Red deer in the Pyrenees: a risky secondary contact zone for conservation genetics

Pérez‐González, Javier; Gort‐Esteve, Araceli; Ruiz‐Olmo, Jordi; Anaya, Gabriel; Broggini, Camilla; Millán, Marina F.; Vedel, Giovanni; de la Peña, Eva; Membrillo, Alberto; Seoane, José M.; Azorit, Concepción; Carranza, Juan

doi:10.1002/jwmg.22454

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Its climate is supramediterranean (Rivas & Gandullo, 1987), with hot and dry summers, cold winters with snow accumulation, and most rainfall concentrated in spring and autumn (Figure S1). It is inhabited by the Iberian red deer subspecies (P erez-Gonz alez et al, 2023). The population density of Iberian red deer is approximately 4 individuals per square kilometre (annual census data; Joan Curi a, personal communication).…”

Section: Study Area and Sampling Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Faecal cortisol levels in a wild Iberian red deer population are best explained by prior weather conditions

Gort‐Esteve,

Carbajal,

López

et al. 2024

Journal of Zoology

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The responsiveness of the hypothalamic–pituitary‐adrenocortical axis to stressors is crucial for wild animals to survive and adapt to environmental changes without compromising individual welfare. We analysed the influence of prior weather conditions, seasonality, the influx of ecotourism, and nutrition on stress levels in a wild population of red deer in a Mediterranean hunting reserve in the Pre‐Pyrenees, Spain. We used faecal cortisol metabolites as a proxy for physiological and psychological stress, and faecal triiodothyronine metabolites as an indicator of nutritional stress. Faecal analyses were chosen because it is a non‐invasive technique that does not alter an individual's behaviour, and it is easy to conduct in a wild population, something which presents added challenges due to the lack of a controlled environment. Our results indicate that prior weather conditions, rather than just seasonality, best explained the variations in these hormones within seasons and among years. On the contrary, the results showed that high levels of the cortisol hormone did not necessarily correspond to low levels of the triiodothyronine hormone. This could be a sign of acute nutritional stress in this population. Finally, we did not find an effect of the ecotourism influx on cortisol levels, suggesting that this deer population tolerates the presence of tourists.

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Section: Study Area and Sampling Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Faecal cortisol levels in a wild Iberian red deer population are best explained by prior weather conditions

Gort‐Esteve,

Carbajal,

López

et al. 2024

Journal of Zoology

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“…These five red deer populations are situated within the native range of the Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus). For northern Spain, we included a population from the southern Pyrenees (PYS, see [38]). In PYS, red deer were introduced from various areas of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily from central Spain areas with populations genetically related to the SM2 [38].…”

Section: Study Area and Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a widely distributed large mammal, ecosystem engineer, and an important game species in Europe [36]. Despite the abundance of red deer in most of its range, concerns have been raised regarding the preservation of their genetic composition in specific areas [37,38]. Furthermore, game management practices have the potential to impact the genetic structure of red deer populations through activities such as translocating individuals [39], preventing dispersal [40], modifying female aggregation patterns and polygyny degree [41], and altering population structures [42,43].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of Microsatellite and SNP Markers for Genetic Management of Red Deer

Pérez-González,

Carranza,

Anaya

et al. 2023

Animals

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The analysis of population genetic structure and individual multilocus heterozygosity are crucial for wildlife management and conservation. Microsatellite markers have traditionally been used to assess these genetic parameters. However, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are becoming increasingly popular. Our goal here was to determine to what extent SNPs can provide better insights than microsatellites into the overall genetic status and population genetic processes in the species. To this end, we genotyped 210 red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Spanish wild population with both 11 microsatellites and 31,712 SNPs. We compared parameters related to population genetic structure and individual multilocus heterozygosity obtained with both types of markers. Our results showed correlations between parameters measured using both microsatellites and SNPs, particularly those related to the level of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation. However, we found notably lower precision of microsatellites in measuring the distribution of genetic diversity among individuals. We conclude that microsatellites can be used to monitor the overall genetic status and detect broad patterns in red deer populations. Nevertheless, the greater precision of SNPs in inferring genetic structure and multilocus heterozygosity leads us to encourage scientists and wildlife managers to prioritize their use whenever possible.

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Red deer in the Pyrenees: a risky secondary contact zone for conservation genetics

Cited by 2 publications

References 80 publications

Faecal cortisol levels in a wild Iberian red deer population are best explained by prior weather conditions

Faecal cortisol levels in a wild Iberian red deer population are best explained by prior weather conditions

Comparative Analysis of Microsatellite and SNP Markers for Genetic Management of Red Deer

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