The Experts below are selected from a list of 273 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Tobias Kuemmerle - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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One size does not fit all: European Bison habitat selection across herds and spatial scales
Landscape Ecology, 2018Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Wanda Olech, Christian Levers, Benjamin Bleyhl, Christine Reusch, Stephanie Kramer-schadtAbstract:Understanding habitat selection can be challenging for species surviving in small populations, but is needed for landscape-scale conservation planning. We assessed how European Bison (Bison bonasus) habitat selection, and particularly forest use, varies across subpopulations and spatial scales. We gathered the most comprehensive European Bison occurrence dataset to date, from five free-ranging herds in Poland. We compared these data to a high-resolution forest map and modelled the influence of environmental and human-pressure variables on habitat selection. Around 65% of European Bison occurrences were in forests, with cows showing a slightly higher forest association than bulls. Forest association did not change markedly across spatial scales, yet differed strongly among herds. Modelling European Bison habitat suitability confirmed forest preference, but also showed strong differences in habitat selection among herds. Some herds used open areas heavily and actively selected for them. Similarly, human-pressure variables were important in all herds, but some herds avoided human-dominated areas more than others. Assessing European Bison habitat across multiple herds revealed a more generalist habitat use pattern than when studying individual herds only. Our results highlight that conflicts with land use and people could be substantial if Bison are released in human-dominated landscapes. Future restoration efforts should target areas with low road and human population density, regardless of the degree of forest cover. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of considering multiple subpopulations and spatial scales in conservation planning.
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mapping seasonal European Bison habitat in the caucasus mountains to identify potential reintroduction sites
Biological Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Benjamin Bleyhl, Volker C Radeloff, Taras Sipko, Sergej Trepet, Eugenia V Bragina, Pedro J Leitao, Tobias KuemmerleAbstract:Abstract In an increasingly human-dominated world, conservation requires the mitigation of conflicts between large mammals and people. Conflicts are particularly problematic when resources are limited, such as at wintering sites. Such conflicts have fragmented many large mammal populations, making reintroductions in suitable sites necessary. Broad-scale habitat suitability mapping can help to identify sites for species' reintroductions. The European Bison is a good example of a large mammal that is restricted to only a fraction of its former range. The goal of our study was to identify and assess potential habitat for European Bison in the Caucasus Mountains, which is a part of its former range and has the potential to harbor larger populations. Specifically, we used seasonal presence data from four reintroduced European Bison populations and two sets of predictor variables to: (i) map habitat suitability for summer and winter, (ii) characterize habitat based on management-relevant categories that capture the potential for conflicts with people, and (iii) identify candidate sites for reintroductions. We found substantial areas of suitable habitat. However, areas of potential conflicts with people were widespread and often near highly suitable areas. We identified 69 potential reintroduction sites (10 230 km 2 , 1.8% of the ecoregion) that have suitable summer and winter habitat with relatively low risk of human–wildlife conflict. These results can guide conservation efforts in establishing a viable European Bison metapopulation in the Caucasus ecoregion. More broadly, our results highlight the need to map large mammal habitat suitability for different seasons in order to derive meaningful conservation recommendations.
