The subject of this diploma thesis is an analysis of the historical existence of European bison in the Czech geographical region and an evaluation of the significance of its presence to the surrounding landscape. The goal of the thesis is to depict bison population changes in the Czech territory over time and the meaning of efforts to reintroduce the bison into its natural habitat. An important part of the work then will be the preparation, realization and evaluation of two excursions during which students go for European bison directly into the field.

No description available.

The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) reaches the northern periphery of its distribution in south-central Sweden, where small, isolated relict populations occur in pine heath forests on sandy sediments. Modern forestry and fire suppression have reduced the amount of suitable open habitat for the species in this area and seem to be important for its decline. Main objectives of this thesis were to evaluate the efficiency of different management strategies, and if the sand lizard can function as an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation. Over a 16-year period, the estimated annual numbers of adult females in each of two study populations fluctuated between 23 and 3. Simulations of stochastic future population growth showed that the risk of extinction was highly dependent on population growth rate, which in turn was strongly affected by juvenile survival as indicated by elasticity analysis. Simulations of population growth for 50 years showed that the quasi-extinction risk (threshold ≤ 10 females) was > 56% for patches ≤ 1 ha; which is the observed average size of suitable habitat for inhabited patches during a 10-year period. In managed metapopulation networks with highly co-fluctuating local populations, among-population dispersal was not important to reduce extinction risks over a 50-year horizon. In the field the preferred microhabitat of sand lizards was successfully restored using tree felling and patch-soil scarification. The lizards gradually colonized the restored patches, and 16 years after restoration, sand lizards where mainly found there. Pine-heath area, and patch area within individual pine heaths, were of major importance for long-term population persistence at regional and landscape scales, respectively. Analyses of nested species subsets and an umbrella index suggest that the sand lizard can be a useful cross-taxonomic umbrella species on both scales for other red-listed species.

The eastern race of the Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus ssp. migrans) is a grassland bird federally listed as endangered. There are approximately 30 pairs remaining in the Canadian wild today. Captive breeding and release programs have been developed in Canada to help alleviate the decline. However, little is known about the fate of the released birds and the factors influencing their reproductive success. To help in the understanding of the movement, behaviour and survival of the shrikes post-release, we tested whether radio telemetry was an effective technique to follow these birds. Despite limited behavioural effects in captivity, a tail-mount was not suitable for released Loggerhead shrikes due to unreliable retention times. The second portion of this study addressed the factors influencing reproductive success in captivity, including breeding behaviour and individual characteristics. Distance between individual pairs in their cages, female nesting activity and male origin were the best predictors of success. Recommendations for managers are made.

The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) is the smallest and the most threatened european vulture species. Recently, wild populations have been declining dramatically and monitoring is too difficult especially because part of the european population migrates. That is the reason why this species was declared endangered in the IUCN Red list of threatened species (IUCN, 2014). Prague zoo has great results in breeding of these birds of prey. In season of 2013, two juveniles were bred (1 male, 1 female) from 7 of all the Europe. Another juvenile was bred in Zlín-Lešná zoo. In the year 2013, Czech republic therefore bred almost a half of these vultures in european breedings (EAZA). In 2014 the results of breedings are also succesfull, more then half (13 juveniles in total, 3 from Prague, 4 from Zlín-Lešná) was risen in these breedings. Prague zoo has been keeping the egyptian vulture studbook for more than 10 years and is also in charge of the European endangered species programme for this vulture. For coordination improvement and to increase the succes of european breeding it is important to summarize the data and use them to provide better breeding conditions in other zoos. One of the program objectives is also the reintroduction of the animals back to its natural environment. This master´s degree provides summarization of etology research from seasons 2013 and 2014, short research of etology in Zlín-Lešná zoo, summarization of another european breedings and also assesment of all the breedings factors including those preceeding the nesting like incubation of the eggs, and birds hatching.

Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2018-03-09T16:30:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA16MA203.pdf: 927094 bytes, checksum: ed95c2a7a51b51406194ad3ba5a5d585 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-09T16:30:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA16MA203.pdf: 927094 bytes, checksum: ed95c2a7a51b51406194ad3ba5a5d585 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-04 / Capes / The Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), considered as Near Threatened by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is an annual visitor of Southern Brazil’s coastal waters during their natural austral winter migration. Due to growing anthropogenic threats, an increasing number of debilitated juvenile individuals is rescued in the coast of Santa Catarina and taken to rehabilitation centers to be clinically treated and evaluated for re-introduction. This constitutes an essential step for this species conservation, allowing rescued groups a safe return to their breeding colonies, in South Argentina. Biochemical analysis is an important tool to assist in the health evaluation and disease diagnostics of wild birds because the clinical signs in these animals are often inexpressive. A field manual compiled by Brazilian environmental and marine authorities in 2010 proposed standardizing the diagnostic methods applied in penguin rehabilitation facilities. These guidelines recommend plasma with heparin or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) for hematology and serum for biochemistry analysis. In this work we tested the viability of plasma for biochemistry analysis in an attempt to minimize blood sampling volume and material, favoring a faster recovery and maximizing resources. The samples of serum and 14 plasma with two anticoagulants, EDTA 3% and sodium heparin, were obtained from 34 rescued penguins considered for re-introduction evaluation at the Wild Animal Screening Center (CETAS) of Florianópolis. Fifteen biochemical analytes were determined at the laboratory of Clinical Pathology in the Agro-Veterinary Sciences Center of the University of the State of Santa Catarina (LPC-CAV-UDESC), namely: uric acid (ACU), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholesterol (CHOL), creatine kinase (CK), alkaline phosphatase (FA), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), glucose (GLU), globulins, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total proteins (PT), triglycerides (TG), urea (UR) and free hemoglobin (HB). Hemolysis was assessed by two different methods; and sample values outside of referenced HB limits, proposed by either the reagent manufacturer or previous avian biochemistry studies, were excluded. Results showed that EDTA was less efficient than heparin in minimizing in-vitro hemolysis. Statistical differences between serum and plasma samples were fewer in heparinized samples. All mean values of heparinized plasma samples from healthy individuals fell within AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) reference intervals, in contrast to serum and plasma with EDTA. As a conclusion, we verified that for the adopted methodology, despite some limitations in albumin and triglycerides measurement, heparinized plasma, unlike plasma/EDTA, is a reliable sample in determining most analytes evaluated in Magellanic penguins during rehabilitation / O pinguim-de-Magalhães (Spheniscus magellanicus), animal considerado como Quase Ameaçado pela União Internacional para Conservação da Natureza (IUCN), visita anualmente as águas costeiras do Sul do Brasil durante a sua migração natural de inverno. Devido às crescentes ameaças antropogênicas, tem aumentado o número de indivíduos juvenis debilitados que são resgatados na costa de Santa Catarina e levados para centros de reabilitação para serem clinicamente tratados e avaliados para soltura. Este pensa-se ser um importante passo na conservação desta espécie, permitindo aos grupos resgatados um retorno seguro às suas colónias de reprodução, no sul da Argentina. A bioquímica clinica é uma importante ferramenta no diagnóstico laboratorial para auxiliar na avaliação da saúde de aves selvagens, uma vez que os sinais clínicos nestes animais são muitas vezes pouco expressivos. Em 2010, as autoridades ambientais e marinhas brasileiras compilaram um manual de campo propondo a padronização dos métodos de diagnóstico a aplicar em centros de reabilitação de pinguins, com vista a melhorar o sucesso na sua reintrodução. Estas diretrizes recomendam o plasma com heparina ou ácido 10 etilenodiaminotetracético (EDTA) para a hematologia e o soro para a análise bioquímica. No presente trabalho pesquisou-se a viabilidade da utilização de plasma na análise bioquímica, no sentido de tentar minimizar o volume de sangue amostrado e material dispendido, favorecendo uma recuperação mais rápida e maximizando recursos. Recolheram-se