Local extinction and recolonization events can shape genetic structure of subdivided animal populations. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was extirpated from most of Europe, but recently recolonized big ...part of its historical range. An exceptionally dynamic expansion of wolf population is observed in the western part of the Great European Plain. Nonetheless, genetic consequences of this process have not yet been fully understood. We aimed to assess genetic diversity of this recently established wolf population in Western Poland (WPL), determine its origin and provide novel data regarding the population genetic structure of the grey wolf in Central Europe. We utilized both spatially explicit and non-explicit Bayesian clustering approaches, as well as a model-independent, multivariate method DAPC, to infer genetic structure in large dataset (881 identified individuals) of wolf microsatellite genotypes. To put the patterns observed in studied population into a broader biogeographic context we also analyzed a mtDNA control region fragment widely used in previous studies. In comparison to a source population, we found slightly reduced allelic richness and heterozygosity in the newly recolonized areas west of the Vistula river. We discovered relatively strong west-east structuring in lowland wolves, probably reflecting founder-flush and allele surfing during range expansion, resulting in clear distinction of WPL, eastern lowland and Carpathian genetic groups. Interestingly, wolves from recently recolonized mountainous areas (Sudetes Mts, SW Poland) clustered together with lowland, but not Carpathian wolf populations. We also identified an area in Central Poland that seems to be a melting pot of western, lowland eastern and Carpathian wolves. We conclude that the process of dynamic recolonization of Central European lowlands lead to the formation of a new, genetically distinct wolf population. Together with the settlement and establishment of packs in mountains by lowland wolves and vice versa, it suggests that demographic dynamics and possibly anthropogenic barriers rather than ecological factors (e.g. natal habitat-biased dispersal patterns) shape the current wolf genetic structure in Central Europe.
Environmental contaminants like arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) or lead (Pb) may disrupt hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes due to their ...endocrine toxicity potential. Resulting long-term physiological stress or adverse effects on wildlife reproduction and ontogeny may cause detrimental effects at the individual and population levels. However, data on environmental metal(loid)sʼ impact on reproductive and stress hormones in wildlife, especially large terrestrial carnivores, are scarce. Hair cortisol, progesterone and testosterone concentrations were quantified and modelled with hair As, Cd, total Hg, Pb, biological, environmental and sampling factors to test for potential effects in free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) from Croatia (N = 46) and Poland (N = 27). Testosterone in males (N = 48) and females (N = 25) showed positive associations with Hg and an interaction between Cd and Pb, but a negative association with interaction between age and Pb. Higher testosterone was found in hair during its growth phase compared to quiescent phase. Body condition index was negatively associated with hair cortisol and positively associated with hair progesterone. Year and conditions of sampling were important for cortisol variation, while maturity stage for progesterone variation (lower concentrations in cubs and yearlings compared to subadult and adult bears). These findings suggest that environmental levels of Cd, Hg and Pb might influence the HPG axis in brown bears. Hair was shown to be a reliable non-invasive sample for investigating hormonal fluctuations in wildlife while addressing individual and sampling specificities.
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•First effect study on hormonal association with metal (loid)s in European brown bear.•Hair testosterone was associated with potentially toxic metal (loid) levels.•Year and conditions of sampling important for cortisol variation in hair.•Maturity stage important for progesterone variation (lowest in cubs & yearlings).
The Tatra chamois (
) is a significant representative of the High Tatra Mountains endemic fauna species. In terms of health hazards for these animals, an important role is played by parasitic ...infections that can lead to a significant depletion of the entire population.
The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites of Tatra chamois in the current environmental and climatic conditions of the High Tatra Mountains.
During the pilot project in 2014 - 2017, a total of 494 chamois faecal samples were collected from the Slovak High Tatra and 114 samples in the Polish part of the mountain and examined using standard coprological methods.
The results revealed that the overall positivity for gastrointestinal parasites in chamois of the Slovak High Tatra reached 74.7%. Most frequent were protozoa -
spp. (42.7%), helminths were represented by
spp. tapeworms (23.5%), eggs of GIS-strongylids (7.1%), and sporadically
spp. (1.4%). The chamois from the Polish Tatra Mts. were infected with
spp. (43.9%), GIT-strongylids (9.6%), and
spp. (6.1%). Parasitic infection was determined in 59.6 % of faecal samples from the Polish part of the mountains. Statistical analyses revealed a significant difference in Moniezia spp. occurrence in different Slovak Tatra Mts. Regions, as well as between Slovak and Polish Tatra Mts.
Initial research on the gastrointestinal parasites of the Tatra chamois revealed one indisputable finding - a relatively high prevalence of the genus
, which is closely linked to the climate and microclimate conditions of the mountains. Further intensive research on parasite composition and distribution in Tatra chamois is needed in broader temporal, ecological, and zoological contexts.