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potential habitat connectivity of European Bison Bison bonasus in the carpathians
Biological Conservation, 2012Co-Authors: Elzbieta Ziolkowska, Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Katarzyna Ostapowicz, Volker C Radeloff, Jacek KozakAbstract:Habitat connectivity is important for the survival of species that occupy habitat patches too small to sus- tain an isolated population. A prominent example of such a species is the European Bison (Bison bonasus), occurring only in small, isolated herds, and whose survival will depend on establishing larger, well-con- nected populations. Our goal here was to assess habitat connectivity of European Bison in the Carpathi- ans. We used an existing Bison habitat suitability map and data on dispersal barriers to derive cost surfaces, representing the ability of Bison to move across the landscape, and to delineate potential con- nections (as least-cost paths) between currently occupied and potential habitat patches. Graph theory tools were then employed to evaluate the connectivity of all potential habitat patches and their relative importance in the network. Our analysis showed that existing Bison herds in Ukraine are isolated. How- ever, we identified several groups of well-connected habitat patches in the Carpathians which could host a large population of European Bison. Our analysis also located important dispersal corridors connecting existing herds, and several promising locations for future reintroductions (especially in the Eastern Car- pathians) that should have a high priority for conservation efforts. In general, our approach indicates the most important elements within a landscape mosaic for providing and maintaining the overall connec- tivity of different habitat networks and thus offers a robust and powerful tool for conservation planning. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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reconstructing range dynamics and range fragmentation of European Bison for the last 8000 years
Diversity and Distributions, 2012Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Thomas Hickler, Jorgen Olofsson, Guy Schurgers, Volker C RadeloffAbstract:Aim Understanding what constituted species ranges prior to large-scale human influence, and how past climate and land use change have affected range dynamics, provides conservation planners with important insights into how species may respond to future environmental change. Our aim here was to reconstruct the Holocene range of European Bison (Bison bonasus) by combining a time-calibrated species distribution models (SDM) with a dynamic vegetation model. Location Europe. Method We used European Bison occurrences from the Holocene in a maximum entropy model to assess Bison range dynamics during the last 8000 years. As predictors, we used bioclimatic variables and vegetation reconstructions from the generalized dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS. We compared our range maps with maps of farmland and human population expansion to identify the main species range constraints. Results The Holocene distribution of European Bison was mainly determined by vegetation patterns, with Bison thriving in both broadleaved and coniferous forests, as well as by mean winter temperature. The heartland of European Bison was in Central and Eastern Europe, whereas suitable habitat in Western Europe was scarce. While environmentally suitable regions were overall stable, the expansion of settlements and farming severely diminished available habitat. Main conclusions European Bison habitat preferences may be wider than previously assumed, and our results suggest that the species had a more eastern and northern distribution than previously reported. Vegetation and climate transformation during the Holocene did not affect the Bison's range substantially. Conversely, human population growth and the spread of farming resulted in drastic Bison habitat loss and fragmentation, likely reaching a tipping point during the last 1000 years. Combining SDM and dynamic vegetation models can improve range reconstructions and projections, and thus help to identify resilient conservation strategies for endangered species. (Less)
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predicting potential European Bison habitat across its former range
Ecological Applications, 2011Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Andriytaras Bashta, Volker C Radeloff, Piotr Kozlo, Taras Sipko, Pavlo Khoyetskyy, Evgenia ChikurovaAbstract:Habitat loss threatens large mammals worldwide, and their survival will depend on habitat in human-dominated landscapes. Conservation planners thus face the challenge to identify areas of least conflict with land use, yet broadscale species distribution models rarely incorporate real landscape patterns nor do they identify potential conservation conflicts. An excellent example of such conservation challenges is provided by European Bison (Bison bonasus). Almost extinct by the early 20th century, Bison can only survive in the wild if large metapopulations are established, but it is unclear where new herds can be reintroduced. Using European Bison as an example we conducted a continental-scale habitat assessment based on real landscape patterns. Our specific aims here were to (1) map European Bison habitat throughout the species' former range, (2) examine whether broadscale habitat suitability factors differ from previously reported fine-scale factors, and (3) assess where suitable habitat occurs in areas with low potential for conflict with land use. We assessed habitat suitability using herd range maps for all 36 free-ranging European Bison herds as habitat use data. Habitat suitability maps were compared with maps of land cover, livestock density, agricultural constraints, and protected areas to assess potential conservation conflicts. Our models had high goodness of fit (AUC = 0.941), and we found abundant potential Bison habitat. European Bison prefer mosaic-type landscapes, with a preference for broad-leaved and mixed forests. European Bison metapopulations do not appear to be limited by habitat availability. However, most potential habitat occurred outside protected areas and has substantial potential for conservation conflicts. The most promising areas for establishing large Bison metapopulations all occur in Eastern Europe (i.e., the Carpathians, the Belarus-Ukraine borderlands, and several regions in European Russia). The future of European Bison and that of other large mammals in the wild thus clearly lies in Eastern Europe, because habitat there is most abundant and least fragmented, and because the potential for conflict with land use is lower. More generally we suggest that broadscale habitat assessments that incorporate land use can be powerful tools for conservation planning and will be key if large herbivore and carnivore conservation is to succeed in a human-dominated world.
