The impact of management on the fecal microbiome of endangered greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in a zoo-based conservation program.

Abstract

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are a critically endangered species in Canada with fewer than 140 individuals remaining on native habitats in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 2014, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo initiated North America's only zoo-based conservation breeding program for this species to bolster declining wild populations through conservation reintroductions. Within the managed population of sage-grouse, morbidity and mortality have primarily been associated with intestinal bacterial infections. As a preliminary study to assess the gastrointestinal health of this species in managed care, the fecal bacterial microbiome of adult and juvenile captive sage-grouse was characterized with 16S rRNA sequencing. The composition of the microbiome at the phylum level in greater sage-grouse is consistent with previous studies of the avian microbiome, with Bacillota as the most abundant phyla, and Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Pseudomonadota also being highly abundant. Antibiotic use and sex did not have a significant impact on the diversity or composition of the microbiome, but the management of juvenile sage-grouse did influence the development of the microbiome. Juveniles that were raised outdoors under maternal care developed a microbiome much more similar to adults when compared to chicks that were incubated and hand-raised. The local environment and parental care appear to be important factors influencing the diversity and composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome in this species.