Goose Population Research Articles

The role of indirect interspecific effects in the stochastic dynamics of a simple trophic system.

Indirect interspecific effects (IIEs) occur when one species affects another through a third intermediary species. Understanding the role of IIEs in population dynamics is key for predicting community-level impacts of environmental change. Yet, empirically teasing apart IIEs from other interactions and population drivers has proven challenging and data-demanding, particularly in species-rich communities. We used stochastic population models parameterized with long-term time series of individual data to simulate population trajectories and examine IIEs in a simple high-arctic vertebrate food chain consisting of the wild Svalbard reindeer, its scavenger (the Arctic fox) and the barnacle goose, a migratory prey of the fox. We used the simulated population trajectories to explore co-fluctuations between the species within the food chain. Additionally, we adjusted the model in two ways: first, to isolate the impact of fluctuations in the abundance of a species by keeping its abundance constant; and second, to isolate the impact of a trophic interaction on the dynamics of other species by setting the abundance of the influencing species to zero. We found that fluctuations in reindeer carcasses shaped fox abundance fluctuations, which subsequently affected goose population dynamics. Reindeer and goose population growth rates were nevertheless only weakly correlated, probably in part due to demographic and environmental stochasticity, density dependence and lagged dynamics in the geese. However, removing the fluctuations in reindeer abundance or setting reindeer abundance to zero indeed demonstrated strong underlying IIEs on goose population dynamics and extinction probability. This study thus highlights the importance of species interactions, including IIEs, on species coexistence and communities in the long-term, that is beyond immediate effects and covariation in short-term fluctuations.

Reinforcement of an endangered goose population: the effect of age and interspecific fostering on survival of released birds

The release of captive‐bred or translocated individuals is a strategy used worldwide to support threatened animal populations. By capture–recapture analysis, we examined the survival of released individuals when reinforcing a critically endangered Lesser White‐fronted Goose population. Our analysis includes data from 646 birds, released 1984–2017, including two different age classes, divided in two distinct periods when different techniques were used. Fledglings were released with foster parents of Barnacle Geese in the first period and by a soft release without support of foster parenting in the second period. Yearlings were released by soft release in both periods. We find that use of foster parents enhances survival rates, but these differences were detectable only in the first year of life. Fledglings supported by foster parents showed significantly higher survival compared to yearlings released by soft release, but this difference was not clear when soft release was applied to both groups. Resighting data suggest that most losses occurred during the acclimation period following the release. Foster parenting may enhance survival rates due to social learning enabling the transfer of crucial behaviors (e.g. feeding, anti‐predator, and migration) to released individuals. However, these conservation benefits need to be balanced against costs and potential inherent risks related to foster parenting, including the imprinting of undesired behaviors in released individuals, such as hybridization. Based on our results, we advise conservationists to carefully consider foster parenting as one method to improve survival probability, especially if capacity to produce individuals to be released is a limiting factor.

An optimal goose lithium-ion batteries accurate and rapid RUL prediction method with automatic initial hyperparameters settings

Abstract Machine learning has emerged as a highly effective tool for addressing complex data problems, garnering significant attention in the field of equipment degradation and remaining service life prediction. Existing prediction models typically exhibit two primary shortcomings: on the one hand, the accuracy of life prediction reaches the desired level of precision while failing to achieve a sufficiently fast prediction speed, and on the other hand, generalization is not guaranteed while requiring the model to be robust. These two aspects present a significant challenge to the field of machine learning. In light of the aforementioned issues, we propose a prediction model based on the goose algorithm. Initially, we set the goose algorithm using adaptive initialization of the goose population to guarantee that the goose population is set at the appropriate interval, and we incorporate it into the extreme learning machine model through the improved goose algorithm. goose algorithm is used to predict the service life. Finally, we utilize different types of lithium batteries with varying operational conditions to conduct pertinent case studies to validate the proposed prediction model. The results demonstrated that the average accuracy was above 98% in all validated datasets. The shortest computation time was 0.19 s.