Klaudia Witte - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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First Steps into the Wild – Exploration Behavior of European Bison after the First Reintroduction in Western Europe
PloS one, 2015Co-Authors: Philip Schmitz, Stephanie Caspers, Paige S. Warren, Klaudia WitteAbstract:Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally. One strategy to help to conserve species is to breed species in captivity and release them into suitable habitats. The way that reintroduced animals explore new habitats and/or disperse from the release site is rarely studied in detail and represents key information for the success of reintroduction projects. The European Bison (Bison bonasus L. 1758) was the largest surviving herbivore of the post-glacial megafauna in Europe before it became extinct in the wild, surviving only in captivity since 1919. We investigated the exploration behavior of a herd of European Bison reintroduced into the Rothaargebirge, a commercial forest in low range mountain intensively used and densely populated by humans, in the first six months after release. We focused on three questions: (1) how did the European Bison move and utilize the habitat on a daily basis, (2) how did the animals explore the new environment, and (3) did their habitat preferences change over time. The European Bison dispersed away from their previous enclosure at an average rate of 539 m/month, with their areas of daily use ranging from 70 to 173 ha, their movement ranging from 3.6 km to 5.2 km per day, and their day-to-day use of areas ranged between 389 and 900 m. We could identify three major exploration bouts, when the animals entered and explored areas previously unknown to them. During the birthing phase, the European Bison reduced daily walking distances, and the adult bull segregated from the herd for 58 days. Around rut, roaming behavior of the herd increased slightly. The animals preferred spruce forest, wind thrown areas and grassland, all of which are food abundant habitat types, and they avoided beech forest. Habitat preference differed slightly between phases of the study period, probably due to phenological cycles. After six months, the complete summer home range was 42.5 km2. Our study shows that a small free-ranging herd of European Bison can live in an area intensively used by humans and describes in detail the initial roaming behavior and habitat utilization of the animals.
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first steps into the wild exploration behavior of European Bison after the first reintroduction in western europe
PLOS ONE, 2015Co-Authors: Philip Schmitz, Stephanie Caspers, Paige S. Warren, Klaudia WitteAbstract:Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally. One strategy to help to conserve species is to breed species in captivity and release them into suitable habitats. The way that reintroduced animals explore new habitats and/or disperse from the release site is rarely studied in detail and represents key information for the success of reintroduction projects. The European Bison (Bison bonasus L. 1758) was the largest surviving herbivore of the post-glacial megafauna in Europe before it became extinct in the wild, surviving only in captivity since 1919. We investigated the exploration behavior of a herd of European Bison reintroduced into the Rothaargebirge, a commercial forest in low range mountain intensively used and densely populated by humans, in the first six months after release. We focused on three questions: (1) how did the European Bison move and utilize the habitat on a daily basis, (2) how did the animals explore the new environment, and (3) did their habitat preferences change over time. The European Bison dispersed away from their previous enclosure at an average rate of 539 m/month, with their areas of daily use ranging from 70 to 173 ha, their movement ranging from 3.6 km to 5.2 km per day, and their day-to-day use of areas ranged between 389 and 900 m. We could identify three major exploration bouts, when the animals entered and explored areas previously unknown to them. During the birthing phase, the European Bison reduced daily walking distances, and the adult bull segregated from the herd for 58 days. Around rut, roaming behavior of the herd increased slightly. The animals preferred spruce forest, wind thrown areas and grassland, all of which are food abundant habitat types, and they avoided beech forest. Habitat preference differed slightly between phases of the study period, probably due to phenological cycles. After six months, the complete summer home range was 42.5 km2. Our study shows that a small free-ranging herd of European Bison can live in an area intensively used by humans and describes in detail the initial roaming behavior and habitat utilization of the animals.
