SGER: Exploratory Evaluation of Using Introductions of Mus to Experimentally Assess Factors Affecting Population Viability

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9907567 Leberg This project will evaluate the potential for using releases of mice (Mus musculus) onto "mouse-free" man-made islands off the coast of Louisiana to test hypotheses concerning the effects of captive breeding and inbreeding on population viability under natural conditions. Funds will be used to establish a captive population, conduct assessments of genetic variation, characterize mammal and vegetation communities, and assess the effects of inbreeding and captive breeding on the survival of released individuals. Many species of mammals are being reared in captivity because their existence in the wild is threatened, in the hope that wild populations can be re-established using captive-bred individuals once conditions for survival in natural habitats become more favorable. There has been considerable concern about the effects of inbreeding and captive breeding on the ability of released individuals to establish viable wild populations. In mammals, studies of the effects of captive breeding and inbreeding have largely been limited to examining effects on the performance of individuals in captivity. This exploratory research has the potential for developing a Mus-island system useful for studying how captive breeding and inbreeding, as well as other factors, affect the fate of wild populations. Information resulting from this research will aid in the management and restoration of endangered and threatened mammals.