Isolation of European bison populations in Russia creates a risk of future improper management decisions, considering facts of already performed: introduction of hybrids with American bison to ...Caucasus and establishment of free ranging herd of Bison bonasus athabascae in Siberia (Sipko et al., 2010; WWF, 2017). The strategy should include a plan for the resettlement of animals among EU member states to form new free-roaming or semifree populations. The strategy should also include legislative simplification of rules for the European bison transportation and the unification of the legal status of this species in the member states.
Nowadays, remote sensing is being increasingly applied in ecology and conservation, and even underground animals can successfully be studied if they leave clear signs of their presence in the ...environment. In this work, by combining a field study, analysis of high-resolution aerial images, and machine learning techniques, we investigated the interspecies relationships of two small burrowing mammals: the spotted souslik Spermophilus suslicus and the European mole Talpa europaea. The study was conducted for 3 years (2018-2020) at a 105-ha grass airfield where both species coexist (Poland). Both field studies and the analysis of aerial imagery showed that, in the period of low population numbers, the souslik avoided coexistence with the European mole, and the presence of the mole was found to reduce the area of the habitat suitable for the souslik. The presence of other burrowing species may be an important element in the habitat selectivity of the souslik, but this has not yet been included in the conservation guidelines for this species. We discuss the contribution of our results to the knowledge of the ecology of burrowing mammals and their interspecies relationships. We also assess the possibility of using remote sensing and deep learning methods in ecology and conservation of small burrowing mammals.
The coexistence of large mammals and humans in the contemporary landscape is a big challenge for conservationists. Wild ungulates that forage on arable fields are exposed to the negative effects of ...pesticides, and this problem also applies to protected species for which intoxication by pesticides may pose a health risk and directly affect the effectiveness of conservation efforts. In this paper we assessed the threat posed by pesticides to the European bison Bison bonasus, a species successfully restituted after being extinct in the wild. We studied samples of B. bonasus liver from three free-living populations in Poland (Białowieska, Knyszyńska, and Borecka forests) and captive individuals from breeding centres. LC-QTOF-MS/MS two-step analysis for the detection, identification and confirmation of pesticide residues in liver samples, which included MS and targeted MS/MS scans, was conducted. It was found that European bison are exposed to pesticides as a result of crop depredation: the presence of tetraconazole, fluopyram and diazinon residues in 12 liver samples was confirmed. The concentration levels of the detected substances were quite low, but in the liver samples more than one substance was usually found, and the potential health risk to European bison may result from the synergistic interaction of these substances. The place of occurrence of the population, abundance, and the management regime affect the exposure of European bison to pesticides. Due to the high conservation status of the European bison, the monitoring of intoxication by pesticides should be included in the conservation plans of this species. This issue should also be more widely included in the study of other wild ungulates because knowledge about the impact of pesticides on wildlife is still insufficient.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Research on habitat preferences is an important part of contemporary ecology. For the European bison, the classic approach to distinguishing habitat features is still being followed, but the ...limitations of this approach cannot provide the standard features of optimal habitats for this species. The study consisted in comparing analyses of the habitat preferences of European bison that were based on either classic forest typology (habitat types) or airborne laser scanning data. The data for these analyses were collected from telemetry collars on European bison in Białowieża Forest. The model based on airborne laser scanning features presented better parameters (percent of correctly classified cases and ROC) than the model based on habitat types. The results show that it is possible to find universal indicators of European bison’s preferences that are independent of local forest classification methodology. The indicators used suggest that European bison have a preference for forest habitats with low canopy cover and a small share of woody plants in the lower parts of the forest. Low canopy cover itself is not necessarily beneficial for European bison. Our study also indicates that airborne laser scanning is also useful in the assessment of habitat suitability for European bison in forest ecosystems.
Hematological and biochemical blood parameters are important tools for evaluating animals' health. They might be crucial in assessing the health of entire populations of wild animals, such as ...European bison (Bison bonasus). The aim of this study was to establish hematological and biochemical values for healthy European bison and to determine whether there were significant relations with age and sex. Blood samples were collected from 79 animals and tested according to generally accepted standards and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. Most of the age and gender-related correlations found in our study were predictable based on previous reports. Due to bone growth, juvenile animals have typically higher ALP and P concentrations relative to adults. Several age-related dependencies were surprising, like higher Na concentration in younger European bison. Determination of hematological and biochemical blood parameters of healthy European bison may significantly contribute to the further restitution of this endangered species.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract The gut microbiome of wild animals is subject to various environmental influences, including those associated with human-induced alterations to the environment. We investigated how the gut ...microbiota of a synurbic rodent species, the striped field mouse ( Apodemus agrarius ), change in cities of varying sizes, seeking the urban microbiota signature for this species. Fecal samples for analysis were collected from animals living in non-urbanized areas and green spaces of different-sized cities (Poland). Metagenomic 16S rRNA gene sequencing and further bioinformatics analyses were conducted. Significant differences in the composition of gut microbiomes among the studied populations were found. However, the observed changes were dependent on local habitat conditions, without strong evidence of a correlation with the size of the urbanized area. The results suggest that ecological detachment from a more natural, non-urban environment does not automatically lead to the development of an “urban microbiome” model in the studied rodent. The exposure to the natural environment in green spaces may serve as a catalyst for microbiome transformations, providing a previously underestimated contribution to the maintenance of native gut microbial communities in urban mammals.
