Abstract
The single remnant Moroccan dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas massaesyla) has been isolated for more than five decades in the M’Sabih Talaa reserve, an arid area of west-central Morocco. This population has been subject to different disturbances, especially poaching and depredation by feral dogs. A five-season line transect survey revealed that the population size has been halved in less than 15 years with a lower apparent fecundity rate. In the present work, we carried out a population viability analysis simulating different scenarios using VORTEX software based on available demographic and life-history data from captive populations,. A sensitivity analysis revealed that inbreeding depression and possible catastrophic events could have a considerable impact on the population’s prospects. Scenarios of splitting population into two subpopulations with different management measures reducing/deleting mortality sources, is proposed. Such scenarios resulted in reducing the consequences of catastrophic events would significantly mitigate the harmful effects of both inbreeding and environmental stochasticity. These results may be of a general interest to conservationists dealing with this unique and imperiled population.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Zoological Investigations
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
