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Phylogeographic analysis and genetic cluster recognition for the conservation of Ural Owls (Strix uralensis) in Europe

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Abstract

The distribution of the Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) in Europe shrank dramatically at the end of the nineteenth century, largely through direct persecution. No genetic information on this species is available that could provide a basis for ongoing conservation and breeding programs. Here, we genetically analyzed wild and captive populations of European Ural Owls to provide data that can be used to establish sound and sustainable management strategies. We analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear markers to evaluate the morphology-based concept of two subspecies (Strix uralensis liturata and Strix uralensis macroura), to gain insights into the phylogeographic population structure, and to determine genetic clusters for management implications. Our results supported neither the morphological subspecies concept nor a strong phylogeographic population structure. However, they pointed toward a noteworthy genetic exchange in the western range of the distribution of this species. Structure analysis revealed five genetic clusters. We propose that genetic-cluster-based management is better suited to the conservation of European Ural Owls than the separate consideration of each local population. If applied in supportive breeding programs, genetic cluster recognition and its contribution to divergence and diversity would help to preserve the genetic variability of the captive breeding population and enable optimal genetic tuning of the captive population to correspond to the genetic constitution of the supported population.

Zusammenfassung

Phylogeographische Analyse und genetische Clustererkennung zum Schutz des Habichtskauzes ( Strix uralensis ) in Europa

Der Habichtskauz (Strix uralensis) hat gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts viel von seinem früheren Verbreitungsgebiet, vor allem durch direkte Verfolgung verloren. Zu dieser Art ist keine genetische Information als Grundlage für laufende Erhaltungs- und Zuchtprogramme vorhanden. In der vorliegenden Studie haben wir Wild und Zuchtpopulationen genetisch analysiert um Grundlagen für ein solides und nachhaltiges Management zu erarbeiten. Wir analysierten mitochondriale und nukleare Marker, um das morphologie-basierte Konzept der zwei Unterarten (Strix u. liturata und Strix u. macroura) zu evaluieren, um Einblicke in die phylogeographische Struktur der Population zu erhalten und um genetische Cluster die einen Einfluss auf das Management haben, zu bestimmen. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstützt weder das morphologische Unterarten-Konzept, noch zeigen sie eine ausgeprägte phylogeographische Populationsstruktur. Es wurde jedoch ein nennenswerter genetischer Austausch im westlichen Bereich des Verbreitungsgebietes des Habichtkauzes in Europa festgestellt. STRUCTURE-Analysen ergaben fünf genetische Cluster. Managementstrategien auf der Basis von genetischen Clustern sind für die Erhaltung des Europäischen Habichtskautz nach unseren Ergebnissen, gegenüber der Berücksichtigung von einzelnen lokalen Populationen, zu bevorzugen. Die Beachtung von genetischen Clustern sowie deren Beitrag zur genetischen Divergenz und Diversität hilft die genetische Variabilität der Zuchtpopulation zu erhalten und ermöglicht eine optimale Abstimmung dieser an die genetische Konstitution der durch Auswilderungsmaßnahmen zu unterstützenden Population.

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Acknowledgments

We thank H. Mägdefrau for financial support from the Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany, G. Firmánszky and A. Avotins for providing samples for this study, and D. Cowley for comments to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Zoology, Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Roland Hausknecht, Susanne Jacobs & Ralph Kuehn

  2. Nationalparkverwaltung Bayerischer Wald, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany

    Jörg Müller

  3. Forschungsinstitut für Wildtierkunde und Ökologie, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria

    Richard Zink

  4. Department für Pathobiologie, Institut für Parasitologie und Zoologie, Vet. Med. Universität Wien, Veterinaerplatz1, 1210, Vienna, Austria

    Hans Frey & Jozef Mihok

  5. Agder Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 1887, Gimlemoen, 4686, Kistiansand S, Norway

    Roar Solheim

  6. National Institute of Biology, Vecna pot 111, 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Al Vrezec

  7. Institute of Forest Ecology SAS, Sturova 2, Zvolen, 96053, Slovakia

    Anton Kristin

  8. Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia, Peldu Str. 26/28-505, Riga, 1050, Latvia

    Ilze Kergalve

  9. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 17, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Pertti Saurola

  10. Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Center for Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München Freising, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Jörg Müller

  11. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology and Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, MSC 4901, Box 30003, 88003-8003, Las Cruces, NM, USA

    Ralph Kuehn

Authors
  1. Roland Hausknecht
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  2. Susanne Jacobs
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  3. Jörg Müller
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  4. Richard Zink
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  5. Hans Frey
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  6. Roar Solheim
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  7. Al Vrezec
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  8. Anton Kristin
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  9. Jozef Mihok
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  10. Ilze Kergalve
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  11. Pertti Saurola
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  12. Ralph Kuehn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ralph Kuehn.

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Communicated by M. Wink.

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Hausknecht, R., Jacobs, S., Müller, J. et al. Phylogeographic analysis and genetic cluster recognition for the conservation of Ural Owls (Strix uralensis) in Europe. J Ornithol 155, 121–134 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0994-8

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