Kajetan Perzanowski - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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One size does not fit all: European Bison habitat selection across herds and spatial scales
Landscape Ecology, 2018Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Wanda Olech, Christian Levers, Benjamin Bleyhl, Christine Reusch, Stephanie Kramer-schadtAbstract:Understanding habitat selection can be challenging for species surviving in small populations, but is needed for landscape-scale conservation planning. We assessed how European Bison (Bison bonasus) habitat selection, and particularly forest use, varies across subpopulations and spatial scales. We gathered the most comprehensive European Bison occurrence dataset to date, from five free-ranging herds in Poland. We compared these data to a high-resolution forest map and modelled the influence of environmental and human-pressure variables on habitat selection. Around 65% of European Bison occurrences were in forests, with cows showing a slightly higher forest association than bulls. Forest association did not change markedly across spatial scales, yet differed strongly among herds. Modelling European Bison habitat suitability confirmed forest preference, but also showed strong differences in habitat selection among herds. Some herds used open areas heavily and actively selected for them. Similarly, human-pressure variables were important in all herds, but some herds avoided human-dominated areas more than others. Assessing European Bison habitat across multiple herds revealed a more generalist habitat use pattern than when studying individual herds only. Our results highlight that conflicts with land use and people could be substantial if Bison are released in human-dominated landscapes. Future restoration efforts should target areas with low road and human population density, regardless of the degree of forest cover. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of considering multiple subpopulations and spatial scales in conservation planning.
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potential habitat connectivity of European Bison Bison bonasus in the carpathians
Biological Conservation, 2012Co-Authors: Elzbieta Ziolkowska, Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Katarzyna Ostapowicz, Volker C Radeloff, Jacek KozakAbstract:Habitat connectivity is important for the survival of species that occupy habitat patches too small to sus- tain an isolated population. A prominent example of such a species is the European Bison (Bison bonasus), occurring only in small, isolated herds, and whose survival will depend on establishing larger, well-con- nected populations. Our goal here was to assess habitat connectivity of European Bison in the Carpathi- ans. We used an existing Bison habitat suitability map and data on dispersal barriers to derive cost surfaces, representing the ability of Bison to move across the landscape, and to delineate potential con- nections (as least-cost paths) between currently occupied and potential habitat patches. Graph theory tools were then employed to evaluate the connectivity of all potential habitat patches and their relative importance in the network. Our analysis showed that existing Bison herds in Ukraine are isolated. How- ever, we identified several groups of well-connected habitat patches in the Carpathians which could host a large population of European Bison. Our analysis also located important dispersal corridors connecting existing herds, and several promising locations for future reintroductions (especially in the Eastern Car- pathians) that should have a high priority for conservation efforts. In general, our approach indicates the most important elements within a landscape mosaic for providing and maintaining the overall connec- tivity of different habitat networks and thus offers a robust and powerful tool for conservation planning. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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predicting potential European Bison habitat across its former range
Ecological Applications, 2011Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Andriytaras Bashta, Volker C Radeloff, Piotr Kozlo, Taras Sipko, Pavlo Khoyetskyy, Evgenia ChikurovaAbstract:Habitat loss threatens large mammals worldwide, and their survival will depend on habitat in human-dominated landscapes. Conservation planners thus face the challenge to identify areas of least conflict with land use, yet broadscale species distribution models rarely incorporate real landscape patterns nor do they identify potential conservation conflicts. An excellent example of such conservation challenges is provided by European Bison (Bison bonasus). Almost extinct by the early 20th century, Bison can only survive in the wild if large metapopulations are established, but it is unclear where new herds can be reintroduced. Using European Bison as an example we conducted a continental-scale habitat assessment based on real landscape patterns. Our specific aims here were to (1) map European Bison habitat throughout the species' former range, (2) examine whether broadscale habitat suitability factors differ from previously reported fine-scale factors, and (3) assess where suitable habitat occurs in areas with low potential for conflict with land use. We assessed habitat suitability using