Timing mowing for maximal energy gain - Managing foraging habitat of wintering geese under extreme drought conditions

The availability of high-quality food resources is a critical determinant of wildlife fitness. Over the past two decades, phenological mismatch - the temporal misalignment between animals’ peak nutrient demand and optimal resource availability - has emerged as a significant conservation challenge. This issue is particularly worrisome for migratory birds, which must accumulate energy reserves to meet the elevated metabolic demands of migration between breeding and wintering grounds. In Poyang Lake, a crucial wintering ground along the East Asian-Australasian flyway, increasing asynchrony between vegetation growth and the migration of herbivorous waterbirds significantly impedes conservation efforts and presents a major management challenge for this Ramsar wetland. This study evaluates the efficacy of mowing, a grassland management measure, in regulating plant growth processes and restoring food resources for geese. In-situ mowing experiments were conducted with varying timings in Carex wet meadows, the primary foraging habitats of geese. Optimal mowing times were identified, and the maximum goose carrying capacity was assessed by comparing Carex growth and nutritional dynamics with goose dietary requirements. The results reveal that mowing effectively slows down the aging process of Carex, and protein content is identified as a critical limiting factor for geese foraging. Different mowing timings extend the suitable foraging period by 11–25 days. Estimates suggest varying carrying capacities with different mowing timings, supporting goose populations ranging from 133 to 2,046 in Changhuchi Lake during wintering. The optimal mowing window is early October, avoiding dates before late September and after late November. Moreover, multiple-stage mowing is recommended to accommodate different wintering stages. The study highlights mowing as a potential habitat restoration approach for goose conservation, effectively mitigating the challenges imposed by phenological mismatch directly and indirectly caused by anthropogenic activities.

Migration tracking assists harvest management of overabundant Canada geese in Manitoba, Canada

AbstractSimilar to other jurisdictions across North America, populations of temperate‐nesting giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) have increased to unprecedented levels in Manitoba, Canada, causing extensive damage to crops and property, posing risks to human safety, and mostly avoiding mortality risk from fall hunting seasons. As a result, this population in southern Manitoba was declared overabundant in 2019, through an amendment to the Canada Migratory Birds Regulations. Management authorities sought to increase harvest rates by introducing an additional hunting period in spring, or conservation season, wherein harvest could be concentrated on this population. An important consideration was the need to avoid additional harvest on non‐target populations that do not meet the criteria to be classified as overabundant, specifically, sub‐arctic nesting Canada geese (Branta canadensis interior) and mid‐continent cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii). To investigate differences in migration timing of populations, and ultimately determine start and closure dates for the spring conservation season, we deployed light‐level geolocators on adult females of each population between 2016 and 2018. We used Bayesian approaches to derive locations from light‐level data and generalized linear mixed models to investigate potential differences in timing of international border crossing among goose populations. Migration data confirmed that movement of these populations overlapped extensively in fall, but in spring, a narrow period existed where mainly the target population was present. Our findings provide the basis for decisions about timing of spring conservation seasons for overabundant temperate‐nesting Canada geese in Manitoba, the first season of its kind for this population in North America. Additionally, our work represents the first large‐scale use of light‐level geolocator technology for assisting with waterfowl harvest management decisions.

IMPROVED SELECTION AND BREEDING PARAMETERS OF THE OBROSHYN GRAY BREED GROUP OF GEESE

The results of the improvement of the selection and genetic parameters of the goose population obtained by purebred linear breeding and geese with blood transfusion of the large gray breed (IV generation) of Obroshyn breeding are given. The research was conducted on geese of the Obroshyn gray breed group with the aim of increasing the selection and breeding nucleus of geese with high-performance indicators. As a result of the selection and breeding work carried out in 2022, the effectiveness of the introductory crossbreeding of Obroshyn gray geese with great gray geese was proven. Improvement of productive qualities of Obroshyn gray geese was achieved with the infusion of large gray breed blood (IV generation) and preservation of the main qualities of this breed group: good adaptability to local conditions of feeding and maintenance, exterior, quality of meat and feather and down raw materials. Productivity indicators of Obroshyn gray geese (I group) were: laying capacity – 38,4 pcs.; egg weight – 164,0 g; fertilization of eggs – 86,3 %; hatching of goslings – 76,4 %; live weight of geese at the age of 9 weeks - males 4310 g, females - 3800 g; preservation – 95,0 %. Obroshyn gray geese of the 4th generation obtained by transfusion of large gray breed blood (group II) were characterized by correspondingly higher indicators: in terms of laying by 3,1 %, however, fertilization was lower by 5,8 % and hatching was lower by 4.4%. The preservation of geese in this group was higher by 3,2 %, and the live weight at the age of 9 weeks was 4.4% higher in males and 3.2% higher in females. The geese of the II experimental group were superior to their peers from the I group in terms of meat quality, in terms of the weight of the uncut and cut carcass, and the yield of edible parts. Geese of experimental group II were also characterized by better meat productivity at the age of 9 weeks, in which the mass of pectoral muscles was 7.0% higher in males and 1,4 % higher in females, and the mass of thigh muscles was higher in males and females - by 4,0 and 4,8 %, respectively, than in geese of the I group. Geese of experimental group II were also characterized by better meat productivity at the age of 9 weeks, in which the mass of pectoral muscles was 7.0% higher in males and 1.4% higher in females, and the mass of thigh muscles was higher in males and females - by 4.0 and 4.8%, respectively, than in geese of the I group.

