Wolf Dispersal Patterns in the Italian Alps and Implications for Wildlife Diseases Spreading

Autor: Francesca Marucco, Kristine L. Pilgrim, Elisa Avanzinelli, Michael K. Schwartz, Luca Rossi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Animals, Vol 12, Iss 10, p 1260 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-2615
DOI: 10.3390/ani12101260
Popis: Wildlife dispersal directly influences population expansion patterns, and may have indirect effects on the spread of wildlife diseases. Despite its importance to conservation, little is known about dispersal for several species. Dispersal processes in expanding wolf (Canis lupus) populations in Europe is not well documented. Documenting the natural dispersal pattern of the expanding wolf population in the Alps might help understanding the overall population dynamics and identifying diseases that might be connected with the process. We documented 55 natural dispersal events of the expanding Italian wolf alpine population over a 20-year period through the use of non-invasive genetic sampling. We examined a 16-locus microsatellite DNA dataset of 2857 wolf samples mainly collected in the Western Alps. From this, we identified 915 individuals, recaptured 387 (42.3%) of individuals, documenting 55 dispersal events. On average, the minimum straight dispersal distance was 65.8 km (±67.7 km), from 7.7 km to 517.2 km. We discussed the potential implications for maintaining genetic diversity of the population and for wildlife diseases spreading.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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