Research Article

Evaluation of the influence of demographic factors on the success of reintroduction of small herds of European bison

Agnieszka Suchecka , Wanda Olech, Magdalena Łopieńska

Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(4), 2014, 67‒80

Abstract. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal size and composition of founding groups to create new herds of European bison. The computer simulations of the development of new herds in a period of 20 years was conducted with VORTEX software. The initial size of the founding groups N₀, sex ratio (M:F) and carrying capacity (K) impact on the new population development was estimated. The expected level of preserved heterozygosity (EH) and the risk of extinction of these populations were also analyzed. It was proved that the most favorable founding group considering the growth rate, the highest level of expected heterozygosity and the lowest level of extinction probability are those with small prevalence of females. The influence of carrying capacity on population growth rate was observed only in the most numerous founding groups.

Keywords: European bison, population viability analysis, reintroduction, small populations, VORTEX