Portal to the Lesser White-fronted Goose

- by the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose project

Literature type: Report

Language: Swedish In Swedish with English summary.

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Full reference: Willebrand, T. & Willebrand, S. 2018. Utvärdering av Åtgärdsprogrammet för fjällgås 2011–2017. [Evaluation of the 2011–2017 Action Program for the Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus).] , Naturvårdsverket Rapport 6836. 26. pp

Keywords: captive breeding, reintroduction, red fox culling, monitoring, Sweden

Abstract:

This report is an external evaluation of the current Swedish Action Plan for the Lesser White-Fronted Goose (2011-2015, extended until 2017) and parts of the Lesser White-Fronted Goose Project, commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). The evaluation has come to the following conclusions: 1. The Lesser White-fronted Goose in Sweden is critically endangered and immigration from other populations, like the small Norwegian population, is not very probable. To secure the species from becoming extinct in in Sweden, larger resources are required than what is currently available in the system for action plans at SEPA. 2. An increased focus on breeding areas is recommended to obtain more data on predator activity, human disturbance and recruitment of released birds from the breeding program. 3. An increased control of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in the breeding area during late winter, and an evaluation of the optimal ratio of released to wild birds in the population, are two highly prioritized actions. 4. Establishing a systematic monitoring program including quality control will make estimates on population development more reliable. 5. Potential breeding areas, with special emphasize on the extent of grazing fields, should be surveyed in the proximity of the present breeding area to estimate the possibility of natural expansion into new areas. 6. The captive breeding and release is well organized and of high quality. (However, as stressed above, an estimate of the optimal numbers of released birds into the wild should be evaluated.)

Literature type: Report

Language: English

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Full reference: Lee, R., Cranswick, P.A. Hilton, G.M. & Jarrett, N.S. 2010. Feasibility study for a re-introduction/supplementation programme for the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus in Norway. , WWT Report to the Directorate for Nature Management, Norway. 130pp.

Keywords: reintroduction, translocation, population, mortality, feasibility, re-introduction, supplementation, Norway, Fennoscandia, life-history, captive breeding, zoo,

Literature type: Scientific

Journal: Conservation Genetics

Volume: 8 , Pages: 197-207.

DOI: 10.1007/s10592-006-9162-5

Language: English

Full reference: Ruokonen, M., Andersson, A.-C. & Tegelström, H. 2007. Using historical captive stocks in conservation. The case of the lesser white-fronted goose. Conservation Genetics 8: 197-207. https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-006-9162-5

Keywords: Hybrid, Captive, Supplementation, Reintroduction, Lesser white-fronted goose, Anser erythropus

Abstract:

Many captive stocks of economically or otherwise valuable species were established before the decline of the wild population. These stocks are potentially valuable sources of genetic variability, but their taxonomic identity and actual value is often uncertain. We studied the genetics of captive stocks of the threatened lesser white-fronted goose Anser erythropus maintained in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. Analyses of mtDNA and nuclear microsatellite markers revealed that 36% of the individuals had a hybrid ancestry. Because the parental species are closely related it is unlikely that our analyses detected all hybrid individuals in the material. Because no ancestral polymorphism or introgression was observed in samples of wild populations, it is likely that the observed hybridisation has occurred in captivity. As a consequence of founder effect, drift and hybridisation, captive stocks were genetically differentiated from the wild populations of the lesser white-fronted goose. The high level of genetic diversity in the captive stocks is explained at least partially by hybridisation. The present captive stocks of the lesser white-fronted goose are considered unsuitable for further reintroduction, or supplementation: hybridisation has involved three species, the number of hybrids is high, and all the investigated captive stocks are similarly affected. The results highlight the potential shortcomings of using captive-bred individuals in supplementation and reintroduction projects, when the captive stocks have not been pedigreed and bred according to conservation principles.

Literature type: Report

Language: NA

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Full reference: Kholodova, M.V. & Severtsov, A.N. 2002. Report —2001/2002: Analyses of the captive populations of the Lesser Whitefronted Geese. , Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russia 30.4.2001.

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Tegelström, H., Ruokonen, M. & Löfgren, S. 2001. The genetic status of the captive Lesser White-fronted Geese used for breeding and reintroduction in Sweden and Finland. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 2000. WWF Finland Report 13 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Rapportserie Report No 1-2001: pp. 37-39.

