Exam MSc

How does population ecology provide a framework for understanding the impact of interventions?

understanding where the issue arrises in the lifecyles and how its exacerbated by pop dynamics or anthropogenic factors helps to inform the best intervention strategy

What are the methods and motivations for intervening in the health and welfare of wild animals?

zoonosis, conservation, welfare, economics, cultural // vaccination, treatment, breeding, culling, invasive spp management, habitat restoration

Define population dynamics

change in size and structure of a population over time

Define population demography

characteristics of a population related to its size, distribution, and composition.

What is regulation theory

Limiting factors such as anthropogenic impacts, intrinsic (density dependence), and extrinsic (climate, weather, habitat, predation, disease) factors that affect population growth and stability in ecology.

What are vital rates?

Measures of birth, death, immigration, and emigration that influence population size and dynamics.

What do vital rates identify

how a population is impacted and potential limiting factors

Desrcibe vital rates in relation to the albatross

breeding was steady but survival rates were declining, limiting factors indicated that there were no impacts at the breeding colony and survival was impacted at sea due to bycatch

Define population reinforcement

(add more) movement and release of an org into an existing population w conspecifics

Define reintroduction

(start from scratch) movement and release of an org inside its indigenous range from which its disappeared

Define assisted migration

movement and release of an org outside its indigenous range to avoid extinction

Define ecological replacement

movement and release of an org outside its indigenous range to perform specific ecological functions

Define translocation

human mediated movement of orgs from one area with free release in another

Define infection

invasion of host by disease causing agent, their multiplication, the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and their toxins

Define pathogenicity

The potential ability of an organism to cause disease

What is NOT an element of pathogenicity

how dangerous it is

Define virulence

the degree of pathogenicity

What are virulence factors

molecule that increase efficiency of pathogen replication, access, and binding to target tissues or help it escape the hosts defense

What does the loss of virulence factors result in

attenuation of pathogen

In regards to the pathogen, what determines susceptibility and severity

point of entry, inoculum size, genetics/virulence factors

In regards to the host, what determines susceptibility and severity

immune status, age/health/condition, genetics

Define endemic occurence

continuous infection in a population of a limited area over a period of time

Define epedemic occurence

peaks above basal endemic levels

Define pandemic

global epidemic

Define prevalence

proportion of susceptible hosts who have a condition at or during a particular time

define incidence

proportion or rate of susceptible hosts who develeoped a condition during a particular time

Describe density dependent infections

usually self limiting, rate of transmission depends on population density and will disappear if the host does W

What is an example of a density dependent infection

high path AIV killing elephant seals

What are threshold densities

critical minimum for host population density required for a pathogen to infect and persist

Describe how gregarious species are impacted by density dependent diseases

they always have a high density so they always meet the threshold density

Describe a frequency dependent infection

rate of transmission is determined by the proportion of infected individuals in a population so that it does persist even at low host densities

what is compensatory density dependence

as local populations decline, survivors experience less competition, improved BC, survival, and reproductive success Wh

Define rapid replacement

population numbers are maintained bc losses are quickly replaced via high recruitment or immigration

What are the 7 mechanisms for disease induced extinction

Allee effect, small preepizootic populations, inbreeding effect, persistence via reseviors, slow host reproduction, reduced reproduction, trophic cascades

Describe how small preepizootic populations is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

pops are already small in demographics, genetics, or spatial buffering so disease induced mortality drives numbers below recovery thresholds

Describe how allee effect is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

pathogen reduces pops to a low density, leading to a population crash that impacts foraging, mating, or protection

Describe how inbreeding effect is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

disease reduces effective population size resulting in inbreeding depression and loss of genetic diversity resulting in decreased repro success, increased susceptibility to extinction

Describe how persistence via reseviors is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

even with small host populations if pathogens can survive in abiotic environment or w alternative reservoir spp

Describe how slow host repro is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

spp w slow repro rates are able to less quickly recover from high infection induced mortality

Describe how trophic cascades is a mechanism for disease induced extinction

decline in keystone spp lead to extinction of other spp

What is an example of persistence via reseviors

anthrax

What is required for investigating disease impact

individual infection must be linked to population level outcomes, often through inverventions to determine impact (i.e. field surveillance, experiemntal/observational studies, epidemiological models