amostras de soro e plasma com dois anticoagulantes, EDTA 3% e heparina de sódio, de 34 pinguins resgatados e em estágio de avaliação para reintrodução no Centro de Triagem de Animais Selvagens (CETAS) de Florianópolis. Os valores de 15 analitos bioquímicos foram determinados no laboratório de Patologia Clínica do Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (LPC-CAV-UDESC), nomeadamente: Ácido Úrico (ACU), Albumina (ALB), Alanina Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartato Aminotransferase (AST), Colesterol (CHOL), Creatinaquinase (CK), Fosfatase Alcalina (FA), Gamma Glutamiltransferase (GGT), Glicose (GLU), Globulinas, Lactato Desidrogenase (LDH), Proteinas totais (PT), Triglicérides (TG), Ureia (UR), e hemoglobina livre (HB). A hemólise foi avaliada por dois métodos diferentes e excluíram-se os valores das amostras localizados fora dos limites de HB de referência propostos quer pelo fabricante do reagente ou por estudos anteriores sobre a influência da hemólise na bioquímica de aves. Os resultados mostraram que o EDTA foi menos eficiente do que a heparina na minimização da hemólise in vitro. Encontrou-se um menor número de diferenças significativas entre amostras de soro e plasma heparinizado. Todos os valores médios de indivíduos saudáveis medidos no plasma heparinizado situaram-se nos intervalos de referência da Associação de Zoológicos e Aquários (AZA), em contraste com o soro e 11 o plasma com EDTA. Como conclusão, verificou-se que, para a metodologia adotada, apesar de algumas limitações na medição de albumina e triglicérides, o plasma heparinizado, ao contrário do plasma com EDTA, é uma amostra confiável na determinação da maioria dos analitos avaliados em pinguins-de-Magalhães de reabilitação

Um componente da conservação de animais selvagens é a relocação de espécies comumente referida como projetos de soltura. Para que esta seja bem sucedida os candidatos do projeto devem estar livres de patógenos considerados de importância para a espécie. Segundo a Instrução Normativa 179 oficializada pelo IBAMA em 25/06/2008, determinou-se a realização de exames laboratoriais como medidas a se prevenir a introdução de agentes infecciosos no ambiente, e garantir a sobrevivência a longo prazo dos animais em questão. No Brasil encontra-se a maior quantidade em espécies de psitacídeos, e das 84 espécies, 13 são vulneráveis a criticamente ameaçadas de extinção. Diversos projetos de relocação de animais silvestres, incluindo vários já bem sucedidos com psitacídeos, vêm sido realizados em território nacional além dos existentes do exterior. O Papagaio-de-peito-roxo (Amazona vinacea) tem suas populações severamente afetadas, sendo classificada no estado de São Paulo como criticamente ameaçada e como ameaçada a nível mundial. Apesar das dificuldades para a conservação dos recursos naturais, existem remanescentes de habitat protegido e em regeneração que podem abrigar espécies que historicamente ocupavam estes locais, de maneira que projetos de reintrodução visando A.vinacea como espécie bandeira em São Paulo e em Santa Catarina, foram contatados para realizar a pesquisa sanitária prévia à soltura. Foram realizados suabes cloacais em amostragens seriadas de modo a identificar possíveis portadores para os agentes paramixovírus tipo 1, influenza tipo A, poxvírus aviário, coronavírus, Escherichia coli Enteropatogênica (EPEC), e Salmonella spp., em indivíduos da espécie confiscados do tráfico, através da reação em cadeia pela Polimerase (PCR), objetivando sequenciar os possíveis resultados positivos, discutindo a viabilidade e custos segundo as determinações da IN 179/2008. Amostras após a liberação também foram coletadas na forma de fezes obtidas no recinto de aclimatação e/ou ao redor dos comedouros de alimentação suplementar. Obtiveram-se um total de 151 amostras somadas em todas as coletas seriadas, sendo 103 amostras de suabes cloacais de aves ainda em cativeiro e 48 amostras de fezes não individualmente caracterizadas das aves soltas. Das amostras testadas para os agentes com potencial infeccioso obtiveram-se apenas resultados positivos para E.coli, totalizando 36 isolados, embora nenhum tenha sido caracterizado como EPEC. Observou-se uma tendência para maior detecção de E.coli nas amostragens iniciais em comparação com as finais, fato ligado principalmente às melhorias no manejo empregadas. A possibilidade de se comparar resultados em amostragens seriadas foi importante para uma avaliação mais segura quanto à sanidade dos animais envolvidos, auxiliando a determinar a seleção das aves, não havendo relatos de doenças imediatamente após a soltura ou no monitoramento a longo prazo. A baixa frequência de amostras positivas para os agentes que poderiam inviabilizar a liberação parece demonstrar que existe um exagero de que doenças representam um risco extremo impedindo projetos de relocação. Procedimentos de quarentena adequados e a realização