Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis

ABSTRACT Many wildlife studies use noninvasive survey methods such as barbed wire to obtain hair samples for DNA analysis. If laboratory costs preclude processing all samples, it may be important to know a priori which samples are most likely to yield useful DNA. It may also be helpful to know wheth...

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Main Authors: Aaron J. Wirsing, Thomas P. Quinn, Jennifer R. Adams, Lisette P. Waits
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-03-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1057
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author Aaron J. Wirsing
Thomas P. Quinn
Jennifer R. Adams
Lisette P. Waits
author_facet Aaron J. Wirsing
Thomas P. Quinn
Jennifer R. Adams
Lisette P. Waits
author_sort Aaron J. Wirsing
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Many wildlife studies use noninvasive survey methods such as barbed wire to obtain hair samples for DNA analysis. If laboratory costs preclude processing all samples, it may be important to know a priori which samples are most likely to yield useful DNA. It may also be helpful to know whether apparently poor‐quality samples will yield useable DNA, and so be worth the time and cost of processing. To help resolve this issue, we initiated a field classification system for hair from brown bears (Ursus arctos) obtained using unbaited wires deployed across 6 streams in western Alaska, USA, where bears travel and feed on adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Averaged over 4 years (2014–2017), amplification success ranged from 89% for samples categorized in the field as being of highest quality, based on volume of hairs, to 37% for single or double strands of hair. Moreover, DNA analysis of poor‐quality samples markedly increased the numbers of individual bears detected, and those detected multiple times—important data for genetic capture–mark–recapture abundance estimates. Thus, field classification can help cut costs and streamline laboratory analyses when hair samples are abundant. Yet, even apparently poor‐quality samples are likely worth processing if they are the only ones representing a site, date, or other sampling stratum, hair capture devices are checked infrequently, or laboratory costs are not limiting. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
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spelling doaj-art-f0e9f0644fbe4c629d48bed51d3493c12024-12-16T13:35:57ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402020-03-014419410010.1002/wsb.1057Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic AnalysisAaron J. Wirsing0Thomas P. Quinn1Jennifer R. Adams2Lisette P. Waits3School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Box 352100 Seattle WA 98195 USASchool of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Box 355020 Seattle WA 98195 USADepartment of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USADepartment of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USAABSTRACT Many wildlife studies use noninvasive survey methods such as barbed wire to obtain hair samples for DNA analysis. If laboratory costs preclude processing all samples, it may be important to know a priori which samples are most likely to yield useful DNA. It may also be helpful to know whether apparently poor‐quality samples will yield useable DNA, and so be worth the time and cost of processing. To help resolve this issue, we initiated a field classification system for hair from brown bears (Ursus arctos) obtained using unbaited wires deployed across 6 streams in western Alaska, USA, where bears travel and feed on adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Averaged over 4 years (2014–2017), amplification success ranged from 89% for samples categorized in the field as being of highest quality, based on volume of hairs, to 37% for single or double strands of hair. Moreover, DNA analysis of poor‐quality samples markedly increased the numbers of individual bears detected, and those detected multiple times—important data for genetic capture–mark–recapture abundance estimates. Thus, field classification can help cut costs and streamline laboratory analyses when hair samples are abundant. Yet, even apparently poor‐quality samples are likely worth processing if they are the only ones representing a site, date, or other sampling stratum, hair capture devices are checked infrequently, or laboratory costs are not limiting. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1057amplification successbarbed wirecostDNAnoninvasive survey methodsOncorhynchus nerka
spellingShingle Aaron J. Wirsing
Thomas P. Quinn
Jennifer R. Adams
Lisette P. Waits
Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
Wildlife Society Bulletin
amplification success
barbed wire
cost
DNA
noninvasive survey methods
Oncorhynchus nerka
title Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
title_full Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
title_fullStr Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
title_short Optimizing Selection of Brown Bear Hair for Noninvasive Genetic Analysis
title_sort optimizing selection of brown bear hair for noninvasive genetic analysis
topic amplification success
barbed wire
cost
DNA
noninvasive survey methods
Oncorhynchus nerka
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1057
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