vocal Communication Baotic Et Al
    Nocturnal “humming” vocalizations: adding a piece to the puzzle of giraffe vocal communication Baotic et al. Baotic et al. BMC Res Notes (2015) 8:425 DOI 10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3 Baotic et al. BMC Res Notes (2015) 8:425 DOI 10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3 SHORT REPORT Open Access Nocturnal “humming” vocalizations: adding a piece to the puzzle of giraffe vocal communication Anton Baotic1, Florian Sicks2 and Angela S. Stoeger1* Abstract Background: Recent research reveals that giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis sp.) exhibit a socially structured, fission– fusion system. In other species possessing this kind of society, information exchange is important and vocal com- munication is usually well developed. But is this true for giraffes? Giraffes are known to produce sounds, but there is no evidence that they use vocalizations for communication. Reports on giraffe vocalizations are mainly anecdotal and the missing acoustic descriptions make it difficult to establish a call nomenclature. Despite inconclusive evidence to date, it is widely assumed that giraffes produce infrasonic vocalizations similar to elephants. In order to initiate a more detailed investigation of the vocal communication in giraffes, we collected data of captive individuals during day and night. We particularly focussed on detecting tonal, infrasonic or sustained vocalizations. Findings: We collected over 947 h of audio material in three European zoos and quantified the spectral and tem- poral components of acoustic signals to obtain an accurate set of acoustic parameters. Besides the known burst, snorts and grunts, we detected harmonic, sustained and frequency-modulated “humming” vocalizations during night recordings. None of the recorded vocalizations were within the infrasonic range.
    [Show full text]
  • Influence of Fencing on Przewalski's Gazelle, Qinghai Province, China
    Final report Influence of Fencing on Przewalski's Gazelle, Qinghai Province, China Lu Zhang1), Jiazi Liu1), Yonglin Wu2), Jianxing Cheng3), Yanlin Liu1) 1) Peking University, 2) Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve, 3) Qinghai Forestry Bureau This project evaluated the impact of fencing on the survival of the highly endangered Przewalski’s gazelle. Field work period: April – November, 2009; July – August, 2010 EDITORS William J. McShea, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institution, Email: [email protected] Zhi Lu, Peking University, School of Life Sciences, Email: [email protected] Dajun Wang, Peking University, School of Life Sciences, Email: [email protected] December 2010 Correspondence: Lu Zhang, Conservation Building, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China 100871 (Email: [email protected]) Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3 Project members ....................................................................................................................... 4 Field work and research ............................................................................................................ 5 Background ............................................................................................................................... 5 Aim ...........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives
    © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical means without prior written permission of the publisher. INTRODUCTION RECOGNITION The family Bovidae, which includes Antelopes, Cattle, Duikers, Gazelles, Goats, and Sheep, is the largest family within Artiodactyla and the most diverse family of ungulates, with more than 270 recent species. Their common characteristic is their unbranched, non-deciduous horns. Bovids are primarily Old World in their distribution, although a few species are found in North America. The name antelope is often used to describe many members of this family, but it is not a definable, taxonomically based term. Shape, size, and color: Bovids encompass an extremely wide size range, from the minuscule Royal Antelope and the Dik-diks, weighing as little as 2 kg and standing 25 to 35 cm at the shoulder, to the Asian Wild Water Buffalo, which weighs as much as 1,200 kg, and the Gaur, which measures up to 220 cm at the shoulder. Body shape varies from relatively small, slender-limbed, and thin-necked species such as the Gazelles to the massive, stocky wild cattle (fig. 1). The forequarters may be larger than the hind, or the reverse, as in smaller species inhabiting dense tropical forests (e.g., Duikers). There is also a great variety in body coloration, although most species are some shade of brown. It can consist of a solid shade, or a patterned pelage. Antelopes that rely on concealment to avoid predators are cryptically colored. The stripes and blotches seen on the hides of Bushbuck, Bongo, and Kudu also function as camouflage by helping to disrupt the animals’ outline.
    [Show full text]
  • Activity, Movements, and Sociality of Newborn Mongolian Gazelle Calves in the Eastern Steppe
    Acta Theriologica 54 (4): 357–362, 2009. PL ISSN 0001-7051 DOI: 10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.101.2008 Activity, movements, and sociality of newborn Mongolian gazelle calves in the Eastern Steppe Daria ODONKHUU, Kirk A. OLSON, George B. SCHALLER, Joshua R. GINSBERG and Todd K. FULLER* Odonkhuu D., Olson K. A., Schaller G. B., Ginsberg J. R. and Fuller T. K. 2009. Activity, movements, and sociality of newborn Mongolian gazelle calves in the Eastern Steppe. Acta Theriologica 54: 357–362. We hand-captured, fitted with motion-sensitive VHF transmitters, and monitored 19 newborn (1–2 days old) Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa Pallas, 1777 calves in Dornod, Mongolia during the 2000 and 2003 calving seasons to identify changes in activity, movements, and sociality with age. Overall, activity was highly variable throughout the day, regardless of age or year. Calf activity increased, however, from day 2 (age = 2 days; 18% total activity) to day 7 (29%), and 3-fold by day 25 (54%). By days 5–8, calves had moved an average of 6.6 km (range: 2–21 km) from capture sites but were still only seen alone or with their mother. By day 24–26, however, they were located an average of 41 km (range: 24–63 km) away from their capture site, and most (7 of 9) were in aggregations of >1000 animals. Mongolian gazelles do not display behaviour associated with “hiders” after about 2–3 weeks. This reflects the wide-ranging, nomadic existence of the species. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ikh Surguuliin gudamj 1, Building 2,
    [Show full text]
  • Rapid Declines of Large Mammal Populations After the Collapse of the Soviet Union
    Contributed Paper Rapid declines of large mammal populations after the collapse of the Soviet Union Eugenia V. Bragina,∗† ¶ A. R. Ives,‡ A. M. Pidgeon,∗ T. Kuemmerle,§ L. M. Baskin,∗∗ Y. P. Gubar,†† M. Piquer-Rodr´ıguez,§ N. S. Keuler,‡‡ V. G. Petrosyan,∗∗ andV.C.Radeloff∗ ∗Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A. †Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-12 Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia ‡Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A. §Geography Department, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany ∗∗Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 33 Leninsky pr., Moscow, 117071, Russia ††FGU ‘Thentrohotcontrol’, 4 Zoologicheskaya str., Moscow, 123056, Russia ‡‡Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A. Abstract: Anecdotal evidence suggests that socioeconomic shocks strongly affect wildlife populations, but quantitative evidence is sparse. The collapse of socialism in Russia in 1991 caused a major socioeconomic shock, including a sharp increase in poverty. We analyzed population trends of 8 large mammals in Russia from 1981 to 2010 (i.e., before and after the collapse). We hypothesized that the collapse would first cause population declines, primarily due to overexploitation, and then population increases due to adaptation of wildlife to new environments following the collapse. The long-term Database of the Russian Federal Agency of Game Mammal Monitoring, consisting of up to 50,000 transects that are monitored annually, provided an exceptional data set for investigating these population trends.
    [Show full text]