Keywords: Annual report, monitoring, reintroduction

Literature type: Scientific

Journal: Conservation Genetics

Volume: 1 , Pages: 277-283.

DOI: 10.1023/A:1011509922762

Language: English

Full reference: Ruokonen, M., Kvist, L., Tegelström, H., Lumme, J. 2000. Goose hybrids, captive breeding and restocking of the Fennoscandian populations of the Lesser White-fronted goose (Anser erythropus). Conservation Genetics 1: 277-283. https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1011509922762

Keywords: captive stock, hybrids, mitochondrial DNA, reintroduction

Abstract:

The lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) is the most threatened of the Palearctic goose species with a declining population trend throughout its distributional range. The current estimate of the Fennoscandian subpopulation size is 30–50 breeding pairs, whereas it still numbered more than 10 000 individuals at the beginning of the last century. Reintroduction and restocking have been carried out in Sweden and Finland using captive lesser white-fronted goose stock with unknown origins. We have carried out a study of the genetic composition of captive-bred stock by sequencing a 221 bp hypervariable fragment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from 15 individuals from the Hailuoto farm, Finland. Two out of the three maternal lineages detected in the captive stock are also present in wild populations. The third maternal lineage among the captive lesser white-fronted geese originates from the closely related greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). None of the investigated wild lesser white-fronted goose individuals carried themtDNA of the greater white-fronted goose. The presence of greater white-fronted goose mtDNA in the lesser white-fronted goose captive stock suggests that hybridization has occurred during captive propagation.

Literature type: Rep.article

Language: English

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Full reference: Ruokonen, M. 2000. Genetic composition of the captive Lesser White-fronted Goose population. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1999. WWF Finland Report 12 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-2000: pp. 54-56.

Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual, DNA, reintroduction

Literature type: Scientific

Journal: Biochem. Genet.

Volume: 34 , Pages: 287-296.

DOI: 10.1007/PL00020578

Language: English

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Full reference: Tegelström, H. & von Essen, L. 1996. DNA fingerprinting of captive breeding pairs of lesser white-fronted geese (Anser erythropus) with unknown pedigrees. Biochem. Genet. 34: 287-296. https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00020578

Keywords: genetics, reintroduction

Abstract:

For a number of decades, the lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) has been almost-absent from the Fennoscandian fauna and has a current population size of only about 60 breeding pairs, with fewer than 10 pairs in Sweden. During the period 1981–1991 more than 200 young have been reintroduced in northern Sweden. However, the origin and possible relatedness of lesser white-fronted individuals were unknown when the breeding program started. We have used DNA fingerprinting to assess the similarity of 18 individuals, i.e., the entire captive population used for breeding in 1991 and about 60% of the captive population used in 1981–1991. Minisatellite probe 33.15 provided an index for an average similarity of 0.39 between the mates of the 12 breeding pairs used for producing offspring for reintroduction. This is a higher similarity than in natural populations of birds in general but lower than in populations that have passed through serious population bottlenecks. Individuals originating from different breeders are more dissimilar than those from the same breeder. However, the close relationships (similarity, 0.5–0.6) found in a group of five individuals from different breeders show that selecting individuals from different breeding groups is not sufficient to prevent mating between closely related individuals.

Literature type: Report

Language: Swedish (In Swedish)

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Full reference: Larsson, K. 1993. Projekt fjällgås. En utvärdering. På uppdrag av Världsnaturfonden WWF. [Project Lesser White-fronted Goose. An evaluation. Commissioned by World Wildlife Fund.] , Uppsala Universitet. 8pp.

Keywords: reintroduction, Öster-Malma, Sweden, captive, status, genetics

Literature type: General

Journal: Fåglar i Norrbotten

Volume: nr 3 1986 , Pages: 20-23.

Language: Swedish (In Swedish)

Full reference: von Essen, L. 1986. Projekt fjällgås. [Project Lesser White-fronted Goose.], Fåglar i Norrbotten: nr 3 1986, 20-23.

Keywords: reintroduction, Sweden, Öster Malma, Boda, Eriksbergs viltpark, captive, origin

Number of results: 12