The endangered Arctic fox in Norway—the failure and success of captive breeding and reintroduction

Landa, Arild; Flagstad, Øystein; Areskoug, Veronika; Linnell, John D. C.; Strand, Olav; Ulvund, Kristine; Thierry, Anne-Mathilde; Rød‐Eriksen, Lars; Eide, Nina E.

doi:10.1080/17518369.2017.1325139

Cited by 46 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…One alternative explanation is that the low initial population size at the Varanger Peninsula has made it prone to both demographic stochasticity (binomial variance in vital rates) and environmental stochasticity (e.g., the irregularity of the lemming dynamics) that may have overshadowed the positive influence of red fox culling. Another alternative is that Arctic fox populations further south in Fennoscandia have been subjected to combinations of other conservation actions, such as supplementary feeding and release of foxes bred in captivity Landa et al 2017). In fact, Angerbjörn et al (2013) suggested that such multiple actions saved the Arctic fox from regional extirpation in Fennoscandia at the turn of the millennium.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem drivers of an Arctic fox population at the western fringe of the Eurasian Arctic

et al. 2017

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The distribution of traditional breeding dens on the Varanger Peninsula (70-71°N) in northernmost Fennoscandia indicates that this area once harboured a large Arctic fox population. Early 20th century naturalists regarded the coastal tundra of the Fennoscandian Low Arctic to be a stronghold for the species. At the start of our research in 2004, however, the local Arctic fox population was critically small and most neighbouring populations had been extirpated. Here, we synthesize the results of 11 years of research to highlight ecosystem drivers behind the critical state of the Arctic fox in Low-Arctic Fennoscandia. We identify two fundamental drivers: (1) an increasingly climate-driven irregularity of the lemming cycle and (2) a management-and climate-driven increase in the abundance of red fox that is subsidized by more ungulate carrion. Arctic fox reproductive success is low when lemmings are scarce (despite high vole abundance), while red foxes exclude Arctic foxes from high-quality breeding territories in summer and from marine and terrestrial carrion in winter. Red fox culling on Varanger Peninsula may have prevented the extirpation of the Arctic fox population. However, one decade after the onset of this management action the Arctic fox population has failed to increase either because the action has been insufficient or because demographic and environmental stochasticity has precluded a positive response. We discuss options for future research and management of the Arctic fox in the Fennoscandian Low Arctic.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem drivers of an Arctic fox population at the western fringe of the Eurasian Arctic

et al. 2017

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“…We have not yet explored survival patterns related to the use of supplemental food in arctic fox juveniles, but starvation is an important cause of mortality during some years, particularly for juveniles (Tannerfeldt et al 1994). Survival has been estimated as 0.44 for arctic fox juveniles released in the study area between 2006 and 2013 (Landa et al 2017 a ). The fact that juvenile foxes use the feeding dispensers almost twice as much under low abundance of small rodents highlights the importance of supplementary feeding as a conservation action for arctic fox juvenile survival.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A combination of large‐scale conservation actions has been implemented in Scandinavia to save the arctic fox from extinction since 1999, including supplementary feeding, red fox culling, and captive breeding and release (Angerbjörn et al 2013; Landa et al 2017 a , b ). This combination of actions has contributed to the partial recovery of the arctic fox population in Scandinavia (Angerbjörn et al 2013), with an estimated minimum population of 304 adults in 2018 (Ulvund and Wallén 2018).…”