de um mínimo de exames reduzem os riscos envolvidos, fato observado no presente estudo tanto em cativeiro como no processo de liberação e posteriormente. Para as instituições amostradas havia um limitado recurso anual que não seria capaz de pagar por exames individuais. Uma opção é a de testar amostras em pool para diminuir os custos, e caso haja positivos, procurar retestar para identificar os indivíduos. A baixa prevalência de positividade para os agentes com potencial infeccioso neste estudo, demonstra que amostras em pool podem ser uma alternativa econômica, caso o exame individual esteja fora de questão. Tendo em vista que para obter um mínimo de segurança no projeto de relocação no Brasil depende-se quase exclusivamente da iniciativa privada, convênios com universidades tornam-se não apenas uma necessidade, mas também uma oportunidade para troca em direção a um objetivo em comum e geração de conhecimento científico. / One component in the conservation of wild animals is the relocation of species, commonly referred as release projects. In order for this attempt to be successful the candidates must be clear of pathogens of significance for the species. According to the normative rule 179 established by the IBAMA in 25/06/2008, it was determined that a series of laboratorial exams should be performed in order to prevent the introduction of infectious agents in the environment and guarantee the long term survival of the animals. The largest number of psittacine species is found in Brazil accounting for 84 species, with 13 of these classified as vulnerable to critically endangered. Several relocation projects with wild animals, including several well succeeded with psittacines have been taking place on a national scale besides others being carried out around the world. The Vinaceous Amazon (Amazona vinacea) have had its populations severely affected being classified as critically endangered in the state of São Paulo and globally threatened. Although there are challenges to conserve natural resources, available remnants of protected and regenerating habitat can be found and could support species that historically inhabited these sites, hence reintroduction projects with A.vinacea as a flagship species in the state of São Paulo and Santa Catarina were contacted to perform a health survey previously to the releases. Cloacal swabs were taken in paired samplings in order to detect possible carriers for paramyxovirus typ1, influenza type A, avian poxvirus, coronavirus, Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), and Salmonella spp.; in individuals that were confiscated from the illegal trade employing the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), aiming to sequence possible positive results and discussing the viability and costs according to the determination of the IN/179/2008. Fecal samples were also collected after the release in the acclimation flight and/or surrounding the supplemental feeders in the area while still adapting in the post-release. A total of 151 samples were obtained altogether with 103 of these being cloacal swabs of the birds still in captivity and 48 fecal samples non individually characterized of released birds. Out of the tested samples only E.coli yielded positive results with a total of 36 isolates, although none was characterized as EPEC. A tendency was observed for a higher detection of E.coli in the initial samplings compared to the final ones, a fact mainly connected husbandry improvements that were put in use. The possibility to compare results in paired samplings was important in order to obtain a safer evaluation concerning the health status of the animals, helping to determine the birds selection and no health problems reported neither immediately after the release nor on the long term monitoring. The low frequency of positive samples for the agents that could jeopardize a release seems to show that there is an exaggeration that diseases represent an extreme risk to the point of hampering relocation projects. Adequate quarantine procedures and performing minimum health examinations minimize the involved risks, a fact observed in this study both in captivity as well as in the release and post release process. For the studied institutions there was a limited annual budget that would not be capable to pay for individual exams. One option is to test pooled samples to lower associated costs, and if a positive is found, retest to identify the individuals. The low prevalence for the tested agents in this study show that pooled samples could be a viable alternative when individual exams are not feasible. Taking into account that to obtain a minimum in terms of safety for a relocation project in Brazil one is almost exclusively dependent on private parties, cooperation with universities are not only a necessity but also an opportunity for exchanges toward a common goal besides generating scientific knowledge.

Sötvattensmusslor av ordningen unionoida är en av världens mest hotade organismgrupper och tjockskalig målarmussla (Unio crassus) klassas som starkt hotad enligt IUCN:s lista över rödlistade arter. Bevarandearbeten har tidigare utförts där tjockskalig målarmussla har återintroducerats till Klingavälsån och Fyleån i södra Sverige. Vid återintroduktion är utgångspunkten genetiskt släktskap, men när den informationen inte finns väljer man att återintroducera den population som är geografiskt närmast. Syftet med studien var att undersöka ifall geografisk avstånd mellan de fyra vattendragen Bråån, Tommarpsån, Klingavälsån och Fyleån påverkar juvenilöverlevnad. Syftet var även att ta reda på vilken av Bråånmusslor och Tommarpsånmusslor som är bäst lämpad för återintroduktion i Fyleån och Klingavälsån. Jag hade följande hypoteser, (1) Bråånmusslor har högst överlevnad i Bråån, följt av Klingavälsån, Fyleån och Tommarpsån och (2) Tommarpsånmusslor har högst överlevnad i Tommarpsån följt av, Fyleån, Klingavälsån och Bråån. Befruktade musslor fångades in från Bråån och Tommarpsån i maj 2016. Musslorna släppte i från sig glochidielarver som sedan användes till att infektera fiskar. Stensimpor (Cottus gobio) elfiskades från Tommarpsån och elritsor (Phoxinus phoxinus) elfiskades från Bråån, därefter infekterades stensimpor med glochidielarver från Tommarpsån och elritsor med glochidielarver från Bråån. Juvenila musslor släppte från fiskarna 25-35 dagar senare och matades under hela sommaren, därefter sattes musslorna ut i boxar i de fyra vattendragen. Överlevnaden för musslorna mättes och dokumenterades vid två tillfällen. Fyra Kruskal-Wallis tester genomfördes där ”överlevnad” jämfördes med ”vattendrag” för Bråånmusslor och Tommarpsånmusslor. Resultatet stämde inte överens med hypotesen för vare sig Bråånmusslor eller Tommarpsånmusslor, förutom att Bråånmusslor hade lägst överlevnad i det mest avlägsna vattendraget vid andra mättillfället. Överlevnaden för Bråånmusslor skilde sig mellan flera av vattendragen men för Tommarpsånmusslor var det ingen skillnad i överlevnad. Bråånmusslor verkade mer lämpliga för återintroduktion i Fyleån jämfört med Klingavälsån och Tommarpsånmusslor verkade inte sämre lämpade för återintroduktion till vare sig Fyleån eller Klingavälsån. Sammanfattningsvis verkade överlevnaden inte generellt bero på geografisk närhet. Troligtvis har faktorer som lokaladaptation, vattenkvalité och sjukdomar även en påverkan på överlevnaden hos juvenila musslor. / Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups of organisms worldwide, with the thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus) being classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN:s red list of threatened species. Conservation efforts have been undertaken in southern Sweden, where the thick-shelled river mussel has been reintroduced to Klingavälsån and Fyleån. Genetic relatedness is typically used as the starting point when reintroducing mussels, but if this information is not available, the population closest geographically is chosen. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the distance between four watercourses, namely Bråån, Tommarpsån, Klingavälsån and Fyleån affects juvenile survival and to determine which population of mussels from Bråån and Tommarpsån is best suited for reintroduction to Fyleån and Klingavälsån. The hypotheses are that (1) Bråån mussels have the highest growth rate in Bråån, followed by Klingavälsån, Fyleån and Tommarpsån, and (2) Tommarpsån mussels have the highest growth rate in Tommarpsån, followed by Fyleån, Klingavälsån and Bråån. Fertilized mussels were collected from Bråån and Tommarpsån in May 2016, and the mussels released glochidia larvae, which were used to infect fish. European bullheads (Cottus gobio) were electrofished from Tommarpsån and European minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) were electrofished from Bråån, and then the European bullheads were infected with glochidia larvae from Tommarpsån and European minnows were infected with glochidia larvae