Simulating the efficacy of wolf-dog hybridization management with individual-based modeling.

ABSTRACT: Introgressive hybridization between wolves and dogs is a conservation concern due to its potentially deleterious long-term evolutionary consequences. European legislation requires that wolf-dog hybridization be mitigated through effective management. We developed an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate the life cycle of gray wolves that incorporates aspects of wolf sociality that affect hybridization rates (e.g., the dissolution of packs after the death of one/both breeders) with the goal of informing decision-making on management of wolf-dog hybridization. We applied our model by projecting hybridization dynamics in a local wolf population under different mate choice and immigration scenarios and contrasted results of removal of admixed individuals with their sterilization and release

SUBMITTER: Santostasi NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11780192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature