Asian elephant microsatellite genotypes: Nakai Plateau and Sepon mines region, Lao PDR

Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading contributors to the endangered status of species. In 2006, the Nakai Plateau contained the largest known Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and the population was among those with the highest genetic diversity reported for Asian elephants. In 2008, completion of the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric dam inundated much of the Plateau, resulting in the loss of 40% of elephant habitat. We studied elephant presence, movements, and the incidence of human–elephant conflict (HEC) on the Nakai Plateau and surrounding areas from 2004-2020, before and for 12 years after dam completion. To examine contemporary population dynamics in the Nakai elephants, we used genetic sampling to compare minimum population numbers, demography, and levels of genetic diversity from the wet and dry seasons in 2018/2019, 10 years after dam completion, with those reported in a pre-dam-completion genetic survey. After dam com..., From 2004 to 2020, teams from The Wildlife Conservation Society, The District Agriculture and Forestry Offices (DAFO) of affected districts in Lao PDR and the Nam Theun 2 Power Company (NTPC) conducted studies of the dynamics of elephant populations and the incidence of HEC on the Nakai Plateau and surrounding areas. They recorded the GPS location of each HEC incident, any available details about the elephants involved such as sex, age and group size, and the types of damage incurred.
We analyzed the number and distribution of incidences of HEC in the periods before (2004-early 2009) and after dam completion.
To characterize the elephant population on the Nakai Plateau 10 years after dam completion, we collected fresh dung samples on the Nakai Plateau from 01 March 2018 – 01 May 2018 (dry season), and from 01 October 2019 – 01 November 2019 (wet season).
We genotyped those samples at 18 microsatellite loci and one sexing marker.
We regenotyped 10 samples from our Nakai 2006 study (DOI: ..., None, these genotypes are provided in a Microsoft Excel file using GenePop 6 digit (2 alleles, 3 digits each) format.