Population viability analysis for a small population of red-cockaded woodpeckers and an evaluation of enhancement strategies

A series of population and pedigree analyses was performed to examine the viability of a small red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) population located at the Savannah River Site, in Barnwell and Aiken counties of South Carolina. The population's existence and future survival are precarious. As of 1990, gene-drop pedigree analyses showed that the respective contribution of 14 founders to the extant population has not been equal. Viability analyses indicated that, depending on relative effects of inbreeding depression and stochastic environmental events, the Savannah River Site population has a 68-100% chance of extinction during a 200-yr period. Discussed are recommendations for choosing individuals for translocation, logistical constraints on achieving recovery objectives, and limitations of the modeling approach.