herd range maps for all 36 free-ranging European Bison herds as habitat use data. Habitat suitability maps were compared with maps of land cover, livestock density, agricultural constraints, and protected areas to assess potential conservation conflicts. Our models had high goodness of fit (AUC = 0.941), and we found abundant potential Bison habitat. European Bison prefer mosaic-type landscapes, with a preference for broad-leaved and mixed forests. European Bison metapopulations do not appear to be limited by habitat availability. However, most potential habitat occurred outside protected areas and has substantial potential for conservation conflicts. The most promising areas for establishing large Bison metapopulations all occur in Eastern Europe (i.e., the Carpathians, the Belarus-Ukraine borderlands, and several regions in European Russia). The future of European Bison and that of other large mammals in the wild thus clearly lies in Eastern Europe, because habitat there is most abundant and least fragmented, and because the potential for conflict with land use is lower. More generally we suggest that broadscale habitat assessments that incorporate land use can be powerful tools for conservation planning and will be key if large herbivore and carnivore conservation is to succeed in a human-dominated world.
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genetic status of the European Bison Bison bonasus after extinction in the wild and subsequent recovery
Mammal Review, 2011Co-Authors: Malgorzata Tokarska, Cino Pertoldi, Rafal Kowalczyk, Kajetan PerzanowskiAbstract:1 The European Bison Bison bonasus went through a severe bottleneck and became extinct in the wild 90 years ago. The lowland subspecies B. b. bonasus is the only one of three original subspecies that exists today. The entire species derives from only 12 founders, including a bull of the Caucasian subspecies B. b. caucasicus. Due to its presence among founders, there are two geographically separated genetic lines of European Bison: the pure lowland (Bialowieza) line and the hybrid lowland-Caucasian line. 2 The lowland line of the European Bison originates from only seven founders with an extremely varying genetic contribution. Approximately 80% of the genes in contemporary populations come from just two founders. 3 A variety of genetic markers (mtDNA, microsatellites, single nucleotide polymorphism microchips) were applied to studies of the level of depletion of genetic variability in European Bison. 4 The lowland line of the European Bison, the most extensively studied, shows very low levels of genetic variation, and has just half the microsatellite heterozygosity of the closely related American Bison Bison Bison. The effective population size (Ne) for the highly genetically homogenous lowland line in the Polish part of the Bialowieza Forest is estimated to be 23.5, far less than the census population size of 450. 5 The average inbreeding level in lowland Bison is almost 50%, although no signs of inbreeding depression have been observed. In contrast, inbreeding effects have been noticed in the lowland-Caucasian line, which has a much lower average inbreeding level (28%). In spite of the apparently high fitness of the lowland Bison, the lack of genetic variation and high level of inbreeding may present substantial threats in the future, especially in the context of potential epizootics.
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European Bison habitat in the carpathian mountains
Biological Conservation, 2010Co-Authors: Tobias Kuemmerle, Kajetan Perzanowski, Oleh Chaskovskyy, Katarzyna Ostapowicz, L Halada, Andriytaras Bashta, Ivan Kruhlov, Patrick Hostert, Donald M WallerAbstract:Abstract European Bison (Bison bonasus) barely escaped extinction in the early 20th century and now only occur in small isolated herds scattered across Central and Eastern Europe. The species’ survival in the wild depends on identifying suitable habitat for establishing Bison metapopulations via reintroductions of new herds. We assessed European Bison habitat across the Carpathian Mountains, a stronghold of European Bison and one of the only places where a viable Bison metapopulation may be possible. We used maximum entropy models to analyze herd range maps and habitat use data from radio-collared Bison to identify key habitat variables and map European Bison habitat across the entire Carpathian ecoregion (210,000 km2). Forest cover (primarily core and perforated forests) and variables linked to human disturbance best predict Bison habitat suitability. Bison show no clear preference for particular forest types but prefer managed grasslands over fallow and abandoned fields. Several large, suitable, but currently unoccupied habitat patches exist, particularly in the eastern Carpathians. This available suitable habitat suggests that European Bison have an opportunity to establish a viable Carpathian metapopulation, especially if recent trends of declining human pressure and reforestation of abandoned farmland continue. Our results also confirm the suitability of a proposed Romanian reintroduction site. Establishing the first European Bison metapopulation would be a milestone in efforts to conserve this species in the wild and demonstrate a significant and hopeful step towards conserving large grazers and their ecological roles in human-dominated landscapes across the globe.