Bridging Cree knowledge and Western science to understand the decline in hunting success of migratory Canada geese

Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is one of the main waterfowl species harvested by Cree hunters in James Bay, Canada. Land users who hunt geese along coastal Eeyou Istchee (Eastern James Bay, Quebec) report that they are now much less successful in harvesting sub-arctic breeding geese (B. c. interior) than in the 1980s, especially during the fall hunting season. We followed a mixed-methods triangulation design in which we simultaneously gathered Indigenous and scientific knowledge. For the Indigenous knowledge, we conducted semi-structured interviews with Cree land users who shared their knowledge about how the goose populations that stage in Eeyou Istchee have changed within living memory. They attributed their reduced hunting success to fewer migrating geese and modification of their behavior. They also identified many environmental changes, especially the decline of eelgrass (Zostera marina), that may have affected the number, distribution, and migration patterns of Canada geese along the coastal Eeyou Istchee in the past 50 years. We complemented this information using waterfowl study techniques including aerial surveys, band recovery analyses, and GPS tracking of individually marked geese. Habitat changes both at the local scale in Eeyou Istchee and in other parts of the staging and wintering ranges of Canada geese, natural and human disturbances along the coast, and a gradual increase in molt migrant temperate breeding Canada geese (B. c. maxima) likely resulted in changes in habitat use and migration patterns of sub-arctic breeding Canada geese along the James Bay east coast. By bridging Cree knowledge and Western science, we identified the various factors that affect the harvest success of Eeyou Istchee goose hunters. Such an approach should be encouraged when Indigenous peoples rely upon migratory bird or mammal species that spend only a portion of their annual cycle within the hunting territories of land users.

Multiomics integration identifies regulatory factors underlying reproductive disorders in geese1

Geese, descendants of migratory birds, have preserved the distinct reproductive and lipid metabolism traits of their wild ancestors. Therefore, compared to other poultry, geese have lower egg production ability and a more sensitive susceptibility to fatty liver. Recent research underscores the impact of lipid metabolism disorders on female reproductive health. In this context, we observed reproductive disorders (RD) and lipid metabolism anomalies in certain geese populations. This study systematically elucidated the differences between RD and normal geese at various levels, including genomics, transcriptomics, bile acid metabolomics, and microbiomics, revealing the crucial role of microorganisms. Our study provides a thorough examination of the ovarian anatomical, histological, and transcriptomic profiles between normal and RD geese. Genomic analyses pinpoint mutations in genes associated with bile acid metabolism, highlighting their potential role in RD pathogenesis. The genomic discoveries are substantiated by precise bile acid assays and ileum transcriptome analyses, which expose a significant disruption in bile acid absorption, activation of FXR, and an increase in serum chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) concentrations within RD geese. Notably, 16S rRNA sequencing uncovers significantly greater beta diversity in the ileum microbiota of RD geese as compared to the normal group. Both Wilcoxon rank sum test and LEfSe analyses highlighted a marked increase in Romboutsia abundance in RD geese. Experimental cultivation of microbiota with CDCA supplementation confirms the impact of CDCA on Romboutsia lituseburensis (R. lituseburensis) proliferation. Gavage experiments with R. lituseburensis elucidates its involvement in primary follicle reduction via immune-mediated pathways. Collectively, our multi-faceted analysis unravels the intricate involvement of Romboutsia in goose RD, offering insights from genetic, physiological, and microbial dimensions. Our findings not only deepen our understanding of the etiology of RD in geese but also suggest potential avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting bile acid metabolism and the modulation of specific microbiota components.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Pasteurella multocida Isolates from Clinical Cases of Waterfowl in Hungary between 2022 and 2023.

