Guidelines for Subspecific Substitutions in Wildlife Restoration Projects

Abstract

Reintroduction of animals is becoming increasingly popular as a means of restoring populations of threatened species. Sometimes depletion of wild populations leaves only captive populations from which reintroduction projects can obtain founders for releases. The World Conservation Union guidelines on reintro-ductions recommend that the individuals to be reintroduced should be of the same subspecies as those that were extirpated. In some cases, however, a subspecies may have become extinct in the wild and in captivity. A substitute form may then be chosen for possible release. Such substitutions are actually a form of benign introduction. Considerations include assessment of the value of a substitution project and the selection of a suitable substitute. Species substitutions increase biodiversity, conserve related forms, improve public awareness of conservation issues, educate the public, and may be implemented for aesthetic or economic reasons. Selection of a suitable substitute should focus on extant subspecies and consider genetic relatedness, phenotype, ecological compatibility, and conservation value of potential candidates. An example of a substitution project is the reintroduction of the North African Red-necked Ostrich ( Struthio camelus camelus ) into areas once occupied by the now extinct Arabian Ostrich ( Struthio camelus syriacus ). S. c. camelus was chosen as a substitute because of its geographic proximity, phenotypic similarity, and conservation value. The World Conservation Union's reintroduction guidelines should be consulted before a project is begun. Bases para la Substitución Subespecífica en Proyectos de Restauración de Vida SilvestreResumen: La reintroducción de animales se ha vuelto muy popular como una medida para restaurar poblaciones de especies en peligro. Algunas veces la disminución de poblaciones silvestres deja unicamente poblaciones cautivas a partir de las cuales los proyectos de reintroducción pueden obtener los fundadores para sus liberaciones. Las bases de la Unión para la Conservación Mundial en materia de reintroducciones recomienda que los individuos a ser reintroducidos deben ser de la misma subespecie que aquellos que fueron extirpados. Sin embargo, en algunos casos, una subespecie puede haberse extinguido tanto en su hábitat como en cautiverio. Una forma substituta puede ser escogida para una posible liberación. Substituciones de este tipo son de hecho una forma benigna de introducción. Las consideraciones incluyen la evaluación de el valor de un proyecto de substitución y la selección de un substituto apto. La substitución de especies incrementa la biodiversidad, conserva las formas relacionadas, mejora la conciencia del público en asuntos de conservación, educa al público y puede ser implementada por razones estéticas o económicas. La selección de un substituto apto debe enfocarse en subespecies existentes y considerar la relación genética, fenotipo, compatibilidad económica y valor de conservación de los candidadtos potenciales. Un ejemplo de un proyecto de substitución...

Phylogeographic analysis of nuclear and mtDNA supports subspecies designations in the ostrich (Struthio camelus)

“…However, human expansion and exploitation, as well as local extinctions have reduced this distribution significantly on the African continent and led to the recent, cir. 1940 (Seddon and Soorae 1999), extinction of S. c. syriacus. Of particular concern today is the Saharan red-necked subspecies (S. c. camelus), which has declined to critically low numbers (Ostrowski et al 2001).…”

Conservation biology: Reflecting the past

“…Inside its more than 200,000 hectares, reintroduced houbara bustards, reem gazelle and Arabian oryx (pictured) -a spiral-horned ungulate that went extinct in the wild in the 1970s -mingle with the African red-necked ostrich, a proxy for the extinct Arabian subspecies that once strutted here 3 . Native vegetation and birds largely complete the picture of the Arabian Peninsula as it might have looked 2,000 years ago.…”

Guidelines for the re-introduction of Galliformes for conservation purposes

“…An example of such a substitution is the restoration of ostrich Struthio cumulus in the Arabian Peninsula (Seddon and Soorae, 1999).…”

“…This should occur in suitable habitat within the extinct species' former range (modified from Seddon and Soorae, 1999).…”