We analyzed growth responses to climate of 24 tree-ring width and four maximum latewood density chronologies from the greater Tatra region in Poland and Slovakia. This network comprises 1183 ...ring-width and 153 density measurement series from four conifer species (Picea abies (L.) Karst., Larix decidua Mill., Abies alba (L.) Karst., and Pinus mugo (L.)) between 800 and 1550 m a.s.l. Individual spline detrending was used to retain annual to multi-decadal scale climate information in the data. Twentieth century temperature and precipitation data from 16 grid-boxes covering the 48-50 degrees N and 19-21 degrees E region were used for comparison. The network was analyzed to assess growth responses to climate as a function of species, elevation, parameter, frequency and site ecology. Twenty ring-width chronologies significantly correlated (P<0.05) with June-July temperatures, whereas the latewood density chronologies were correlated with the April-September temperatures. Climatic effects of the previous-year summer generally did not significantly influence ring formation, whereas site elevation and frequency of growth variations (i.e., inter-annual and decadal) were significant variables in explaining growth response to climate. Response to precipitation increased with decreasing elevation. Correlations between summer temperatures and annual growth rates were lower for Larix decidua than for Picea abies. Principal component analysis identified five dominant eigenvectors that express somewhat contrasting climatic signals. The first principal component contained highest loadings from 11 Picea abies ring-width chronologies and one Pinus mugo ring-width chronology and explained 42% of the network's variance. The mean of these 12 high-elevation chronologies was significantly correlated at 0.62 with June-July temperatures, whereas the mean of three latewood density chronologies, which loaded most strongly on the fourth principal component, significantly correlated at 0.69 with April-September temperatures (P<0.001 over the 1901-2002 period in both cases). These groupings allow for a robust estimation of June-July (1661-2004) and April-September (1709-2004) temperatures, respectively. Comparison with reconstructions from the Alps and Central Europe supports the general rule of the dominant influence of growing season temperature on high-elevation forest growth.
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•Ungulate feeding affects the movement ecology of non-target species.•GPS- and snow-tracked bears encounter ungulate feeding sites more often than expected.•There is a link between ...bear activity in winter and frequent use of feeding sites.•Conservation should focus also on preserving natural behavior, not only on numbers.•We call for a reevaluation of wildlife feeding practices.
Food availability plays a key role in animal movements. Anthropogenic provisioning of food to wildlife is a common practice of unprecedented magnitude worldwide and is of increasing conservation concern. Ungulate supplementary feeding is widespread in game management; however its effects on non-target species have received little attention. Here, we investigate how ungulate feeding affects the movement behavior of a non-target species, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We tracked bear movements in the Northeastern Carpathians (1500km2) and inventoried 212 ungulate feeding sites. We analyzed encounter rates of nine GPS-collared bears with ungulate feeding sites (1658km, n=49 tracks) and compared them with the corresponding encounter rate of simulated tracks. We also estimated the encounter rate with feeding sites using snow-tracking of unknown bears (232km, n=40 tracks). GPS-tracked bears encountered feeding sites three times more frequently (mean±SE=0.154±0.022 per km travelled) than would be expected if they were moving randomly (0.054±0.0010 per km random walk). The rate was even higher for snow-tracked bears, which visited on average 0.926±0.271 feeding sites per kilometer travelled. This suggests a link between the winter activity of some individuals and their frequent use of feeding sites. Bears seemed to rely on spatial memory and patrol known sites, independent of whether food was available at the feeding sites. This alteration of the natural behavior of species with behavioral flexibility, such as brown bears, could be interpreted as a sign of environmental degradation. Our results demonstrate an important effect of ungulate feeding on the movement ecology of non-target species. We warn of the impacts of this practice on species and ecosystems and highlight the need to preserve natural movement behaviors and urgently reevaluate management practices involving food provisioning to wildlife.
We report on the determination of the spore concentration and the species composition of the airborne fungi in selected caves of the Tatra Mountains, Poland. The following caves were surveyed: Mylna, ...Obłazkowa, Mroźna, Zimna and Naciekowa. The sampling was carried out in July 2015 and in January 2016. The aeromycological analyses were performed with the impact method, using the Air Ideal 3P apparatus and potato dextrose agar (PDA, Biocorp) culture medium. In the course of the July 2015 analysis, 17 species of fungi were isolated and 11 species were isolated in January 2016. In Mylna and Naciekowa caves, the dominant species were
Cladosporium cladosporioides
and
Stachybotrys cylindrospora
. In Obłazkowa cave,
Rhizoctonia
predominated and in Zimna cave—the colonies of the yeast-like fungi, along with
S. cylindrospora
. In Mroźna cave,
Penicillium notatum
was the most abundant taxon. In the winter time, in the majority of the caves
Penicillium
spp. predominated, with the exception of Mroźna and Naciekowa caves where
Aspergillus niger
was dominant. We propose that aeromycological monitoring be performed regularly in the following caves: Mroźna, Naciekowa and Zimna.