The waterfowl industry represents a narrow, yet economically significant, sector within the poultry industry. Although less prominent, the waterfowl sector is nonetheless of equal importance to any other livestock sector in terms of antimicrobial resistance and animal health issues. This study assesses the antimicrobial resistance profile of Pasteurella multocida bacterial strains isolated from clinical cases in Hungary's duck and goose populations, determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 27 samples collected from 15 different locations. The results indicate that the isolated strains were susceptible to most antibiotics, except for notable resistance to enrofloxacin. These findings support that Pasteurella multocida largely retained its susceptibility. However, the observed resistance to enrofloxacin suggests overuse of fluoroquinolones, which indicates the potential need for stricter regulation of their use in the poultry industry.

Genetic Analysis of H5N1 High-Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus following a Mass Mortality Event in Wild Geese on the Solway Firth.

The United Kingdom (UK) and Europe have seen successive outbreaks of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) since 2020 peaking in the autumn/winter periods. During the 2021/22 season, a mass die-off event of Svalbard Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) was observed on the Solway Firth, a body of water on the west coast border between England and Scotland. This area is used annually by Barnacle Geese to over-winter, before returning to Svalbard to breed. Following initial identification of HPAIV in a Barnacle Goose on 8 November 2021, up to 32% of the total Barnacle Goose population may have succumbed to disease by the end of March 2022, along with other wild bird species in the area. Potential adaptation of the HPAIV to the Barnacle Goose population within this event was evaluated. Whole-genome sequencing of thirty-three HPAIV isolates from wild bird species demonstrated that there had been two distinct incursions of the virus, but the two viruses had remained genetically stable within the population, whilst viruses from infected wild birds were closely related to those from poultry cases occurring in the same region. Analysis of sera from the following year demonstrated that a high percentage (76%) of returning birds had developed antibodies to H5 AIV. This study demonstrates genetic stability of this strain of HPAIV in wild Anseriformes, and that, at the population scale, whilst there is a significant impact on survival, a high proportion of birds recover following infection.

Citizen science data confirm that expanding non‐breeding distributions of goose and swan species correlate with their increasing abundance

We combined data from two independent Danish citizen science time‐series to describe changes in (1) abundance and (2) distribution of 12 wintering populations of geese and swans and tested the hypothesis that increases in national abundance since 2003 correlated with an expansion into formerly unoccupied winter farmland habitat. Five populations showed significant increases in national abundance, two declined and the remainder showed no significant trend over the same period; nine populations (including the five nationally increasing and two nationally declining) showed significantly positive correlations between annual abundance and distribution range size, including one stable population and one showing only local expansion. These results support our prediction that the five key increasing goose and swan populations benefiting from farmland exploitation are showing the greatest correlation between changes in abundance and wintering range in Denmark. This implies that continued growth in abundance in these populations will lead to continued expansion in their ranges, which will not only increase the potential for agricultural conflict with increasing abundance, but importantly also the geographical extent of such conflicts.

More management, less damage? With increasing population size, economic costs of managing geese to minimize yield losses may outweigh benefits

Conflicts between farmers and geese are intensifying; yet, it remains unclear how interactions between goose population size and management regimes affect yield loss and economic costs. We investigate the cost-effectiveness of accommodation and scaring areas in relation to barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) population size. We use an existing individual-based model of barnacle geese foraging in nature, accommodation, and scaring areas in Friesland, the Netherlands, to study the most cost-effective management under varying population sizes (i.e., between 20 and 200% of the current size). Our study shows that population size non-linearly affects yield loss costs and total costs per goose. The most cost-effective management scenario for intermediate to large populations is to avoid scaring of geese. For small populations, intensive scaring resulted in minimized yield loss costs and total costs, but also substantially lower goose body mass. Our results strongly suggest that scaring becomes a less effective management measure as goose populations increase.

Partial molecular characterization, expression pattern and polymorphism analysis of MHC I genes in Chinese domestic goose (Anser cygnoides).

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) allelic polymorphism is critically important for mediating antigen presentation in vertebrates. Presently, there are insufficient studies of MHC genetic diversity in domestic Anseriform birds. In this study, we analyzed the expression profile of MHC I genes and screened for MHC I exon 2 polymorphism in one domestic goose population from China using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The results showed that four MHC I alleles (Ancy-IE2*09/*11/*13/*21) in one goose were identified based on cDNA cloning and sequencing using four primer combinations, and the varying number of cDNA clones implied that these four classical sequences showed differential expression patterns. Through next-generation sequencing, 27 alleles were obtained from 68 geese with 3-10 putative alleles per individual, indicating at least the existence of 5 MHC I loci in the goose. The marked excess of the non-synonymous over the synonymous substitution in the peptide-binding region (PBR) along 27 alleles and five positively selected sites (PSSs) detected around the PBR indicated that balancing selection might be the major force in shaping high MHC variation in the goose. Additionally, IA alleles displaying lower polymorphism were subject to less positive selection pressure than non-IA alleles with a higher level of polymorphism.