The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) comprises a widespread group of slowly-growing bacteria from the Mycobacteriaceae. These bacteria are responsible for opportunistic infections in humans and ...animals, including farm animals. The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to predict the presence of M. avium in pig lymph nodes based on the size and type of lesions found during post-mortem examination at a slaughterhouse. Lymph nodes were collected from 10,600 pigs subjected to such post-mortem examination. The nodes were classified with regard to their quality, and the number of tuberculosis-like lesions; following this, 86 mandibular lymph nodes with lesions and 113 without visible macroscopic lesions were selected for further study. Cultures were established on Löwenstein-Jensen and Stonebrink media, and a commercial GenoType Mycobacterium CM test was used to identify and differentiate M. avium species. The prevalence of M. avium was 56.98% in the lymph nodes with lesions and 19.47% in the unchanged ones. Statistical analysis indicated that visual assessment of lesions in the mandibular lymph nodes, in particular the number of tuberculous lesions, is a highly-efficient diagnostic tool. Similar results were obtained for estimated percentage area affected by the lesion, i.e. the ratio of the changed area of the lymph node in cross-section to the total cross-sectional area of the lymph node; however, this method is more laborious and its usefulness in slaughterhouse conditions is limited. By incising the lymph nodes and assessing the number of tuberculosis-like lesions, it is possible to limit the inclusion of meat from pigs infected with M. avium into the human food chain.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A new method for the determination of main glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone) in hair by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed. Glucocorticoids were ...extracted from hair shafts using methanol followed by solid-phase extraction. A validation test was performed using hair from three species of wild mammals with different body size (0.2-800 kg), lifestyle (terrestrial, burrowing and arboreal species), social organization (living in herds or solitary), and different predicted type of hair glucocorticoids: European bison (Bison bonasus), European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), and Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). Regardless of the species evaluated, the method shows good linearity for all analytes accompanied by satisfactory accuracy (91-114%) and precision (RSD < 13%). Depending on the analyte and hair origin, the calculated limits of quantification were between 0.05 and 1.19 ng/mL, which corresponds to 1.28-31.51 pg/mg. Using cortisol and cortisone as examples, we have demonstrated that measuring multiple glucocorticoids simultaneously provides more comprehensive information than solely concentrating on one, thereby contributing to a more balanced and reliable interpretation of the acquired results. However, the utility of cortisol metabolites as markers of stress response in keratinized tissues should be substantiated by additional experimental studies on targeted animals. We posit that this paper could serve as a crucial catalyst to prompt such experiments.
Animals in urban areas often encounter novel and potentially stressful conditions. It is important to understand how wildlife cope with anthropogenic disturbance. To investigate this specific ...adaptation we live-trapped squirrels in two study sites in Warsaw: a forest reserve and an urban park and we estimated stress responses at three levels: long-term and medium-term stress (the level of stress hormones, i.e. cortisol and cortisone concentrations, in hair and feces) and acute reaction to human-induced stress (measured during handling with the aid of the three indices: breath rate, struggle rate, and vocalization). According to GLMM models no difference in the stress hormones level was found between the two populations. The only differences in cortisol concentrations clearly depended on the season, i.e. being higher in autumn and winter comparying to other seasons. There was no influence of sex, or reproductive status on stress hormones. Forest squirrels had significantly higher breath rates, suggesting they were more stressed by handling. There was no difference in the struggle rate between study areas, this index was mostly affected by season (i.e. being highest in winter). First-trapped squirrels vocalized less than during the subsequent trappings. Assumingly, during the first, and more stressful trapping, squirrels used 'freezing' and/or little vocalization, while during next captures they used alarm calls to warn conspecifics. Overall, we showed that the two squirrel populations differed only in terms of their breath rate. This suggests that they did not differ in medium-term and long-term stress in general, but they can differ in acute response to handling. This also suggests that both populations were similarly affected by environmental factors. The lack of clear effects may also be due to population heterogeneity. Thus, in order to assess the effects of anthropogenic stressors a broader range of indicators and diverse analytical methods, including behavioral analyses, should be employed.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Pathogens transmitted between wildlife and domestic animals can pose a threat to endangered species, undermine conservation efforts in wildlife, and affect productivity and parasite control in ...domestic animals. There are several examples of pathogen transmission between European bison and other animals. The present study surveyed breeders from the vicinity of four large wisent populations in eastern Poland about observed contacts between wisent and cattle. Such contacts were noted by 37% of breeders, indicating a significant risk of contact between European bison and cattle in the study areas, even in the areas where the European bison live mainly in a forest complex, i.e., in the Borecka Forest. A higher potential risk of contacts between European bison and cattle was noted in the Białowieska Forest and the Bieszczady Mountains than in the Borecka and Knyszyńska Forests. In the Białowieska Forest, the risk of viral pathogen transmission resulting from contacts is higher (more direct contacts), and in the case of the Bieszczady Mountains, the probability of parasitic diseases is higher. The chance of contacts between European bison and cattle depended on the distance of cattle pastures from human settlements. Moreover, such contact was possible throughout the year, not only in spring and fall. It appears possible to minimize the risk of contacts between wisent and cattle by changing management practices for both species, such as keeping grazing areas as close as possible to settlements, and reducing the time cattle graze on pastures. However, the risk of contact is much greater if European bison populations are large and are dispersed beyond forest complexes.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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