Natal soil shifts gut microbiome of Okarito kiwi

Captive-rearing programmes for endangered birds, such as those in place for kiwi conservation in Aotearoa-New Zealand, can unintentionally deprive the birds access to a microbially-diverse and 'natural' developmental environment i.e., their natal rohe (territory). These programmes introduce external variables such as increased exposure to diseases, unnatural and incomplete diets, antimicrobial usage, and artificial cohabited environments, which have the potential to impact rearing success outcomes. In this research, we investigated whether the introduction of natal soils, as a direct probiotic and a source of wild microorganisms, to the captive-reared ground-foraging Ōkārito kiwi (Apteryx rowi) chick diet would impact their gut microbiome. Using 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing to identify the key taxonomic groups present, and we assess the community composition differences with the introduction of natal soils into the diet of captive-reared Ōkārito kiwi.

The dataset included final OTU table from the 16S and ITS metabarcoding.

Access to these data can be made by email and the cultural authority over these data is Te Rūnaka o Makaawhio.

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Campo Valore
Authors
  1. Stephen Rowe
  2. Matthew Stott
  3. Bethany Brett
  4. Priscilla San Juan
  5. Manpreet K Dhami
Manutentore Manpreet Dhami