Video: Weddell Seal Population
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8B8VOVurcg
Why are the Weddell seal populations so important now for future research studies?
This works as a base line to determine how the Weddell seal population functions when working well and enable future researchers to have substantial information to use as a guiding aid for future studies. Besides this, studies on this mammal enables future researchers to obtain much needed information on a larger population of other related animals.
What events might negatively impact the population?
Climate change, food limitation, interaction with humans (hunting) and infectious diseases
When (what year) did the study begin? 1968
What are the benefits of tagging the seals during breeding season?
Tagging seals enables the researchers to keep track of those who are alive after a certain specified duration. It also makes it possible to know who is having babies and also how old the seals are. In addition to this, it becomes possible to establish how many pups the seals have.
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What kind of information is recorded over a seal’s lifetime?
Their age, weight, the number of pups they have over a period time, their genetic composition
Why bother weighing pups and mothers? What information can be obtained?
Some of the information that can be obtained involves: Pups that are born bigger, whether the bigger seal mothers survive better, the fact pertaining to whether there is an optimum weight required for a healthy seal. This can be related to the environmental condition. Information regarding the remarkable genes in some of the seals that end up leading their pups to have a better genetic composition compared to others can also be obtained.
What information might genetic studies able to provide?
Information pertaining to whether genetic traits that some of the seals have make them better than the rest in terms of giving birth or gaining weight.
Video: Isle Royale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdwnfPurXcs
What is the rate of physical (spinal) deformity in the “normal” population vs. the Isle Royale populations?
About 1 in every 100 wolves is observed to have a spinal form of deformity whereas for an Isle Royale population 1 in every 3 wolves has the same kind of deformity. This rate is 30 times higher compared to that of the normal population.
Scats can provide information including:
DNA, DNA finger prints, specific identity of a particular wolf, family relationships and gender (whether male or female)
What happened in 1997?
A wolf from Canada came to Isle Royale.
Why was it significant?
The Wolf had noteworthy qualities and was the leader of the middle pack which was one of the largest ever seen no Isle Royale.
How does this event highlight the inbreeding depression likely observed in the Isle Royale wolf packs?
This is because the Wolf was relatively better than the other wolves.
Over the past several years, what has happened to the Isle Royale wolves?
The wolves in Isle Royale have been doing relatively poor.
The low number of wolves on Isle Royale at present is probably related to the low number of moose. The low number of moose is probably related to what factors?
One of the reasons provided for this is that there is not so much food available for the wolves unlike before. In addition, climate change has also been a contributing factor. The last years have been relatively warm which is bad for moose.
Why is a warm climate bad for moose?
They do not do well in the summer heat. When it is hot they do not eat much. In this case, they are not sufficiently prepared for winter and hence end up not making it to the end of the winter season. There is also a tick that bothers the moose and it has the ability to result in catastrophic effects such as death
What is the significance of the tick populations?
They are likely to result in the death of the moose during the winter. In particular, ticks do relatively well when it is warm.
Why is the presence of only 2 adult females of so much concern
This is due to the fact that if the two adults die before making enough pups, then that would be the end of the wolf population.
Thought question: Do you believe it would be “right” to reintroduce the wolves if they go extinct?
Yes I do. Every animal including the wolf has a function which explains its existence. Though some traits are shared by multiple animals.