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Use of Supplementary Feeding Dispensers by Arctic Foxes in Norway

et al. 2020

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Supplementary feeding is often used as a conservation tool to reverse the decline of foodlimited populations. The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is one of the most endangered mammals in Norway and has been the target of several conservation initiatives for almost 3 decades, including supplementary feeding. To measure and improve the efficiency of supplementary feeding as a conservation action, we used passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tags in arctic foxes and 6 feeding stations equipped with PIT-tag readers to monitor individual use of supplemental food between 2013 and 2018. We tested hypotheses about the potential influence of temporal and spatial patterns, individual characteristics (i.e., age, sex, reproductive status), and food abundance (abundance of small rodents and amount of food filled) on the frequency and intensity of use of supplementary feeding stations by arctic foxes. The feeding stations were visited ≥1 time by 196 PIT-tagged individuals. We detected 54% of juveniles born in the study area between 2013 and 2017 at the feeding stations. More arctic foxes used the feeding stations during the pre-breeding period than during the other seasons, and the visits occurred mostly at night. The closest feeding station to each natal den was systematically used by the established pair and by the juveniles born at this den. Juveniles did not use the feeding stations more than adult foxes. Older foxes, and breeding adults, visited the feeding stations more than younger and non-breeding adults. Foxes used feeding stations more intensively when prey was scarce and with greater amounts of supplemental food. This study highlights that supplemental feeding is important for breeding adults, especially in periods of low prey abundance. Understanding the use of feeding stations will contribute to the optimization of supplemental feeding as a conservation action and help wildlife managers to carefully plan and manage its discontinuation.

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“…Trait-associated markers have significant potential to inform the management of captive breeding programs. Captive breeding remains one of the primary options for the conservation of threatened populations and species (e.g., Conde, Flesness, Colchero, Jones, & Scheuerlein, 2011;Griffiths & Pavajeau, 2008;Horne, Hervert, Woodruff, & Mills, 2016;Landa et al, 2017). However, this approach is also controversial, because associated genetic and phenotypic changes may decrease the fitness of captive individuals when they are released into the wild and, consequently, reduce restoration success (Christie, Ford, & Blouin, 2014;Frankham, 2008;Jule, Leaver, & Lea, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomewide association analyses of fitness traits in captive‐reared Chinook salmon: Applications in evaluating conservation strategies

Waters

Hard

Brieuc

et al. 2018

Evolutionary Applications

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A novel application of genomewide association analyses is to use trait‐associated loci to monitor the effects of conservation strategies on potentially adaptive genetic variation. Comparisons of fitness between captive‐ and wild‐origin individuals, for example, do not reveal how captive rearing affects genetic variation underlying fitness traits or which traits are most susceptible to domestication selection. Here, we used data collected across four generations to identify loci associated with six traits in adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and then determined how two alternative management approaches for captive rearing affected variation at these loci. Loci associated with date of return to freshwater spawning grounds (return timing), length and weight at return, age at maturity, spawn timing, and daily growth coefficient were identified using 9108 restriction site‐associated markers and random forest, an approach suitable for polygenic traits. Mapping of trait‐associated loci, gene annotations, and integration of results across multiple studies revealed candidate regions involved in several fitness‐related traits. Genotypes at trait‐associated loci were then compared between two hatchery populations that were derived from the same source but are now managed as separate lines, one integrated with and one segregated from the wild population. While no broad‐scale change was detected across four generations, there were numerous regions where trait‐associated loci overlapped with signatures of adaptive divergence previously identified in the two lines. Many regions, primarily with loci linked to return and spawn timing, were either unique to or more divergent in the segregated line, suggesting that these traits may be responding to domestication selection. This study is one of the first to utilize genomic approaches to demonstrate the effectiveness of a conservation strategy, managed gene flow, on trait‐associated—and potentially adaptive—loci. The results will promote the development of trait‐specific tools to better monitor genetic change in captive and wild populations.

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The endangered Arctic fox in Norway—the failure and success of captive breeding and reintroduction

Cited by 46 publications

References 61 publications

Ecosystem drivers of an Arctic fox population at the western fringe of the Eurasian Arctic

Ecosystem drivers of an Arctic fox population at the western fringe of the Eurasian Arctic

Use of Supplementary Feeding Dispensers by Arctic Foxes in Norway

Genomewide association analyses of fitness traits in captive‐reared Chinook salmon: Applications in evaluating conservation strategies

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