Magdalena Larska - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Infectious Disease Monitoring of European Bison ( Bison bonasus )
Wildlife Population Monitoring, 2019Co-Authors: Magdalena Larska, Michał K. KrzysiakAbstract:In 2019, the 90th anniversary of the restitution of European Bison (wisent) will be celebrated. Therefore, the chapter discusses the past, present, and future health threats of the Bison bonasus species that was on the edge of world extinction at the beginning of the twentieth century and was restituted with great efforts from many researchers, breeders, forestry workers, and caretakers. Due to the dramatic genetic "bottleneck" that depleted the gene pool, increasing the inbred of today's European Bison, the breeding may face problems of decreased fertility, deficiency in growth, and increased susceptibility to diseases. While the increasing numbers of European Bison may be enjoyed by breeders, the suitable habitat for the largest herbivore in Europe shrinks with increasing human population density, forestry, and agricultural activity. Additional threats include inappropriate management based on animal farming rather than sylvatic ecosystems, need for supplementary winter feeding, and establishment of breeding of related species such as American Bison (Bison Bison) in Europe. The control of European Bison exposure to pathogens through passive and active surveillance is a key component of the species conservation. Hereby, the current knowledge on the epidemiology of the most significant infectious diseases in European Bison is presented.
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trace elements in the liver of captive and free ranging European Bison Bison bonasus l
Chemosphere, 2018Co-Authors: Maciej Durkalec, Magdalena Larska, Agnieszka Nawrocka, Michal K Krzysiak, Miroslawa Kmiecik, Andrzej PosyniakAbstract:European Bison is classified as a vulnerable species because of many threats. We analyzed the content of toxic and essential elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Th, Tl, U, V, and Zn) in the livers of 30 captive and free-ranging European Bison from the Bison Breeding Center in Smardzewice and from Bialowieza Primeval Forest in Poland. The contents of toxic elements were lower than reported previously in European Bison and were similar to those of wild ungulates from non-polluted areas. Accumulation of Cd and Cr was related to the age of animals. We compared the mineral status between captive and free-ranging European Bison to verify whether the maintenance type could affect concentrations of trace elements in the liver. The concentration of Mn and Zn differed between captive and free-ranging group. Our results were compared to the reference values of essential elements for cattle. All animals from this study were Se-deficient and more than 80% of them have Cu deficiency. Deficiency of Mn was present in 20% of captive and 37% of free-ranging animals whereas Zn in 37% and 3% respectively. Statistical analysis confirmed that Mn and Zn deficiencies were related o the maintenance of animals (p<0.05). We revealed that mineral deficiencies could be an additional threat to the Polish population of European Bison. Thus, the monitoring of essential minerals is necessary and future work is required to optimize the supplementation and foddering for preventing the occurrence of mineral deficiencies.