from Bråån. Juvenile mussels let go of the fish 25 – 35 days later and were fed throughout the summer, after which the mussels were placed in boxes in the four watercourses. Survival of the mussels was measured and documented on two occasions. Four Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed where “survival” was compared with “watercourse” for Bråån mussels and for Tommarpsån mussels. The results did not match the hypothesis for either Bråån mussels or Tommarpsån mussels, except for the fact that Bråån mussels had the lowest survival rate in the most remote stream at the second measurement occasion. The survival of the Bråån mussels differed between several of the streams, but for the Tommarpsån mussels there were no significant difference in survival. The Bråån mussels seemed more suitable for reintroduction into Fyleån compared to Klingavälsån, and Tommarpsån mussels did not seem less suitable for reintroduction to either Fyleån or Klingavälsån. In summary, survival did not appear to generally depend on geographic proximity. Factors such as local adaptation, water quality and diseases likely also have an impact on the survival of juvenile mussels.

I Sverige är det lagstadgat att arbetsgivaren skall upprätta en plan tillsammans med en sjukskriven arbetstagare om hur denne skall återgå till arbetsplatsen på bästa sätt. Trots att tillstånden mellan en föräldraledig och sjukskriven inte kan sättas i paritet med varandra gårdet att dra en parallell då de båda tillstånden innebär längre frånvaro från arbetsplatsen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka mödrars upplevelse av återgång till yrkesarbetet efter en tid av föräldraledighet samt vilket stöd de får under denna process. Studien riktar sig mot mödrar av den anledning att kvinnor är föräldralediga i långt större utsträckning än män. Även om vi går mot en jämnare fördelning av föräldraledigheten mellan könen är det fortsatt mödrarna som är föräldralediga under en längre period. Denna studie har genomförts med kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer där sju mödrar deltagit. Samtliga kvinnor som deltog i studien har varit föräldralediga de senaste fem åren och har sedan återgått till samma arbetsplats. Studiens resultat visar att det finns en splittrad upplevelse av återgången till arbetsplatsen efter föräldraledighet. Vidare visar resultatet att aktiviteter i en re-onboarding bestående av handledning, utbildning samt samtal mellan arbetstagare och arbetsgivare är betydelsefulla vid återgången tillbaka till arbetsplatsen. Stödet från kollegor och chefer är också av betydande vikt för kvinnors upplevelse av återgången tillbaka till yrkesarbetet efter föräldraledighet. / In Sweden, it is stated by law that the employer has to establish a plan with an employee currently on sick leave on how to integrate the employee as optimally as possible back into the workplace. Even though a sick leave and paternal leave cannot be put into parity, there are parallels since both results in a prolonged workplace absence. The purpose of this study is to look into the reintegration of mothers into the workplace, their experience regarding this, and what support they receive from their employers during this process. The study is aimed at mothers because they are on maternal leave a far longer period of time than fathers onparental leave. However, the gap between maternal and paternal leave is shrinking, but mothers are still absent from work for a longer period. This study has been made with qualitative semi-structured interviews with participation from seven mothers. All seven women who participated had been on maternal leave sometime during the last five years and then returned to the same workplace. The study shows that there are mixed experiences related to workplace reintegration. Furthermore, the result also shows that re-onboarding activities such as tutorials, training and an employer-employee dialogue are significant during reintegration. The support of colleagues and superiors was also of noticeable importance during this process.

