Tsalazidou-Founta Tzoulia-Maria, Karaiskou Nikoleta, Mertzanis Yorgos, Sofos Ioannis, Psaroudas Spyros, Vavylis Dimitrios, Koutis Vaios, Spyrou Vassiliki, Tragos Athanasios, Tsaknakis Yannis, Touloudi Antonia, Giannakopoulos Alexios, Chatzopoulos Dimitrios, Billinis Charalambos, Satra Maria
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece.
Department of Genetics, Development & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 6;14(23):3530. doi: 10.3390/ani14233530.
Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to the existence and reproduction of large carnivores, such as brown bears, as it affects the genetic connectivity of populations and, consequently, their long-term viability. Understanding the genetic makeup and dispersal patterns in areas where brown bears live is crucial for developing effective conservation plans and promoting human-brown bear coexistence. In this study, 214 hair samples were collected non-invasively from brown bears and were genetically analyzed using fifteen specific microsatellite loci to shed light on the genetic status and demography of a sub-population residing in Central Greece (Trikala-Meteora area). The broader Central and South Pindos regions have not been studied for over a decade; however, high levels of genetic diversity, a lack of heterozygosity deficiency, and no signs of inbreeding, along with an estimated effective population size (Ne = 99), confirm the good conservation status of this sub-population. Moreover, the existence of a natural and apparently functional corridor in Central Pindos was demonstrated by bear movements between the western and eastern parts of the project area, enhancing the sustainability of the population. These findings will contribute to future efforts to conserve natural corridors that enable functional connectivity among large areas of brown bear territories in Greece.
栖息地破碎化对棕熊等大型食肉动物的生存和繁殖构成了重大威胁，因为它影响了种群的基因连通性，进而影响其长期生存能力。了解棕熊生活区域的基因组成和扩散模式对于制定有效的保护计划以及促进人类与棕熊共存至关重要。在本研究中，从棕熊身上非侵入性地采集了214份毛发样本，并使用15个特定的微卫星位点进行基因分析，以阐明希腊中部（特里卡拉-迈泰奥拉地区）一个亚种群的基因状况和种群统计学特征。更广阔的中品都斯和南品都斯地区已经有十多年没有进行过研究了；然而，高水平的遗传多样性、不存在杂合性缺陷以及没有近亲繁殖的迹象，再加上估计的有效种群大小（Ne = 99），证实了这个亚种群良好的保护状况。此外，品都斯中部存在一条自然且明显起作用的走廊，这一点通过项目区域西部和东部之间的熊的活动得到了证明，这增强了该种群的可持续性。这些发现将有助于未来保护自然走廊的努力，这些走廊能够实现希腊大面积棕熊领地之间的功能连通性。
