Population Management Center

About the PMC

Lincoln Park Zoo hosts the Population Management Center (PMC) in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Established in June 2000, the center provides assistance to zoo professionals across the country by conducting demographic and genetic analyses and preparing breeding and transfer plans for Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and Red Studbook species. Operational support for the center is provided by the AZA, Rice Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Lincoln Park Zoo.

In their management of captive animals, zoos and aquariums focus on the long-term maintenance of healthy populations in conjunction with education and conservation goals. Cooperative, scientific population management is critical to the long-term sustainability of most zoo and some aquarium animal collections.

Science-based population management ensures that zoo and aquarium collections meet the following standards:

* They’re maintained at the sizes necessary to meet the conservation and education missions of each species
* They retain the highest possible levels of genetic diversity
* They will not grow beyond the zoo and aquarium community's ability to care for them.

Related Projects

PMCTrack Zoos across the country cooperate on breeding and transfer plans to ensure healthy populations. In developing PMCTrack, Lincoln Park Zoo scientists have made it possible to evaluate the outcome of every recommendation for the first time—improving population planning everywhere.

Staff

The PMC employs five full-time staff: Director Sarah Long leads daily operations and supervises Studbook Analyst Kaitlyn Perisin and Associate Population Biologists Kristine Schad and Cara Groome Bryan. Steven D. Thompson, Ph.D., vice president for conservation programs and Emily and John Alexander Chair of Conservation and Science at Lincoln Park Zoo, provides administrative and financial oversight for the center. Former PMC staffer Colleen Lynch serves as a consulting population biologist

Working closely with staff from the zoo’s Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology and the Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, the PMC staff participates in the development and evaluation of population management software, evaluates disease risks and/or reproductive status, and models the impact of potential management strategies on population size and structure.

To schedule planning assistance for an AZA TAG, SSP or PMP, please contact Studbook Analyst Kaitlyn Perisin. For information on PMC financial and administrative oversight, please contact Steven D. Thompson, Ph.D.

Multimedia

Seahorses Shake Up Population Planning How do you plan breeding for a species where males incubate eggs and as many as 800 offspring can be produced every two–three weeks? Sarah Long, director of the Population Management Center, offers an inside look at planning for lined seahorses.

December 2011 Blog

In the month of December 2011, the PMC will be assisting:

27 AZA Programs: White-winged Wood Duck, Asian Elephant, African Elephant, Grey Seal, Panamanian Golden Frog, Elegant Crested Tinamou, Short-crested Rockhopper Penguin, DeBrazza’s Monkey, Patas Monkey, Allen’s Swamp Monkey, Schmidt’s Red-tailed Monkey, Diana Monkey, Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey, Wolf’s Guenon, Galapagos Tortoise, Chilean Flamingo, Wombat, Magellanic Penguin, Lined Seahorse, Hyacinth Macaw, Andean Bear, Callimico, European White Stork, Kea, Tawny Frogmouth, Red-billed hornbill, Bali Mynah
 

Planning Meetings in December:

European White Stork via Email

Hyacinth Macaw via Email

Callimico @ LPZ

Andean Bear via Email

Kea via Email

Tawny Frogmouth via Email

Bali Mynah @ LPZ

Red-billed Hornbill via Email

Currently in review by participating institutions are Draft Breeding and Transfer Plans for 17 AZA Programs

Upcoming Planning Meetings:

January: Angolan Colobus, Guereza Colobus, Spectacled Owl, Spotted Hyena, Kinkajou, Houston Toad, Komodo Dragon

February: Guam Rail, Spotted Dikkop, Laughing Kookaburra, Puma, Blue-bellied Roller, Common Squirrel Monkey, Mexican Beaded Lizard, Adelie Penguin, Greater Kudu

Since the PMC started in June 2000, we have:

Produced Final Breeding and Transfer Plans for:
336 AZA Programs – 816 Reports

     (61% of total AZA species)

Assisted Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs) with the development of
21 TAGs - 31 RCP analyses

    (45% of AZA TAGs)

Validated North American regional studbooks resulting in
499 Validated Studbooks
1350 Total Validations
  
Distributed reports for a total of
847 Reports (Breeding and Transfer Plans, RCPs, etc.)
358 Programs

Involvement with 519 different programs (some analyses not necessarily resulting in a final report)

Last Updated: December 2011

Documents
Preparing for a PMC Planning Meeting
Sending and Receiving Studbooks in PopLink 2.1
Sending and Receiving Studbooks in PopLink 1.3
Sending and Receiving Studbooks in SPARKS