Challenges in wildlife conservation: present and future perspectives (original) (raw)
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Which reproductive technologies are most relevant to studying, managing and conserving wildlife?
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The advent of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer in the 1970s led to speculation about the potential value of these and other 'reproductive technologies' to conserving endangered species. So far, and for the most part, assisted breeding techniques that are routine in domesticated species are not easily adapted to wildlife. Species differences in reproductive form (anatomy/morphology) and function (mechanisms regulating reproductive success) limit the practical applicability for offspring production. Thus, the limiting factor is the lack of basic knowledge about thousands of unstudied species, the foundation that is essential to allowing reproduction to be enhanced and/or controlled. There now is excellent evidence that reproductive technologies are most useful as tools for studying how different species reproduce, especially defining novel and unique mechanisms. The present paper reviews the status and relevance of various reproductive technologies that are use...
Advances in Reproductive Science for Wild Carnivore Conservation
Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 2009
Knowledge about reproduction is critical for predicting the viability of wildlife populations in nature and for managing breeding programmes in captivity. Intensive species-based studies are the priority, because reproductive mechanisms are extraordinarily diverse, even within the same taxonomic family. Carnivores deserve more attention as such species are highly vulnerable to environmental change and human persecution. The present review provides contemporary illustrations of how reproductive science is contributing to understand unique reproductive mechanisms that are both of fundamental and applied interest. In the case of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) free-living in South Africa, noninvasive faecal corticosteroid assessments have yielded new insights about the impact of animal relocation and reintroduction on adaptive responses, reproductive fitness and survival. For the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), advances have been made in characterizing and comparing reproductive traits in free-ranging vs captive individuals. For the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), recent studies have focused on the cryosensitivity of sperm and the ability to develop a fieldfriendly sperm cryo-method. The by-product has been a largescale frozen repository of sperm from wild-caught cheetahs useful for infusing new genes into ex situ populations. Finally, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional reproductive studies of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), including the use of artificial insemination, have contributed to the remarkable recovery and restoration of this species, once on the brink of extinction. In summary, advances in reproductive science are not necessarily related to 'assisted breeding'. However, understanding the unique ways of carnivore reproduction greatly contributes to species management and conservation.
REPRODUCTION REVIEW Wildlife conservation and reproductive cloning Introduction
Reproductive cloning, or the production of offspring by nuclear transfer, is often regarded as having potential for conserving endangered species of wildlife. Currently, however, low success rates for reproductive cloning limit the practical application of this technique to experimental use and proof of principle investigations. In this review, we consider how cloning may contribute to wildlife conservation strategies. The cloning of endangered mammals presents practical problems, many of which stem from the paucity of knowledge about their basic reproductive biology. However, situations may arise where resources could be targeted at recovering lost or under-represented genetic lines; these could then contribute to the future fitness of the population. Approaches of this type would be preferable to the indiscriminate generation of large numbers of identical individuals. Applying cloning technology to non-mammalian vertebrates may be more practical than attempting to use conventional reproductive technologies. As the scientific background to cloning technology was pioneered using amphibians, it may be possible to breed imminently threatened amphibians, or even restore extinct amphibian species, by the use of cloning. In this respect species with external embryonic development may have an advantage over mammals as developmental abnormalities associated with inappropriate embryonic reprogramming would not be relevant.
Zoo Biology, 2014
Zoos and other ex situ wildlife institutions can play an important role in species conservation by maintaining populations for education and research, as sources for potential re-introduction or reinforcement, and as ambassadors for financial support of in situ conservation. However, many regional zoo associations are realizing that current captive populations are unsustainable, with many programs failing to meet demographic and genetic goals to ensure long-term viability. Constraints on population size due to limited space often mandate delayed and/or less frequent breeding, but for females of many species this can have profound effects on fertility. A retrospective analysis combined with published literature and reliable anecdotal reports reveals that, when females are housed in a non-breeding situation for extended periods of time, reproductive changes that negatively impact fertility have occurred in multiple species, including canids, elephants, white rhinoceros, Seba's bats, wildebeest, stingrays, and some felid species. Competing space needs and changing interest in taxa for exhibits over time compound the problem. Counter strategies to breed early and often have their own demographic and genetic consequences as well as logistical and political implications. Strategies to mitigate the sustainability crisis in these taxa might include a mixed strategy in which young, genetically valuable females are bred earlier and at more regular intervals to ensure reproductive success, in combination with the judicious use of available tools to manage the number of offspring produced, including contraception and culling. An understanding of the issues at stake is the first step towards developing management strategies for sustainable populations.