Genetic variation was examined in two endangered mussel species, Epioblasma brevidens and E. capsaeformis, and a common species Lampsilis fasciola, in the Clinch River, TN, by screening mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and nuclear DNA microsatellites. These species use fish hosts with varying dispersal capabilities, ranging from low, moderate, and high, respectively. Patterns of mtDNA polymorphism exhibited different trends for long-term population sizes for each species during the Holocene (~10,000 ya to present); namely, E. brevidens has declined over time, E. capsaeformis has remained stable, and L. fasciola has expanded. Long-term effective population size (Ne) was smallest in E. brevidens, intermediate in E. capsaeformis, and highest in L. fasciola. Moderately diverged mtDNA lineages, perhaps indicative of secondary contact, were observed in E. brevidens and E. capsaeformis. High levels of gene flow (Nm) were estimated among demes of L. fasciola using traditional F-statistics and likelihood estimates of Nm, whereas such metrics were lower in E. brevidens and E. capsaeformis. Data are consistent with population dynamics and life history traits of each species and their fish hosts. Age, shell growth, and population demography of Epioblasma brevidens, E. capsaeformis, and Lampsilis fasciola were studied from 2004-2007 in a 32-km reach of the Clinch River, TN. Observed maximum age and length of E. brevidens was 28 y and 71.5 mm for males and 11 y and 56.6 mm for females; of E. capsaeformis, 12 y and 54.6 mm for males and 9 y and 48.6 mm for females; and of L. fasciola, 45 y and 91.3 mm for males and 13 y and 62.6 mm for females. For all three species, observed maximum age and length was greater among males than females. Estimated population size in this river reach was approximately 43,000 individuals for E. brevidens, 579,000 individuals for E. capsaeformis, and 30,000 individuals for L. fasciola. Mean recruitment y-1 of 1 y-old E. brevidens ranged from 7.1% to 20%, of E. capsaeformis from 4.0% to 32.4%, and of L. fasciola from 5.8% to 25.6%. Population growth rate y-1 was 24.9% for E. brevidens, 34.6% for E. capsaeformis, and -22.4% for L. fasciola. Mortality rates of females were higher than for males of E. capsaeformis and L. fasciola, but not E. brevidens. Juvenile mussels were collected but temporally and spatially variable in occurrence, and a significant component of the age-class structure of all three species. Recruitment was very high during 2006-2007 for E. capsaeformis and other species, likely due to low river discharges in the spring-summer of 2005-2007. Surplus individuals of E. brevidens and E. capsaeformis are currently available to conduct translocations for restoration purposes. Population modeling of Epioblasma brevidens and E. capsaeformis in the Clinch River was conducted to determine suitable harvest levels for translocation of sub-adults and adults, and to determine quantitative criteria for evaluating performance and recovery of extant and reintroduced populations. For both species, the recommended annual harvest was <1% of local population size to minimize risk of decline. Reintroduction modeling indicated that size of the initial population created during a 5 y build-up phase greatly affected final population size at 25 y, being similar to size at the end of the build-up phase, especially when expected growth rate was low, (e.g., 1-2%). Excluding age-0 individuals, age-1 juveniles or recruits on average comprised approximately 11% and 15% of a stable population of each species, respectively. The age-class distribution of a stable or growing population was characterized by multiple cohorts, to include juvenile recruits, sub-adults, and adults. Molecular genetic and demographic data indicated that the ratio of Ne/Nc was ~5% for both species. Based on this ratio and predicted declines of genetic variation at different population sizes, target sizes for reintroduced or recovered populations of each species should be ≥5,000 individuals (Ne=250) and ≥10,000 individuals (Ne=500), respectively, and should be comprised of multiple smaller demes spread throughout a river. Populations of both species are currently large enough to sustain harvest for translocation and reintroduction purposes, offering an effective species recovery strategy. / Ph. D.