An explosive landscape: Arranging the barnacle goose on the Solway Firth

By the end of the Second World War, the Svalbard barnacle goose population had dwindled to a couple of hundred birds. Flying in from the Arctic to spend the winters on the Solway Firth (the estuary that separates England from Scotland), they were a favourite target of wildfowlers in the area. Since then, a ban on shooting and the Solway goose management scheme that pays farmers to maintain a goose friendly habitat has seen the barnacle goose numbers increase. Today, an uneasy truce has formed between conservationists, farmers and wildfowlers who have different and often conflicting interests in the goose. Adding to that is the Solway's rich military history: once host to huge munitions factories during the First and Second World Wars, this now derelict military infrastructure curates the tidal landscape through awkward access zones, barbed wire fences and secretive burial sites. In this article I argue that the military infrastructure of the Solway, particularly that of the explosive propellants produced in the factories, have left resonances that not only inflect the land itself, but also the trajectory of the barnacle goose. Explosive propellants are used in different ways by the goose's stakeholders: cannon nets by conservationists, bird bangers by farmers, and explosive shot by wildfowlers. Yet this is a dynamic situation that must account for goose agencies and complex entanglements of human, nonhuman, and technology: an explosive landscape that arranges goose life along the flyway.

Long-term study of the tundra food web at a hotspot of Arctic biodiversity, the Bylot Island Field Station

We present the history of research activities at the Bylot Island Field Station of the Centre d’études nordiques, a hotspot of biodiversity in the Canadian Arctic. Intensive wildlife studies started at the station in the late 1980s, initially focussing on greater snow goose ecology and its impacts on the tundra vegetation. Since then, studies have expanded to encompass the whole vertebrate food web and have become one of the most comprehensive ecological monitoring programs in the Canadian Arctic. The main vertebrate species monitored include snow geese, lemmings, shorebirds, avian predators, buntings, and Arctic foxes. Over time, we recorded 66 bird and 10 mammal species, including 51 confirmed breeders. Contributions of the program to the field of ecology are numerous, but our demonstration of the dominant role played by predator–prey interactions in the Arctic food web is especially significant for the understanding of direct and indirect trophic interactions. Our studies provided essential information for management decisions taken to control the overabundant greater snow goose population and supported international efforts to assess the state of Arctic biodiversity. Future directions will reflect the need to deepen our understanding of trophic interactions and the effects of climate change using innovative advanced technologies.

Genomic signatures reveal selection in Chinese and European domesticated geese.

The Swan goose and Greylag goose are species of geese native to East Asia and Europe, respectively, and are widely believed to be the ancestors of Chinese and European domesticated geese. The Yili goose (YL) and European domestic geese originated from the Greylag goose, but the history of domestication is unclear. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of the YL goose and the Hortobagy goose to combine with other previously sequenced goose populations for in-depth analysis. The population genetic variations in Stone geese, East Zhejiang White Geese, Taihu geese and Zi geese were also identified and compared. The results showed that admixture gene flow existed in the YL geese population, which was introgressed by Chinese geese, suggesting that gene flow events were frequent and widespread among domesticated geese. Further selected sweep analysis identified candidate genes and metabolic pathways that may be related to the differences in morphology. Several genes such as TGFBR3L, CMYA5, FOXD1, ARHGEF28 and SUCLG2 are associated with growth, reproduction and fertility traits. The results of this study will help to understand the genetic characteristics of domestic geese and the genes affecting important traits and provide a basis for the improved breed of domestic geese.

Genetic Diversity Analysis and Breeding of Geese Based on the Mitochondrial ND6 Gene.

To explore the differences in body-weight traits of five goose breeds and analyze their genetic diversity and historical dynamics, we collected body-weight data statistics and used Sanger sequencing to determine the mitochondrial DNA of 100 samples of five typical goose breeds in China and abroad. The results indicated that Lion-Head, Hortobagy, and Yangzhou geese have great breeding potential for body weight. Thirteen polymorphic sites were detected in the corrected 505 bp sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) ND6 gene, accounting for approximately 2.57% of the total number of sites. The guanine-cytosine (GC) content (51.7%) of the whole sequence was higher than the adenine-thymine (AT) content (48.3%), showing a certain GC base preference. There were 11 haplotypes among the five breeds, including one shared haplotype. We analyzed the differences in the distribution of base mismatches among the five breeds and conducted Tajima's D and Fu's Fs neutral tests on the historical dynamics of the populations. The distribution of the mismatch difference presented an unsmooth single peak and the Tajima's D value of the neutral test was negative (D < 0) and reached a significant level, which proves that the population of the three species had expanded; the Lion-Head goose population tends to be stable. The genetic diversity of Lion-Head, Zhedong White, Yangzhou, and Taihu geese was equal to the average diversity of Chinese goose breeds. The Hortobagy goose is a foreign breed with differences in mating line breeding and hybrid advantage utilization.

The hub of the wheel or hitchhikers? The potential influence of large avian herbivores on other trophic levels in wetland ecosystems

Goose and swan populations have increased concurrently with environmental degradation of wetlands, such as eutrophication, vegetation losses, and decrease in biodiversity. An important question is whether geese and swans contribute to such changes or if they instead benefit from them. We collected data from 37 wetlands in southern Sweden April − July 2021 to study relationships between geese, swans and other waterbird guilds, macrophytes, invertebrates, as well as physical and water chemistry variables. Neither goose nor swan abundance was negatively correlated with other trophic levels (abundance, richness, or cover). On the contrary, goose or swan abundances were positively related to abundances of surface and benthic feeding waterbirds, cover of specific macrophytes, and to invertebrate richness and abundance. Moreover, invertebrates (number of taxa or abundance) were positively associated with abundance of several waterbird guilds and total phosphorous with surface feeders, whereas water colour was positively (surface feeders) or negatively (benthic feeders) related. We conclude that waterbirds are more abundant in productive wetlands and that geese and swans do not show clear deleterious effects on other trophic levels included in this study. However, patterns may be masked at the species level, which should be addressed in further studies, complemented with experimental studies of grazing impact.

Limiting scaring activities reduces economic costs associated with foraging barnacle geese: Results from an individual‐based model

Abstract With increasing numbers of large grazing birds on agricultural grassland, conflict with farmers is rising. One management approach to alleviate conflict allows foraging on dedicated agricultural land (accommodation areas) and nature reserves, combined with scaring on remaining agricultural land. Here, we examine the cost‐effectiveness of these measures by studying the influence on barnacle goose distribution and associated economic damage. We present an individual/agent‐based model of barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) foraging on grasslands in Friesland, the Netherlands. The model is parameterized using field observations and GPS‐tracks and allows simulation of management scenarios, differing in scaring probability and accommodation area size, with different potential management costs. Our model shows that, while yield loss decreases with higher scaring probabilities, costs of damage appraisal increase because geese graze on more fields. With small accommodation areas, achieving high scaring probabilities takes more effort and could result in goose population decline. Total management costs are lowest without scaring activity. Synthesis and applications. Considering costs of active scaring and the need to maintain the barnacle goose population in a favourable conservation status, our model suggests that the most cost‐effective scenario is to prevent disturbance of geese. A high scaring probability could be beneficial if applied in small areas, for example around sensitive crops or airfields. Scaring in large areas could result in costs outweighing benefits and a declining barnacle goose population.

Identification of SNPs Associated with Goose Meat Quality Traits Using a Genome-Wide Association Study Approach.

(1) Background: Goose meat is highly valued for its economic significance and vast market potential due to its desirable qualities, including a rich nutritional profile, tender texture, relatively low-fat content, and high levels of beneficial unsaturated fatty acids. However, there is an urgent need to improve goose breeding by identifying molecular markers associated with meat quality. (2) Methods: We evaluated meat quality traits, such as meat color, shear force (SF), cooking loss rate (CLR), and crude fat content (CFC), in a population of 215 male Sichuan white geese at 70 days of age. A GWAS was performed to identify potential molecular markers associated with goose meat quality. Furthermore, the selected SNPs linked to meat quality traits were genotyped using the MALDI-TOP MS method. (3) Results: A dataset of 2601.19 Gb of WGS data was obtained from 215 individuals, with an average sequencing depth of 10.89×. The GWAS revealed the identification of 43 potentially significant SNP markers associated with meat quality traits in the Sichuan white goose population. Additionally, 28 genes were identified as important candidate genes for meat quality. The gene enrichment analysis indicated a substantial enrichment of genes within a 1Mb vicinity of SNPs in both the protein digestion and absorption pathway and the Glycerolipid metabolism pathway. (4) Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying goose meat quality traits, offering crucial references for molecular breeding in this field.