Assesssment of Genetic Risks in Markhoz Goat population

Decline of native area, population size and breedingherds are indicators of imminent danger of breedextinction in the near future. Beacause of occurrenceof these conditions for Markhoz goat population, thisresearch was conducted to determine its spread, latestdemographic data and most important criteria and degreeof endangerment. Data were collected through interviewwith the herders and monitoring the flocks in their nativearea and other locations in mating seasons. Distributionmap was prepared using GIS and demographic data were used to evaluate Degree of Endangerment. In the latestyear, population size, the number of breeding femalesand males, effectives population size and breeding ratewere 2455, 1331, 70, 265 heads and 0.19% in eachgeneration, respectively. Except for inbreeding rate, othercriteria in 2011 were lower than those in 2010. In thisstudy, herders mentioned economic factors as the mainreason for decreasing of the population. Investigation ofcriteria in four major evaluation systems to determineDegree of Endangerment showed that Markhoz goat isin demographic and geographical risks and imminentdanger of decreasing variation within breed. Intenseconcenteration of 77% of its population within a circle of8 km radius has exposed the breed at the risk of epidemicdiseases and other natural disasters. Thus, the primaryconservational measures by the government as wellas complimentary studies for providing comprehensiveconservation program appear to be necessary.

کلیدواژه ها:

conservation ، degree of endangerment ، demography ، distribution ، Markhoz goat ، population size