Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia
Abstract Southwest Primorye hosts approximately 9% of the remaining wild Amur tiger population and represents hope for the revival of tigers in Northeast China and the Korean peninsula. Decades of conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in population size, from less than 10 individua...
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79970-3 |
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| author | Daecheol Jeong Jee Yun Hyun Taisiia Marchenkova Dina Matiukhina Sujoo Cho Jangmi Lee Dong Youn Kim Ying Li Yury Darman Mi-Sook Min Victor Bardyuk Younghee Lee Puneet Pandey Hang Lee |
| author_facet | Daecheol Jeong Jee Yun Hyun Taisiia Marchenkova Dina Matiukhina Sujoo Cho Jangmi Lee Dong Youn Kim Ying Li Yury Darman Mi-Sook Min Victor Bardyuk Younghee Lee Puneet Pandey Hang Lee |
| author_sort | Daecheol Jeong |
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| description | Abstract Southwest Primorye hosts approximately 9% of the remaining wild Amur tiger population and represents hope for the revival of tigers in Northeast China and the Korean peninsula. Decades of conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in population size, from less than 10 individuals surviving in the region in 1996 to multiple folds today. However, while the population size has recovered since the mid-1900s, the effects of genetic depletion on evolutionary potential are not easily reversed. In this study, a non-invasive genetic analysis of the Amur tiger subpopulation in Southwest Primorye was conducted using microsatellite loci and mitochondrial genes to estimate genetic diversity, relatedness, and determine the impact of historical demographic dynamics. A total of 32 individuals (16 males, 15 females, and 1 unidentified sex) were identified, and signs of bottlenecks were detected, reflecting past demographic events. Low genetic variation observed in mitochondrial DNA also revealed genetic depletion within the population. Most individuals were found to be closely related to each other, raising concerns about inbreeding given the small population size and somewhat isolated environment from the main population in Sikhote-Alin. These findings emphasize the urgent need to establish ecological corridors to neighboring areas to restore genetic diversity and ensure the conservation of the Amur tiger population in Southwest Primorye. |
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| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd33ee901e84408b9d359b5548e0220f2025-08-20T02:31:04ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-12-0114111410.1038/s41598-024-79970-3Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye RussiaDaecheol Jeong0Jee Yun Hyun1Taisiia Marchenkova2Dina Matiukhina3Sujoo Cho4Jangmi Lee5Dong Youn Kim6Ying Li7Yury Darman8Mi-Sook Min9Victor Bardyuk10Younghee Lee11Puneet Pandey12Hang Lee13Research Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityFederal State Budgetary Institution Joint Directorate of Kedrovaya Pad’ State Biosphere Nature Reserve and Land of the Leopard National Park, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian FederationFederal State Budgetary Institution Joint Directorate of Kedrovaya Pad’ State Biosphere Nature Reserve and Land of the Leopard National Park, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian FederationResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityCollege of Geography and Ocean Science, Yanbian UniversityPacific Geographical Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of ScienceResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityFederal State Budgetary Institution Joint Directorate of Kedrovaya Pad’ State Biosphere Nature Reserve and Land of the Leopard National Park, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian FederationLaboratory of Veterinary Informatics (Bioinformatics), College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science and Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityAbstract Southwest Primorye hosts approximately 9% of the remaining wild Amur tiger population and represents hope for the revival of tigers in Northeast China and the Korean peninsula. Decades of conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in population size, from less than 10 individuals surviving in the region in 1996 to multiple folds today. However, while the population size has recovered since the mid-1900s, the effects of genetic depletion on evolutionary potential are not easily reversed. In this study, a non-invasive genetic analysis of the Amur tiger subpopulation in Southwest Primorye was conducted using microsatellite loci and mitochondrial genes to estimate genetic diversity, relatedness, and determine the impact of historical demographic dynamics. A total of 32 individuals (16 males, 15 females, and 1 unidentified sex) were identified, and signs of bottlenecks were detected, reflecting past demographic events. Low genetic variation observed in mitochondrial DNA also revealed genetic depletion within the population. Most individuals were found to be closely related to each other, raising concerns about inbreeding given the small population size and somewhat isolated environment from the main population in Sikhote-Alin. These findings emphasize the urgent need to establish ecological corridors to neighboring areas to restore genetic diversity and ensure the conservation of the Amur tiger population in Southwest Primorye.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79970-3Amur tigerSouthwest PrimoryeNon-invasive surveyGenetic bottleneckIsolate-breaking EffectEcological corridor |
| spellingShingle | Daecheol Jeong Jee Yun Hyun Taisiia Marchenkova Dina Matiukhina Sujoo Cho Jangmi Lee Dong Youn Kim Ying Li Yury Darman Mi-Sook Min Victor Bardyuk Younghee Lee Puneet Pandey Hang Lee Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia Scientific Reports Amur tiger Southwest Primorye Non-invasive survey Genetic bottleneck Isolate-breaking Effect Ecological corridor |
| title | Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia |
| title_full | Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia |
| title_fullStr | Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia |
| title_short | Genetic insights and conservation strategies for Amur tigers in Southwest Primorye Russia |
| title_sort | genetic insights and conservation strategies for amur tigers in southwest primorye russia |
| topic | Amur tiger Southwest Primorye Non-invasive survey Genetic bottleneck Isolate-breaking Effect Ecological corridor |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79970-3 |
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