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Seroprevalence and risk factors for selected respiratory and reproductive tract pathogen exposure in European Bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland
Veterinary microbiology, 2018Co-Authors: Michał K. Krzysiak, Julia Kęsik-maliszewska, W. Iwaniak, Artur Jabłoński, Monika Krajewska, Magdalena LarskaAbstract:Abstract After the complete extinction from the wild of European Bison ( Bison bonasus ) at the beginning of the twentieth century, the worldwide species population was restored to approximately 5500 individuals, with the species however remaining endangered. Despite numerous studies on the ecology and genetics of European Bison, the threats of infectious diseases have been largely unexamined. The aim of this study was to screen the exposure of the world’s largest population of European Bison to the pathogens, which may influence the condition and development of the endangered species. A total of 240 free-ranging and captive European Bison from eight main Polish populations sampled were tested for the presence of specific antibodies against ten different viruses, bacteria or protozoan. The samples were collected from chemically immobilized, selectively culled or found dead animals. Based on serology, the exposure to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), Mycoplasma and Brucella spp. was determined as rather accidental. Using gamma-interferon assay followed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis subs. caprae detection in tissues, diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis was made for 6 out of 78 (7.7%) Bison from one captive herd. The highest seroprevalence was found for bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAdV-3) −60.2% and bovine parainfluenza type 3 (PIV-3) −34.0%, while the antibodies against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), Toxoplasma gondii and Leptospira spp. were found in 10.4%, 10.4% and 8.7% of samples, respectively. In the multivariable statistical analysis using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMS), the risk factors for PIV-3 seropositivity included population type (free-living/captive), age and health status (apparently healthy/eliminated due to the poor condition). Higher risk of BAdV-3 seropositive result was observed in free-living female European Bison. The high BAdV-3 and PIV-3 seroprevalences may suggest involvement of these pathogens in the most frequently observed respiratory disorders in European Bison. Moreover, this is the first study demonstrating BAdV-3 exposure in the species.
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EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS IN European Bison ( Bison BONASUS) IN POLAND.
Journal of wildlife diseases, 2017Co-Authors: Julia Kęsik-maliszewska, Michał K. Krzysiak, Maria Grochowska, Lech Lechowski, Christopher C. L. Chase, Magdalena LarskaAbstract:Abstract: Schmallenberg virus (SBV), an emerging arbovirus in Europe, is an important pathogen in domestic ruminants; however, its impact on free-ranging wild ruminants is not well studied. Three hundred and forty-seven serum samples collected between 2011 and 2016 from 302 European Bison (Bison bonasus) from 12 different sites in Poland were tested for the presence of SBV antibodies. In addition, 86 sera were collected between 2013 and 2016 from three species of cervids for testing for SBV antibodies. After the first detection of the virus in Poland in October 2012, the proportion of SBV-seropositive European Bison reached 81% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.1–85.8%), whereas in cervids seroprevalence was 34% (95% CI: 23.5–43.9%). There was an increase in seroprevalence in European Bison from 2012 to 2014. Biting midges (Culicoides spp.), the primary vectors of SBV, were monitored entomologically for the identification of the biting midge populations and virologically for SBV infections in the Bialowi...
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Trace elements in the liver of captive and free-ranging European Bison ( Bison bonasus L.)
