Student assignment. (requirement for course by Peter Kabai)

Reintroduction of Bison into Carpathians

Critically Review by: Andrew Attila Terdik

Szent Istvan University, Faculty of Veterinarian Science, Budapest

Between 1960 and 1970 the European bison (Bison bonasus) was reintroduced into the Bieszczady Mountain (which is a segment of the Carpathian Mountains in Poland). This ended the 200-year period of absence of the European bison in the Carpathian Mountain range. Wanda Olech and Kajetan Perzanowski newsletter A genetic background for reintroduction program of the European bison (bison bonasus) in the Carpathians states that the bison that were reintroduced in the Carpathians are (as of 2002) threatened by high inbreeding and low genetic variability.

At the time of the newsletters publication Bison bonasus was separated into two genetic lines: a Lowland line that is pure low-land subspecies (Bison bonasus bonasus) and a second Lowland-Caucasian line that is a mixture of Bison bonasus bonasus and Bison bonasus caucasicus. The pure Lowland line has 7 founders and the Lowland-Caucasian has 12 (the same 7 from the pure Lowland line and another 5 from subspecies caucasicus). For this reason the genetic variation in Bison bonasus is very low.

In the newsletter the authors give a concise history of the European Bison from its initial introduction date to the date the article was published. The history thoroughly explains how the two genetic lines of the bison formed, the breeding strategies they used to preserve the blood line, the environment to which the bison were introduced, and population growth and decline during those years. Since the initial introduction a complete Pedigree record of each animal was kept.

With the help of the Pedigree records and some computer programs the authors were able to create a genetic analysis of the herds presently living in the Carpathians. The major factors they took into consideration was the inbreeding coefficient (which is a measure of how close two animals are genetically to each another), the mean kinship (which is measure of how closely an animal is related to each animal is to the population), and founder contribution (which is a measure of how closely related an animal is to the animals that were first introduced). The data received reinforces the fact that high inbreeding and low genetic variability threaten the European Bison. Only through the introduction of animals that would equalize the contribution of all founders could the composition of the gene pool improve.

The data in newsletter would have been more accurate and would have provided an actual level of genetic diversity if the authors would of used DNA testing. On August 10, 2004 the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) released four new bison into the Bieszczady Mountain in an attempt to increase the genetic diversity. I was unable to find a study that examines the amount of change in the genetic diversity after August 10, 2004.

Bibliography:

Internet: http://www.iucn.org/themes/Ssc/news/bisonplanlaunch.html

Internet: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3953

Internet: http://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/biology/animals/glt/pedigree/mk2.html

Olech, W. & Perzanowski, K. (2002). A genetic background for reintroduction program of the European bison (bison bonasus) in the Carpathians Biol. Cons. 208:221-228.

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Reintroduction of Bison into Carpathians Critically Review by: Andrew Attila Terdik Szent Istvan University, Faculty of Veterinarian Science, Budapest Between 1960 and 1970 the European bison (Bison bonasus) was reintroduced into the Bieszczady Mountain (which is a segment of the Carpathian Mountains in Poland). This ended the 200-year period of absence of the European bison in the Carpathian Mountain range. Wanda Olech and Kajetan Perzanowski newsletter A genetic background for reintroduction program of the European bison (bison bonasus) in the Carpathians states that the bison that were reintroduced in the Carpathians are (as of 2002) threatened by high inbreeding and low genetic variability. At the time of the newsletters publication Bison bonasus was separated into two genetic lines: a Lowland line that is pure low-land subspecies (Bison bonasus bonasus) and a second Lowland-Caucasian line that is a mixture of Bison bonasus bonasus and Bison bonasus caucasicus. The pure Lowland line has 7 founders and the Lowland-Caucasian has 12 (the same 7 from the pure Lowland line and another 5 from subspecies caucasicus). For this reason the genetic variation in Bison bonasus is very low. In the newsletter the authors give a concise history of the European Bison from its initial introduction date to the date the article was published. The history thoroughly explains how the two genetic lines of the bison formed, the breeding strategies they used to preserve the blood line, the environment to which the bison were introduced, and population growth and decline during those years. Since the initial introduction a complete Pedigree record of each animal was kept. With the help of the Pedigree records and some computer programs the authors were able to create a genetic analysis of the herds presently living in the Carpathians. The major factors they took into consideration was the inbreeding coefficient (which is a measure of how close two animals are genetically to each another), the mean kinship (which is measure of how closely an animal is related to each animal is to the population), and founder contribution (which is a measure of how closely related an animal is to the animals that were first introduced). The data received reinforces the fact that high inbreeding and low genetic variability threaten the European Bison. Only through the introduction of animals that would equalize the contribution of all founders could the composition of the gene pool improve. The data in newsletter would have been more accurate and would have provided an actual level of genetic diversity if the authors would of used DNA testing. On August 10, 2004 the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) released four new bison into the Bieszczady Mountain in an attempt to increase the genetic diversity. I was unable to find a study that examines the amount of change in the genetic diversity after August 10, 2004. Bibliography: Internet: http://www.iucn.org/themes/Ssc/news/bisonplanlaunch.html Internet: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3953 Internet: http://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/biology/animals/glt/pedigree/mk2.html Olech, W. & Perzanowski, K. (2002). A genetic background for reintroduction program of the European bison (bison bonasus) in the Carpathians Biol. Cons. 208:221-228.

Notes (if any) by Peter Kabai: