Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic monitoring of a founder population of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in central Austria

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Conservation Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The small population of brown bears in central Austria originated from a single migrant bear that had settled in the area in 1972 and three bears that were released in the years 1989–1993. Subsequently, the population has been monitored by radio-tracking and collecting data on bear signs and observations. In 2000 we started a genetic monitoring program of the population with the aim to obtain data on population size, sex ratio, relationships as well as movements of individuals. We present results from six years of genetic monitoring, which were combined with field observations. During this time 1,005 hair and faecal samples were gathered in an area of >3,000 km², most of them in the core area of <1,000 km2. Furthermore we analysed blood samples from captured individuals. Eight microsatellite and two sex determination loci were employed for DNA profiling. The number of detected individuals is surprisingly low, ranging from 5–8 per year. Concerning relationships the analysis reveals that all genotyped individuals are descendants of the founder individuals indicating that no immigration took place. Only one male and three females (mother and 2 daughters) took part in reproduction. Considering the fact that 28 bears were born in this region since 1991 the question arises where the bears disappear to. Our results suggest that subadult bears migrate from the core area. However, indices of bear occurrence outside the core area are rare and migration could be proved only for two young males. Other explanations, such as increased natural mortality and illegal hunting are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amos W, Balmford A (2001) When does conservation genetics matter? Heredity 87:257–265. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2540.2001.00940.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bellemain E, Swenson J, Tallmon D, Brunberg S, Taberlet P (2005) Estimating population size from hunter-collected feces: four methods for brown bears. Conserv Biol 19:150–161. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellemain E, Zedrosser A, Manel S, Waits LP, Taberlet P, Swenson JE (2006) The dilemma of female mate selection in the brown bear, a species with sexually selected infanticide. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 273:283–291. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breitenmoser U (1998) Haben Grossraubtiere in den Alpen eine Zukunft? In: Commission Internationale pour la Protection des Alpes (ed). Alpenreport, Verlag Paul Haupt, Bern, Stuttgart, Wien, Germany (in German), pp 58–62

  • Camarra JJ (1998) Status and management of the brown bear in France. In: Servheen C, Herrero S, Peyton B (eds) Conservation action plan for the world bears. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, pp 68–72

  • Coordination Board for Bear Management in Austria (eds) (2005) Bears in Austria—a management plan. Reviewed version 2005. WWF Austria, Vienna, 50 pp

  • DeBarba M (2003) Monitoring the Brown Bear in the Italian Alps through non-invasive genetic sampling. Int Bear News 12:9–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Ennis S, Gallagher TF (1994) A PCR-based sex-determination assay in cattle based on the bovine amelogenin locus. Anim Genet 25:425–427

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frankham R, Lees K, Montgomery ME, England PR, Lowe EH, Briscoe DA (1999) Do population size bottlenecks reduce evolutionary potential? Anim Conserv 2:255–260. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1999.tb00071.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankham R, Ballou JD, Briscoe DA (2004) Introduction to Conservation Genetics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutleb B (1998) The brown bear in Carinthia: history and status in southern Austria. Ursus 10:75–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann AA, Parsons PA (1997) Extreme environmental change and evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber D, Adamic M (1999) Status and management of brown bears in Slovenia. In: Servheen C, Herrero S, Peyton B (eds) Bears. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Bear and Polar Bear Specialist Groups. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K., pp 119–122

  • Jerina K, Debeljak M, Dzeroski S, Kobler A, Adamic M (2003) Modeling the brown bear population in Slovenia—a tool in the conservation management of a threatened species. Ecol Modell 170:453–469. doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(03)00245-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laass J, Wöss M (2005) Bestehende Lebensraumvernetzung für Braunbären im österreichischen Alpenraum und Möglichkeiten zu ihrer Sicherung mit Mitteln der Raumplanung. In: Rauer G, Laas J, Striebel B (eds) Der Braunbär in Österreich III. Aktueller Status, Lebensraum und Strategien für die Zukunft. Report, REP-0014. Umweltbundesamt, Wien, pp 42–51

  • Lande R (1988) Genetics and demography in biological conservation. Science 241:1455–1460. doi:10.1126/science.3420403

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzini R, Posillico M, Lovari S, Petrella A (2004) Non-invasive genotyping of the endangered Apennine brown bear: a case study not to let one’s hair down. Anim Conserv 7:199–209. doi:10.1017/S1367943004001301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mustoni A, Genovesi P (2001) Brown bears in the Italian central Alps. International Bear News 10:20

    Google Scholar 

  • Mowat G, Strobeck C (2000) Estimating population size of grizzly bears using hair capture, DNA profiling, and mark-recapture analysis. J Wildl Manag 64:183–193. doi:10.2307/3802989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paetkau D (2003) An empirical exploration of data quality in DNA-based population inventories. Mol Ecol 12:1375–1387. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.01820.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paetkau D, Strobeck C (1994) Microsatellite analysis of genetic variation in black bear populations. Mol Ecol 3:489–495. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.1994.tb00127.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paetkau D, Stirling I, Strobeck C (1995) Microsatellite analysis of population-structure in Canadian polar bears. Mol Ecol 4:347–354. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.1995.tb00227.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paetkau D, Shields GF, Strobeck C (1998a) Gene flow between insular, coastal and interior populations of brown bears in Alaska. Mol Ecol 7:1283–1292. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.1998.00440.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paetkau D, Waits LP, Clarkson PL, Craighead L, Vyse E, Ward R et al (1998b) Variation in genetic diversity across the range of North American brown bears. Conserv Genet 12:418–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Poole KG, Mowat G, Fear DA (2001) DNA-based population estimate for grizzly bears Ursus arctos in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Wildl Biol 7:105–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Primack RB (1993) Essentials of conservation biology. Sinauer, Sunderland