Role of reproductive technologies and genetic resource banks in animal conservation
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Irvine DS (1998) Relative impact of oxidative stress on the functional competence and genomic integrity of human spermatozoa Biology of Reproduction 59 1037-1046 Barratt EM, Deaville R, Burland TM, Bruford MW, Jones G, Racey PA and Wayne RK (1997) DNA answers the call of Pipistrelle bat species Nature 387 138-139 Barone MA, Roelke ME, Howard JG, Brown JL, Anderson AE and Wildt DE (1994) Reproductive characteristics of male Florida Panthers: comparative studies from Florida, Texas, Colorado, Latin America and North American Zoos Journal of Mammology 75 150-162 Campbell KHS, McWhir J, Ritchie WA and Wilmut I (1996) Sheep cloned by nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line Nature 380 64-66 Clouthier DE, Avarbock MR, Maika SD, Hammer RE and Brinster RL (1996) Rat spermatogenesis in mouse testis Nature 381 418-421 Curtis DJ, Zaramody A, Green DI and Pickard AR (1999) Non-invasive monitoring of reproductive status in wild mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz): an investigation of faecal steroid excretion patterns Proceedings of the 7th World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity May 1999, Cincinnati, OH Czekala NM and Callison L (1996) Pregnancy diagnosis in the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) by salivary hormone analysis Zoo Biology 15 37-44 Digiano L, Nagle CA, Quiroga S, Paul N, Farinati Z, Torres M and Mendizabal AF (1992) Salivary progesterone for the assessment of the ovarian function in the Capuchin Monkey (Cebus apella) International Journal of Primatology 13 113-123 Donoghue AM, Johnston LA, Seal US, Armstrong DL, Simmons LG, Gross T, Tilson RL and Wildt DE (1992) Ability of thawed tiger (Panthera tigris) spermatozoa to fertilize conspecific eggs and bind and penetrate domestic cat eggs in vitro. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 96 555-564 Dott HM and Utsi MNP (1973) Artificial insemination of reindeer, Rangifer tarandus. Journal of Zoology 170 505-508 Fennessy PF, Mackintosh CG and Shackell GH (1990) Artificial insemination of farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) Animal Production 51 613-621 Garland P (1989) Artificial insemination of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) Bulletin of Zoo Management 27 29-30
Impacts of climate change and environmental factors on reproduction and development in wildlife
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2009
The robustness of the growth of the human population in the face of environmental impacts is in contrast to the sensitivity of wildlife. There is a danger that the success of reproduction of humans provides a false sense of security for the public, media and politicians with respect to wildlife survival, the maintenance of viable ecosystems and the capacity for recovery of damaged ecosystems and endangered species. In reality, the success of humans to populate the planet has been dependent on the combination of the ability to reproduce successfully and to minimize loss of offspring through controlling and manipulating their own micro-environment. In contrast, reproduction in wildlife is threatened by environmental changes operating at many different physiological levels.
Wildlife conservation and reproductive cloning
Reproduction, 2004
Reproductive cloning, or the production of offspring by nuclear transfer, is often regarded as having potential for conserving endangered species of wildlife. Currently, however, low success rates for reproductive cloning limit the practical application of this technique to experimental use and proof of principle investigations. In this review, we consider how cloning may contribute to wildlife conservation strategies. The cloning of endangered mammals presents practical problems, many of which stem from the paucity of knowledge about their basic reproductive biology. However, situations may arise where resources could be targeted at recovering lost or under-represented genetic lines; these could then contribute to the future fitness of the population. Approaches of this type would be preferable to the indiscriminate generation of large numbers of identical individuals. Applying cloning technology to non-mammalian vertebrates may be more practical than attempting to use conventional reproductive technologies. As the scientific background to cloning technology was pioneered using amphibians, it may be possible to breed imminently threatened amphibians, or even restore extinct amphibian species, by the use of cloning. In this respect species with external embryonic development may have an advantage over mammals as developmental abnormalities associated with inappropriate embryonic reprogramming would not be relevant.
Reproductive biotechnologies for endangered mammalian species
Reproduction Nutrition Development, 2000
Assisted reproductive techniques (gamete cryopreservation, artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and in vitro fertilization) allow to propagate small fragmented populations of wild endangered species or domestic breeds. There are the best way for producing several offspring from selected genitors in order to avoid inbreeding depression. However, few mammalian species have been well studied for their reproductive biology whereas huge differences have been observed between these species. Furthermore, materials, methods and experimental designs have to be adapted for each case and each limiting factor (wildness, poor quantity of biological material, disparate locations). Genome resource banking is currently arising and the most applied reproductive biotechnology remains artificial insemination. Assisted reproductive techniques currently developed in domestic species (intracytoplasmic sperm injection, nuclear transfer) may offer new opportunities for the propagation of endangered species.