Chemosphere, 2017Co-Authors: Maciej Durkalec, Michał K. Krzysiak, Magdalena Larska, Agnieszka Nawrocka, Mirosława Kmiecik, Andrzej PosyniakAbstract:European Bison is classified as a vulnerable species because of many threats. We analyzed the content of toxic and essential elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Th, Tl, U, V, and Zn) in the livers of 30 captive and free-ranging European Bison from the Bison Breeding Center in Smardzewice and from Bialowieza Primeval Forest in Poland. The contents of toxic elements were lower than reported previously in European Bison and were similar to those of wild ungulates from non-polluted areas. Accumulation of Cd and Cr was related to the age of animals. We compared the mineral status between captive and free-ranging European Bison to verify whether the maintenance type could affect concentrations of trace elements in the liver. The concentration of Mn and Zn differed between captive and free-ranging group. Our results were compared to the reference values of essential elements for cattle. All animals from this study were Se-deficient and more than 80% of them have Cu deficiency. Deficiency of Mn was present in 20% of captive and 37% of free-ranging animals whereas Zn in 37% and 3% respectively. Statistical analysis confirmed that Mn and Zn deficiencies were related o the maintenance of animals (p
Philip Schmitz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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First Steps into the Wild – Exploration Behavior of European Bison after the First Reintroduction in Western Europe
PloS one, 2015Co-Authors: Philip Schmitz, Stephanie Caspers, Paige S. Warren, Klaudia WitteAbstract:Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally. One strategy to help to conserve species is to breed species in captivity and release them into suitable habitats. The way that reintroduced animals explore new habitats and/or disperse from the release site is rarely studied in detail and represents key information for the success of reintroduction projects. The European Bison (Bison bonasus L. 1758) was the largest surviving herbivore of the post-glacial megafauna in Europe before it became extinct in the wild, surviving only in captivity since 1919. We investigated the exploration behavior of a herd of European Bison reintroduced into the Rothaargebirge, a commercial forest in low range mountain intensively used and densely populated by humans, in the first six months after release. We focused on three questions: (1) how did the European Bison move and utilize the habitat on a daily basis, (2) how did the animals explore the new environment, and (3) did their habitat preferences change over time. The European Bison dispersed away from their previous enclosure at an average rate of 539 m/month, with their areas of daily use ranging from 70 to 173 ha, their movement ranging from 3.6 km to 5.2 km per day, and their day-to-day use of areas ranged between 389 and 900 m. We could identify three major exploration bouts, when the animals entered and explored areas previously unknown to them. During the birthing phase, the European Bison reduced daily walking distances, and the adult bull segregated from the herd for 58 days. Around rut, roaming behavior of the herd increased slightly. The animals preferred spruce forest, wind thrown areas and grassland, all of which are food abundant habitat types, and they avoided beech forest. Habitat preference differed slightly between phases of the study period, probably due to phenological cycles. After six months, the complete summer home range was 42.5 km2. Our study shows that a small free-ranging herd of European Bison can live in an area intensively used by humans and describes in detail the initial roaming behavior and habitat utilization of the animals.
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first steps into the wild exploration behavior of European Bison after the first reintroduction in western europe
PLOS ONE, 2015Co-Authors: Philip Schmitz, Stephanie Caspers, Paige S. Warren, Klaudia WitteAbstract:Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally. One strategy to help to conserve species is to breed species in captivity and release them into suitable habitats. The way that reintroduced animals explore new habitats and/or disperse from the release site is rarely studied in detail and represents key information for the success of reintroduction projects. The European Bison (Bison bonasus L. 1758) was the largest surviving herbivore of the post-glacial megafauna in Europe before it became extinct in the wild, surviving only in captivity since 1919. We investigated the exploration behavior of a herd of European Bison reintroduced into the Rothaargebirge, a commercial forest in low range mountain intensively used and densely populated by humans, in the first six months after release. We focused on three questions: (1) how did the European Bison move and utilize the habitat on a daily basis, (2) how did the animals explore the new environment, and (3) did their habitat preferences change over time. The European Bison dispersed away from their previous enclosure at an average rate of 539 m/month, with their areas of daily use ranging from 70 to 173 ha, their movement ranging from 3.6 km to 5.2 km per day, and their day-to-day use of areas ranged between 389 and 900 m. We could identify three major exploration bouts, when the animals entered and explored areas previously unknown to them. During the birthing phase, the European Bison reduced daily walking distances, and the adult bull segregated from the herd for 58 days. Around rut, roaming behavior of the herd increased slightly. The animals preferred spruce forest, wind thrown areas and grassland, all of which are food abundant habitat types, and they avoided beech forest. Habitat preference differed slightly between phases of the study period, probably due to phenological cycles. After six months, the complete summer home range was 42.5 km2. Our study shows that a small free-ranging herd of European Bison can live in an area intensively used by humans and describes in detail the initial roaming behavior and habitat utilization of the animals.
