Noninvasive genetic sampling became an important part in brown bear monitoring in many countries.... more Noninvasive genetic sampling became an important part in brown bear monitoring in many countries. Mainly feces and hairs collected in the field as well as systematical hair trapping are the two major sampling strategies to acquire bear samples for DNA analysis. In Pasvik, northern Norway, both sampling methods are applied and we looked at the results and effort of applying these two strategies in a part of the Pasvik Valley. Field sampling was conducted throughout the year from April to November, whereas hair trapping was conducted only between mid-June and mid-August. Field sampling and hair trapping were applied simultaneously in the Norwegian territory of the tri-lateral hair trapping project between Norway, Finland and Russia in 2007 and 2011. We focused on the Norwegian part with a size of about 500 km2 and compared the results of hair trapping and of samples collected in the field. Based on the results, we can conclude that none of the two methods is preferable and therefore a...
I 2014 ble det for sjette år på rad samlet inn prøver med antatt opphav fra brunbjørn (Ursus arct... more I 2014 ble det for sjette år på rad samlet inn prøver med antatt opphav fra brunbjørn (Ursus arctos) gjennom det nasjonale overvåkingsprogrammet for rovvilt i Norge. Det ble samlet inn 962 prøver i 2014 (703 ekskrementprøver, 247 hårprøver, 11 vevsprøver og 1 blodprøve), noe som er betydelig lavere antall prøver enn forrige år (1246 prøver i 2013). Av disse prøvene var 60 % positive for brunbjørn, og det ble påvist 136 ulike bjørner, hvorav 54 hunnbjørner og 82 hannbjørner. Dette er en reduksjon sammenlignet med forrige år da det ble påvist 55 hunnbjørner og 93 hannbjørner. I løpet av de siste seks årene har andelen hunnbjørner økt, og i 2014 var andelen økt til 40 %. Beregninger av antall ynglinger i samme periode ligger relativt stabilt på ca. 6 ynglinger. Som tidligere år er forekomsten av brunbjørn i hovedsak konsentrert i fylkene Hedmark (43), Finnmark (34) og Nord-Trøndelag (29). Av de 136 individbestemte bjørnene i Norge i 2014 var 93 individer (68 %) tidligere påvist i Norge...
About the cover image: Male brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed during a summer night in Finla... more About the cover image: Male brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed during a summer night in Finland, close to the Russian border. See the paper by Snorre B. Hagen et al. “Evidence of rapid change in genetic structure and diversity during range expansion in a recovering large terrestrial carnivore” published in Proceedings B (http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0092). Photo credit: Alexander Kopatz.
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, Jan 22, 2015
Recovery of natural populations occurs often with simultaneous or subsequent range expansions. Ac... more Recovery of natural populations occurs often with simultaneous or subsequent range expansions. According to population genetic theory, genetic structuring emerges at the expansion front together with decreasing genetic diversity, owing to multiple founder events. Thereupon, as the expansion proceeds and connectivity among populations is established, homogenization and a resurgence of genetic diversity are to be expected. Few studies have used a fine temporal scale combined with genetic sampling to track range expansions as they proceed in wild animal populations. As a natural experiment, the historical eradication of large terrestrial carnivores followed by their recovery and recolonization may facilitate empirical tests of these ideas. Here, using brown bear (Ursus arctos) as model species, we tested predictions from genetic theory of range expansion. Individuals from all over Finland were genotyped for every year between 1996 and 2010 using 12 validated autosomal microsatellite ma...
Noninvasive genetic sampling became an important part in brown bear monitoring in many countries.... more Noninvasive genetic sampling became an important part in brown bear monitoring in many countries. Mainly feces and hairs collected in the field as well as systematical hair trapping are the two major sampling strategies to acquire bear samples for DNA analysis. In Pasvik, northern Norway, both sampling methods are applied and we looked at the results and effort of applying these two strategies in a part of the Pasvik Valley. Field sampling was conducted throughout the year from April to November, whereas hair trapping was conducted only between mid-June and mid-August. Field sampling and hair trapping were applied simultaneously in the Norwegian territory of the tri-lateral hair trapping project between Norway, Finland and Russia in 2007 and 2011. We focused on the Norwegian part with a size of about 500 km2 and compared the results of hair trapping and of samples collected in the field. Based on the results, we can conclude that none of the two methods is preferable and therefore a...
I 2014 ble det for sjette år på rad samlet inn prøver med antatt opphav fra brunbjørn (Ursus arct... more I 2014 ble det for sjette år på rad samlet inn prøver med antatt opphav fra brunbjørn (Ursus arctos) gjennom det nasjonale overvåkingsprogrammet for rovvilt i Norge. Det ble samlet inn 962 prøver i 2014 (703 ekskrementprøver, 247 hårprøver, 11 vevsprøver og 1 blodprøve), noe som er betydelig lavere antall prøver enn forrige år (1246 prøver i 2013). Av disse prøvene var 60 % positive for brunbjørn, og det ble påvist 136 ulike bjørner, hvorav 54 hunnbjørner og 82 hannbjørner. Dette er en reduksjon sammenlignet med forrige år da det ble påvist 55 hunnbjørner og 93 hannbjørner. I løpet av de siste seks årene har andelen hunnbjørner økt, og i 2014 var andelen økt til 40 %. Beregninger av antall ynglinger i samme periode ligger relativt stabilt på ca. 6 ynglinger. Som tidligere år er forekomsten av brunbjørn i hovedsak konsentrert i fylkene Hedmark (43), Finnmark (34) og Nord-Trøndelag (29). Av de 136 individbestemte bjørnene i Norge i 2014 var 93 individer (68 %) tidligere påvist i Norge...
About the cover image: Male brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed during a summer night in Finla... more About the cover image: Male brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed during a summer night in Finland, close to the Russian border. See the paper by Snorre B. Hagen et al. “Evidence of rapid change in genetic structure and diversity during range expansion in a recovering large terrestrial carnivore” published in Proceedings B (http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0092). Photo credit: Alexander Kopatz.
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, Jan 22, 2015
Recovery of natural populations occurs often with simultaneous or subsequent range expansions. Ac... more Recovery of natural populations occurs often with simultaneous or subsequent range expansions. According to population genetic theory, genetic structuring emerges at the expansion front together with decreasing genetic diversity, owing to multiple founder events. Thereupon, as the expansion proceeds and connectivity among populations is established, homogenization and a resurgence of genetic diversity are to be expected. Few studies have used a fine temporal scale combined with genetic sampling to track range expansions as they proceed in wild animal populations. As a natural experiment, the historical eradication of large terrestrial carnivores followed by their recovery and recolonization may facilitate empirical tests of these ideas. Here, using brown bear (Ursus arctos) as model species, we tested predictions from genetic theory of range expansion. Individuals from all over Finland were genotyped for every year between 1996 and 2010 using 12 validated autosomal microsatellite ma...
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