Context
Connectivity assessments typically rely on resistance surfaces derived from habitat models, assuming that higher-quality habitat facilitates movement. This assumption remains largely untested ...though, and it is unlikely that the same environmental factors determine both animal movements and habitat selection, potentially biasing connectivity assessments.
Objectives
We evaluated how much connectivity assessments differ when based on resistance surfaces from habitat versus movement models. In addition, we tested how sensitive connectivity assessments are with respect to the parameterization of the movement models.
Methods
We parameterized maximum entropy models to predict habitat suitability, and step selection functions to derive movement models for brown bear (
Ursus arctos
) in the northeastern Carpathians. We compared spatial patterns and distributions of resistance values derived from those models, and locations and characteristics of potential movement corridors.
Results
Brown bears preferred areas with high forest cover, close to forest edges, high topographic complexity, and with low human pressure in both habitat and movement models. However, resistance surfaces derived from the habitat models based on predictors measured at broad and medium scales tended to underestimate connectivity, as they predicted substantially higher resistance values for most of the study area, including corridors.
Conclusions
Our findings highlighted that connectivity assessments should be based on movement information if available, rather than generic habitat models. However, the parameterization of movement models is important, because the type of movement events considered, and the sampling method of environmental covariates can greatly affect connectivity assessments, and hence the predicted corridors.
•Browsing by ungulate herbivores is concentrated upon deciduous tree short saplings.•The most preferred tree species are: rowan, sycamore maple and goat willow.•Browsing frequency is positively ...correlated with stand openness.•Browsing frequency is not related to environmental variables.•CWD accumulation affects the browsing frequency in a non-linear way.
We analyzed the effects of natural disturbances on relationships between forest regeneration and ungulate browsing. Specifically, we asked if natural disturbances affect preferences of ungulate herbivores towards tree species and size classes; and how local and landscape-scale environmental factors affect spatial patterns of ungulate browsing in disturbed forest ecosystems. Our research was conducted in the Tatra National Park, a mountain range affected by large-scale intense disturbances over the last few decades. We used field data collected in a network of regularly distributed 600 circular sample plots where young trees were recorded and examined for browsing signs. Using forage ratio, the Ivlev’s electivity index and chi square tests, we found that the preferences of wild ungulates were similar to those known from undisturbed forests. Our analyses showed preference for deciduous species, especially rowan, sycamore maple and goat willow. The most common species, Norway spruce was strongly avoided by browsing ungulates. Short saplings from 0.5 m to 1.3 m tall were the most browsed size class. Effects of environmental variables on browsing were analyzed with zero-inflated negative binomial models. The occurrence of browsing was positively related to the total number of young trees and mature tree mortality. This suggests the influence of disturbances on spatial patterns of browsing pressure. The browsing frequency (number of browsed individuals per plot) was affected by mature tree mortality and densities of young palatable trees, including silver fir, sycamore maple and rowan. Elevation, geology, soil type, and potential solar radiation did not show any significant influence on the browsing frequency. Browsing frequency was also positively related to the distance to roads and hiking trails, indicating the role of human pressure upon the behaviour of ungulate herbivores. In addition, we analyzed the effects of accumulation of coarse woody debris (CWD) on browsing frequency and found this relationship to be nonlinear. Analysis for all tree species revealed that at low levels of CWD, the browsing frequency increased with CWD accumulation as a consequence of forest regeneration. However, a large amount of CWD (>25 m3) resulted in a decrease in browsing frequency, and this relationship was species-specific.
Knowledge about changes occurring in the genetic structure of populations is extremely important in the case of endangered species. Research studies conducted in space and time allow us to identify ...factors that are influencing gene flow. Especially in the case of species occurring in the form of dispersed, more or less isolated populations, this is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. The Carpathians are one of the most important capercaillies stronghold in Central Europe. The population here is fragmented, and at least, some groups of birds are small and isolated. This study aimed to determine whether the genetic structure of the capercaillie in the Polish part of the Carpathians has changed over the last decade. The research was conducted in three Polish national parks: Babia Góra National Park (BAB), Gorce (GOR) and Tatra (TAT). A total of over 1,300 non-invasive samples were collected for genetic analyses in two periods: 2010–2013 and 2021–2022. Individuals were identified using microsatellite markers. It was found that during the research period, there were approximately 200 capercaillie individuals in the Parks. The level of genetic variability in individual strongholds has not changed significantly. However, traces of a new gene pool were found in BAB, which could have appeared from other areas of the Carpathians where the species is being reintroduced. GOR shows features of a sink population: low genetic variability, low number of individuals and gradual decline in emigration. During the period covered by the study, the genetic structure has changed little: the studied strongholds are partially genetically isolated, but gene flow between BAB and GOR appears to be increasingly limited. TAT is a hybrid and transition zone for gene flow between smaller strongholds. The results emphasize the importance of areas with stable, numerous populations for the survival of smaller, peripheral groups of the capercaillie in mountain areas.
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