Give an example of trophic cascades and how that impact was evaluated

1988 rinderpest virus was introduced to ethiopia. it was highly transmissible and virulent, causing declines in even toed ungulates such as wilebeasts due to no effective immune responses. Vax interventions in late 1950s lead to increased wildabeast and hence hyena populations.

describe a density dependent disease in autralian rabbits

myxoma virus killed 99.8% of infected rabbits in the first year but inadvertently selected for genetic immunity and was unable to cull the remaining 30% of rabbits bc they didnt reach the threshold minimum

define ethics

moral principles that govern a person’s behaviors

For UK laws, what groups of animals are there regulations and protections fro

farmed, zooed, or researched

describe the cambridge declaration of consciousness

the absence of a neurocorext does not mean they are exempt from affect and there is evidence of pro consciousness and capacity to exhibit conscious experience

list the 7 principles for ethical wildlife control

modify human practices (no approaching orgs), justify with evidence (harm needs to be demonstrated), clear/achievable objectives, prioritize animal welfare, mantain social acceptibility (respect community values), conduct systematic planning (long term surveillance), work with specifics and not labels

What are the principles behind compassionate conservation

reorient conseravtion to be ethically expansive and include the recognition of intrinsic value and sentience

What is a harm benefit analysis

assess harms animals will experience and if benefits delivered justify the harms accrued

What are some examples of harms in a cost benefit analysis

individual welfare compromised, impact target population, impact ecosystem

What are examples of benefits in a cost harm analysis

reduced predation, population declines halted, range extended, successful introduction, data gathered, increased funding

Describe a harm benefit analysis for trophy hunting

harm: ethical concerns, harm, endangered spp not being regulated. benefit: supports economy, spreads awareness, provides scruitainy

What ethical reforms are needed for wildlife?

review legislation to ensure fit for purpose, perform retrospective analyses to ensure evidence based protection, use licensing and independent inspectors ot ensure accountability, radical realignments

How does physiological stress impact translocated individuals

What are sources of stress in translocations

capture and handling, quarentining, habitat adjustment and social separation, transport

How do you critically appraise methods for assessing stress within translocation programs

Define homeostasis

dynamic maintinance of a constraint

define stress

response of the body to a demand that disturbs homeostasis

what kind of process is stress

an innate, adaptive mechanism that promotes survival via activation and feedback loops between endocrine pathways and immune systems

what is a glucocorticoid

a hormone group that mantains steady fuel as a result to stress

what does cortisol do in the body

conserve glucose, elevate and stabilize glucose concentration ratios, mobilize proteins and lipids reserves, conserve salts and water, anti-inflammatory

what does cortisol measure

arousal (interfering factors like activity, sex, or seasonality need to be ruled out to determine valence)`

What is the result of the HPA response vector

glucocorticoid

what are disadvantages of HPA activity

alert state is mantained so slower healing, suppressed immune system, and suppressed reproductive system

why is there a supressed immune system w HPA activity

due to a limited number of receptors in the posterior pituitary lobe hormones attach elsewhere

What needs to be considered with chronic stress

cortisol readings may be lower and organism may be unresponsive until they overreact

what is an example of stress does not equal welfare

cheetahs have higher cortisol in captivity which demonstrated gatric ulceration and hypertrophic adrenals

Describe paramyxovirus in reptiles

What is the clinical significance of paramyxovirus

How is ferlavirus detected

first in switzerland in captive populations

How is ferlavirus diagnosed

serology via hemaglutinating properties, virus detection via IHC/ isolation/ RT PCR. characterized by respiratory and CNS signs

How is ferlavirus treated

antibiotic therapy reduces secondary infections

How can ferlavirus prevented

reduced contact, divided groups disinfection, 90d quarentine, allow 2 months before adding

describe herpes virus in tortoises

ulcerative to diptheroid necrotizing somatitis and glossitis with lethargy, anorexia, rhinitis, CNS signs, and eosinophilic intranucelar inclusion bodies

how to quarentine for herpesvirus in tortoises

quarentine at least 6 mo, serology test at start and end, PCR at start, keep spp separate and in small groups, possibility for latent infection

what is the etiology for IBD in pythons and boas

arenaviridae, an enveloped ssRNA with a segmented genome

what is the significance of IBD in boas and pythons

pythons develop the disease quicker and have smaller distribution in cells, transmission studies are inconclusive and depends highly on strain

diagnosis of IBD in boas and pythons

biopsy liver/kidney/esophageal tonsils, blood cells erthocyes/lymphocytes. symptoms: immunosuppression, CNS, regugitation, anorexia, lethargy, pneumonia.

