Poor implementation of non-invasive sampling in wildlife genetics studies

Miriam A. Zemanova

doi:10.3897/rethinkingecology.4.32751

Abstract

The Earth’s biodiversity is currently experiencing immense pressure from habitat loss, overexploitation, global climate change, and invasive species, which escalate the global extinction crisis. Comprehensive knowledge of the extent and impact of biodiversity loss is therefore critical for determining species vulnerability and prioritizing conservation goals. An integral part of wildlife conservation research and management is nowadays genetic sampling. Animal DNA has been traditionally obtained invasively, from blood or other tissues, however public concerns over animal welfare require that animals are affected as little as possible during research. One of the ways to minimize the impact on wildlife animal welfare is to use non-invasive genetic sampling. Even though non-invasive genetic sampling techniques have been developed for many animal species, it is not clear how often they are being implemented. Here, I present an overview of recently published articles on genetics in amphibians, birds, carnivores, molluscs and rodents, for which I examined whether they used a lethal, invasive or non-invasive DNA sampling technique. Disappointingly, only 22% of the identified relevant studies implemented the available non-invasive genetic sampling method. I conclude highlighting the need for better implementation of non-invasive DNA collection methods in wildlife research through raising awareness, increasing financial support, and introducing more stringent criteria for obtaining research permits.

Highlights

The current pace of habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation and climate change has resulted in a rapid loss of biodiversity (May 2010; Bellard et al 2012; Pimm et al 2014)
One of the ways to minimize the impact on wildlife animal welfare is to use noninvasive genetic sampling
Even though non-invasive genetic sampling techniques have been developed for many animal species, it is not clear how often they are being implemented

Summary

Introduction

The current pace of habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation and climate change has resulted in a rapid loss of biodiversity (May 2010; Bellard et al 2012; Pimm et al 2014). This loss has been so large that some scientists talk about the 6th mass extinction (Barnosky et al 2011; Ceballos et al 2015). In order to be able to design effective conservation measures and priorities, it is crucial to monitor and assess the impact of biodiversity loss through scientific research (Hoffmann et al 2010; Carroll et al 2018)

Methods

Results

Conclusion