Molecular Ecology Research Group

Current Research Projects

• Radiotelemetry to track pine marten in County Waterford
  
• DNA based identification of small mammals using real-time PCR
  
• Phylogeography of watervoles in the North-east of England
  
• Development of real-time PCR assays for species identification of mustelids
  
• Sex typing mustelids using real-time PCR
  
• Population genetics of pine marten in County Waterford
  
• Mitochondrial haplotyping of pine marten from museum samples from England, Wales and Ireland
  
• Forest carnivore scat surveys of England and Wales
  
• Development of DNA based identification of red and grey squirrels from field signs and hair samples.

Project Summaries

SQUIRREL SURVEY

In 2007 the Irish squirrel survey reported the first documented sightings of grey squirrels in Co. Waterford. In partnership with Waterford County council MERG instigated a project in 2008 aimed at monitoring the status of red and grey squirrels in the area. Novel methods of tracking squirrels will be developed in WIT.  DNA can be obtained from hair collected using hair traps and from feeding remains such as cone cores. This can then be used to identify the species (red or grey) and in time will allow us to identify individual squirrels and so to estimate their numbers and learn more about their behaviour. As part of the Waterford County Council Invasive Species symposium in November 2008 MERG organised a field workshop (Workshop photos) to encourage members of the public to look out for signs of squirrels and to report sightings of red and grey squirrels in the area. It is hoped that public participation will provide information and samples to the survey project.

PINE MARTEN

Since 1997 MERG has been developing DNA based methods to track pine marten. These methods are based on scats collected from forest tracks and hair collected using hair traps. Hair traps are made from plastic pipe and contain bait (usually raw chicken) and sticky patches to collect hair.  Tests have been developed to identify species and sex of samples and DNA fingerprinting is used to identify individual animals. More recently radiotelemetry and camera traps have been used in combination with DNA analysis to estimate numbers, territorial area and to learn about behaviour. This work will provide information on what forest management practices and plantings are best suited to pine marten populations. The use of DNA fingerprinting will allow a census of the pine marten in the area and provide insight into their family relationships. It is important for these fragmented populations to be able to interbreed and to do this they must travel across un-forested areas. Agricultural practice may also therefore be important to their conservation, but at present little is known of how often and where marten travel outside the forest.

SMALL MAMMAL SURVEY

The experience gained in the pine marten project has been applied to small mammals. The conventional way to survey small mammal populations is to capture them, they can then be identified, marked and released. This is expensive and time consuming and has welfare implications. MERG are currently undertaking the DNA analysis for a trial survey organized by the Mammal Society in the UK. Alongside conventional live traps bait tubes have been used to collect faecal samples (NIGHT Photos). DNA from these is being analysed to identify the species. Hair tubes have also been used to collect samples for DNA analysis (SHREW Photo).