CONSERVATION OF ARABIAN GAZELLES - Nwrc.gov.sa

CG: Taxonomy is the essential background information on which to base conservation decisions. The
species should remain the main unit, compared to the subspecies.
IN: I agree with CG; species should be the conservation unit, but the subspecies should also be
considered.
CH: The priority is to concentrate on the taxonomy of wild remnant populations, not on captive
animals of doubtful origin.
AG: The best way to solve taxonomic questions is to prioritize in situ conservation, and conserve the
local existing populations, when feasible.
DW: Taxonomy may also enable captive populations to make valuable contribution to conservation.
EH: Taxonomy should allow us to define conservation units from which breeding will give fertile
offspring.
AG: These conservation units could also represent groups of animals that are reproducing without
showing any inbreeding or outbreeding depression in the long-term.
DW: Some important conservation issues are not addressed by taxonomy, e.g. adaptation to the
environment. It is also important to consider the distribution, the ecology and the behavior of the
concerned taxon.
GS: Taxonomy must first give indications of local adaptations. Morphology and thus taxonomy
reflect adaptation to a local environment.
MAZ: The problem is not only to answer why taxonomic questions should be raised in conservation
but also when.
AG: This question should be raised during the early stages of any conservation project.
- AG: What is the conservation interest of subspecies
DW: Many subspecies are really ecotypes (like the wild boar Sus scrofa in North Africa). But
subspecies are often incorrectly identified.
IN: Subspecies must represent populations, not type specimens. Their description should be based on
several aspects (e.g. morphology, genetics, physiology, behaviour, ...).
GS: Subspecies give indications of the geographical variability within a species.
AG: Subspecies also represent the evolutionary potential of new species.
TS: The species level is sometimes too restrictive. Certain conservation projects are directed to the
subspecific level.
CG, GS, MAZ: A non-local subspecies should be reintroduced only if the local subspecies is
completely extinct, as is the case for the ostrich (Struthio came/us ) and the wild ass (Equus
hemionus) in Saudi Arabia.
EH: The subspecies should be based on good genetic and biochemical evidence, aesthetic criteria and
behavioral adaptations.
SK: Taxonomists must support conservation by providing the most complete taxonomic information
available.
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