what is the significance of nidovirales

there is consitently high detection in pythons for long periods of time, with positive animals appearing healthy. it is an URI with systemic spread leading to chronic subclinical infection often with co infection in mycoplasma nad paramyxovirus

What is the signifiance of O.O in europe

its a snake fungal disease with a wide host range and multiple clades. sporadic detection first in museum samples. characterized as present (pos test)//apparent(+gross signs)//oo (+histological hyphae//oo&shedder (+hitological arthrocondia)

describe african wild dog population dynamics

cooperative hunters mean larger packs, resulting in fewer deaths, larger litters, and more daughter packs. it also means less genetic diversity and packs often die with founding alphas. generally have a low pop density with large range

how did ecology inform rabies and CDV transmission for wild dog pops

mean time from start to last death with rabies was 33 days but packs interacted every 40 days meaning mortality outpaced transmission and disease cannot be eradicated via managing wild dogs

how did antrhopogenic factors impact tranmission of pathogens in african wild dogs

increased with domestic dog density, turnover, pack size, disease status of domestics, ansd density of other wildlife hosts. decreased with separation of wild/domestics and vaccines in domestics

wild dogs with greater contact with domestics were at higher risk for most things EXCEPT

CDV (they WERE higher risk for ehrlichia canis, parvo, neospora canium, rabies)

Where was the main risk factor with CDV from in wild dogs

interactions with hyenas

describe the rabies vaccination campaign in african wild dogs

boosters needed, domestic dogs needed to be vaccinated and lower cost of treatment and bite injuries were seen with increasing vaccinations

describe distemper vaccine in african wild dogs

inactivated led to death, supply issues with recombinant, live was thought to be dangerous but was tried and successful with 1 dose

describe parvo vaccination in african wilds

there is none, dogs will shed vax and spread disease

what does management look like for wild african dogs

address other threats and secure habitat, monitor for pathogens and cull if outbreak detected, have rapid response plans in place prior to outbreak

describe the cultural importance of reindeer in northern europe

30 ethnic peoples use them for meat, skin, fur, and velvet. they’ve been hearded for hundreds of years by Sami with over 40% of land for grazing including seasonal migrations and sporadic handling/management w

what are the ecological and economic consequences for the intense but sporadic handling of reindeer

30% of herders have contact w more than 25 herds per year, pathogens become trapped in ice, corrals and supplemental feeding harbor pathogens, cross spp transmission possible do to co-grazing with sheep, and traditional slaughter have zoonotic issues

descrIbe CWD transmission

either direct (fighting, socializing, maternal transfer) or indirect (consumption, contact with infectious fluids) leads to symptomatic infection in 2/3 of reindeer, and death after a 15-18 month incubation period while shedding

desrcribe main transmission modes of CWD pre and post establishment

pre outbreak is via contact, post establishment is via environment

what restrictions were placed due to CWD

ban on export of deer from norway, permit for any movement between counties, ban on feed/salt licks, ban on import of odorous substances

what were the main Sami concerns with CWD

land use (hunters want to return immedietally, sheep farmers want it, how long to wait to safely return), sick deer are natural selection

how does CWD in semi domestic populations have cultural and ecological consequences

no reindeer racing (damage economy), market reaction to zoonotic potential (can’t sell product), impact herding culture over time (sustainability, tradition, recruitment)

describe population dynamics of reds and eastern greys in the UK

reds have declines due to historic deforestation but replanting peaksed populations in the early 1900s causing them to be seen as agricultural pests. eastern greys were introduced in 1876 and first outbreaks were thought to be around 1900s-1930s. 1964 marked the link between presence of GrySq and disease with population declines in Reds. First fatality was not detected until 1981

later studies showed that GrySqs did not increase liklihood of Red extinction…why?

outbreaks occured outside of Grey geographic range. its a density dependent virus and persists in the environment

how was SQPV transmitted through translocations in the 1980s?

reds were moved to coniferous woods and fine at first but SQPV outbreak months later from cones that were used to restrain and tag squirels