  • Quenette PY, Alonso M, Chayron L, Cluzel P, Dubarry E, Dubreuil D et al (2001) Preliminary results of the first transplantation of brown bears in the French Pyrenees. Ursus 12:115–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauer G (1997) First experiences with the release of 2 female brown bears in the Alps of eastern Austria. Int Conf Bear Res Manag 9(2):91–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauer G, Gutleb B (1997) Der Braunbär in Österreich. Federal Environmental Agency, Monographs 88, Vienna, Austria (in German)

  • Rauer G, Aubrecht P, Gutleb B, Kaczensky P, Knauer F, Plutzar C et al (2001) Der Braunbär in Österreich II. Federal Environment Agency Austria, Monographs 110, Vienna, Austria

  • Rauer G, Wagner A, Gutleb B (2005) Die aktuelle Situation der Braunbären in Österreich. In: Rauer G, Laas J, Striebel B (eds) Der Braunbär in Österreich III. Aktueller Status, Lebensraum und Strategien für die Zukunft. Report REP-0014. Umweltbundesamt, Wien, pp 8–14

  • Raymond M, Rousset F (1995) GENEPOP (version1.2): population genetics software for exact tests and ecumenicism. (Software). J Hered 86:248–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Romain-Bondi KA, Wielgus RB, Waits L, Kasworm WF, Austin M, Wakkinen W (2004) Density and population size estimates for North Cascade grizzly bears using DNA hair-sampling techniques. Biol Conserv 117:417–428. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2003.07.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz MK, Luikart G, Waples RS (2007) Genetic monitoring as a promising tool for conservation and management. Trends Ecol Evol 22:25–33. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2006.08.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skrbinsek T, Potocnik H, Kos I (2005) Priorizatıon of field-collected brown bear (Ursus arctos) faecal samples for genetic analyses. 16th International conference on bear research and management, pp 130–131

  • Swenson JE, Wabakken P, Sandegren F, Bjärvall A, Fránzen R, Söderberg A (1995) The near extinction and recovery of brown bears in relation to the bear management policies of Norway and Sweden. Wildl Biol 1:11–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Swenson JE, Janson A, Söderberg A, Bjärvall A, Fránzen R, Wabakken P (1997) Infanticide caused by hunting of male bears. Nature 386:450–451. doi:10.1038/386450a0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swenson JE, Sandegren F, Brunberg S, Segerström P (2001) Factors associated with loss of brown bear cubs in Sweden. Ursus 12:69–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Taberlet P, Mattock H, Dubois-Paganon C, Bouvet J (1993) Sexing free-ranging brown bears Ursus arctos using hairs found in the field. Mol Ecol 2:399–403. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.1993.tb00033.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taberlet P, Camarra JJ, Griffin S, Uhres E, Hanotte O, Waits LP et al (1997) Noninvasive genetic tracking of the endangered Pyrenean brown bear population. Mol Ecol 6:869–876. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.1997.tb00141.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taberlet P, Luikart G (1999) Non-invasive genetic sampling and individual identification. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 68:41–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taberlet P, Waits L, Luikart G (1999) Noninvasive genetic sampling: look before you leap. Trends Ecol Evol 14:323–327. doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(99)01637-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waits LP, Taberlet P, Swenson JE, Sandegren F (2000) Nuclear DNA microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity and gene flow in the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos). Mol Ecol 9:421–431. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.00892.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wasser SK, Houston CS, Koehler GM, Cadd GG, Fain SR (1997) Techniques for application of faecal DNA methods to field studies of Ursids. Mol Ecol 6:1091–1097. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294X.1997.00281.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Woods JG, Paetkau D, Lewis D, McLellan BN, Proctor M, Strobeck C (1999) Genetic tagging of free-ranging black and brown bears. Wildl Soc Bull 27:616–627

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedrosser A, Dahle B, Swenson JE, Gerstl N (2001) Status and management of the brown bear in Europe. Ursus 12:9–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedrosser A, Rauer G, Kruckenhauser L (2004) Early primiparity in brown bears. Acta Theriol (Warsz) 49:427–432

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, the Life Program of the European Union, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Austria. We thank the forest enterprises ÖBf Forstbetrieb Gußwerk, the Forstverwaltung Wildalpen of the City of Vienna, and the Forstverwaltung Langau for their co-operation. We thank Petra Kaczensky for critical comments on the manuscript. To Wilhelm Pinsker we are grateful for his valuable support throughout the years and for helpful comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1st Zoological Department, Museum of Natural History Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria

    Luise Kruckenhauser, Barbara Däubl & Elisabeth Haring

  2. Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria

    Georg Rauer

Authors
  1. Luise Kruckenhauser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Georg Rauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Barbara Däubl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Elisabeth Haring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luise Kruckenhauser.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

10592_2008_9654_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Distribution of samples ascribed to individual profiles in each of the years of genetic monitoring (2000–20005). When an individual was detected several times at the same place it is depicted by one point. In the overview map the locations of detail maps are depicted. Maps are modified from Google Earth. Altitudes and longitudes are given at the left bottom and right top corners (DOCX 9781 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kruckenhauser, L., Rauer, G., Däubl, B. et al. Genetic monitoring of a founder population of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in central Austria. Conserv Genet 10, 1223–1233 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-008-9654-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-008-9654-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation