(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jeff Sossamon
sossamonj@missouri.edu
573-882-3346
University of Missouri-Columbia
MU researcher's study of African forest elephants helps guide research efforts in the US
Study finds that human occupation of an area may not contribute to population decline of an endangered species
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Conservation of a protected or endangered species requires frequent monitoring and the dynamic techniques biologists utilize to ensure the survival of threatened animals. Often, scientists study biodiversity at all levels—from genes to entire ecosystems. Currently, researchers at the University of Missouri are employing genotyping to study movement patterns of African forest elephants in protected and unprotected regions of Gabon to better understand how human occupation of these areas might affect elephants on the African continent. Genotyping is helping conservation biologists determine the best course of action to ensure biodiversity and the preservation of various species in the U.S. and abroad.
"Many times, analyzing dangerous animals with a hands-on approach is risky, so genetic samples and traces collected through hair samples, fecal samples, and other noninvasive means offer a safer technique to examine species," said Lori Eggert, associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts & Science at MU. "In Africa, protected areas are often designed around sites that support endangered species such as large mammals. We were tasked with studying elephants outside a protected region in an area that includes humans, oil-drilling platforms and disturbances by machinery. We examined population structure, movement patterns, and habitat use by sex and age group. We also studied how the elephants moved between the protected regions and the unprotected regions during wet and dry seasons."
Between 2002 and 2011, the population of Central African forest elephants declined by 62 percent and their geographic range decreased by 30 percent. The largest remaining concentration of this species, approximately 53,000 individuals, is in Gabon where officials have established 13 national parks designated as habitats for elephants. Eggert and fellow researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), as well as other international scientists, were tasked with determining movement between two of the parks that were separated by an unprotected area and how the elephants migrated between them. What the scientists found was that the interconnected region not designated as a national park provides year-round habitat for elephants and is important to the conservation of the species.
"We discovered that elephants tend to use the unprotected area as much as they do the protected parks," said Eggert. "A resident population exists in the unprotected area, even though drilling occurs there and humans are present. Some of the elephants seem to consider this their home range and, instead of moving back and forth between the national parks, they inhabit the unprotected area during the rainy and dry seasons. What perhaps is most important is that a relatively large number of females inhabit this area, making this region much more important than we first realized."
Eggert's fellow researchers collected samples from elephant droppings in the unprotected area and in the national parks, and sent more than 1,000 samples back to Eggert and her lab team who extracted DNA and genotyped them at the SCBI and at MU. She and her colleagues detected more than 500 elephants in the unprotected area during both the wet and dry seasons suggesting that region supported a resident population.
"Elephants are considered to be a 'keystone' species, or a species that is especially important to the health of ecosystems in Africa," Eggert said. "We're all affected by the health of the forests in Africa, Central America and here in the U.S. The fact that elephants are surviving in a place where drilling for oil is happening is exciting and gives us a glimpse at how to study species in our own country."
Eggert said the work she and her team conducted with elephants in Africa involves methods used to study species worldwide. Her lab recently worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation to analyze black bears in Missouri and Arkansas, and also has collaborated on the analysis of otters and hellbenders in Missouri rivers.
INFORMATION:
Her study, "Using genetic profiles of African forest elephants to infer population structure, movements, and habitat use in a conservation and development landscape in Gabon" was published in Conservation Biology in collaboration with Jesus Maldonado, Alfonso Alonso, Rob Fleischer and Francisco Dallmeier with the Smithsonian Institution and colleagues at the University of Groningen, the University of Oxford and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologie in Libreville, Gabon.
MU researcher's study of African forest elephants helps guide research efforts in the US
Study finds that human occupation of an area may not contribute to population decline of an endangered species
2014-01-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, January 2014
2014-01-07
Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, January 2014
To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications staff member identified at the end of each tip. For more information on ORNL and its research ...
Might more ravens -- aided by humans -- mean 'nevermore' for sage-grouse?
2014-01-07
Might more ravens -- aided by humans -- mean 'nevermore' for sage-grouse?
BOZEMAN (January 7, 2014) – A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Idaho State University and the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that habitat fragmentation and the addition of ...
On-demand vaccines possible with engineered nanoparticles
2014-01-07
On-demand vaccines possible with engineered nanoparticles
Vaccines combat diseases and protect populations from outbreaks, but the life-saving technology leaves room for improvement. Vaccines usually are made en masse in centralized locations far removed from where they ...
Newly discovered 3-star system to challenge Einstein's theory of General Relativity
2014-01-07
Newly discovered 3-star system to challenge Einstein's theory of General Relativity
A newly discovered system of two white dwarf stars and a superdense pulsar--all packed within a space smaller than the Earth's orbit around the sun -- is enabling astronomers to probe ...
Embargoed news from Jan. 6, 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet
2014-01-07
Embargoed news from Jan. 6, 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet
Mediterranean diet without weight loss helps prevent diabetes
1. Mediterranean diet reduces diabetes incidence without calorie restriction, exercise, or weight loss
Older patients at ...
New fossils shed light on the origins of lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!)
2014-01-07
New fossils shed light on the origins of lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!)
New fossils from Belgium have shed light on the origin of some of the most well-known, and well-loved, modern mammals. Cats and dogs, as well as other carnivorous mammals ...
People lacking insurance not likely to migrate to obtain Medicaid coverage
2014-01-07
People lacking insurance not likely to migrate to obtain Medicaid coverage
States choosing Medicaid expansion shouldn't expect costly influx of individuals from states not expanding coverage; other studies examine accountable care organizations and communication-and-resolution ...
1 in, 1 out: Oxford study shows how people put a limit on their social networks
2014-01-07
1 in, 1 out: Oxford study shows how people put a limit on their social networks
A new study shows that people put most effort into communicating with small numbers of close friends or family, operating unconscious 1-in, 1-out policies so that communication patterns ...
Workplace wellness programs can cut chronic illness costs
2014-01-07
Workplace wellness programs can cut chronic illness costs
But savings for lifestyle changes are smaller
Workplace wellness programs can lower health care costs in workers with chronic diseases, but components of the programs that encourage workers to adopt healthier lifestyles ...
Biomaterials get stem cells to commit to a bony future
2014-01-07
Biomaterials get stem cells to commit to a bony future
Researchers discover exactly how calcium phosphate can coax stem cells to become bone-building cells
With the help of biomimetic matrices, a research team led by bioengineers at the University of California, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project
[Press-News.org] MU researcher's study of African forest elephants helps guide research efforts in the USStudy finds that human occupation of an area may not contribute to population decline of an endangered species