The genetic rescue of two bottlenecked South Island robin populations using translocations of inbred donors

Populations forced through bottlenecks typically lose genetic variation and exhibit inbreeding depression. ‘Genetic rescue’ techniques that introduce individuals from outbred populations can be highly effective in reversing the deleterious effects of inbreeding, but have limited application for the majority of endangered species, which survive only in a few bottlenecked populations. We tested the effectiveness of using highly inbred populations as donors to rescue two isolated and bottlenecked populations of the South Island robin (Petroica australis). Reciprocal translocations significantly increased heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Increased genetic diversity was accompanied by increased juvenile survival and recruitment, sperm quality, and immunocompetence of hybrid individuals (crosses between the two populations) compared with inbred control individuals (crosses within each population). Our results confirm that the implementation of ‘genetic rescue’ using bottlenecked populations as donors provides a way of preserving endangered species and restoring their viability when outbred donor populations no longer exist.     

Population genomics study for the conservation management of the endangered shrub Abeliophyllum distichum

Natural monuments are IUCN Category III protected areas that play an important role in biodiversity conservation as they provide species refuge and allow species migration. Despite their status, natural monuments are often confined to cultural and fragmented landscapes due to anthropogenic land-use demands. In this population genomic study, we surveyed 11 populations of the endemic shrub Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (Oleaceae), including five natural monument habitats, covering its range-wide distribution in South Korea. Using 2,254 SNPs as markers, our results showed a mean expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.319, with populations in the central distribution showing significantly higher He than those at the periphery. There was no significant heterozygote deficiency and inbreeding among studied populations overall (F_{IS =} ?0.098), except for a single natural monument population (GS-NM147). Population structure and differentiation was moderate to high (F_ST?=?0.196), while recent gene flow between populations appeared weak, which can be attributed to the fragmented distribution and the outcrossing mating system of the heterostylous plant. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions for the population conservation and management of this endangered species.

     

Reviewing the consequences of genetic purging on the success of rescue programs

Genetic rescue is increasingly considered a promising and underused conservation strategy to reduce inbreeding depression and restore genetic diversity in endangered populations, but the empirical evidence supporting its application is limited to a few generations. Here we discuss on the light of theory the role of inbreeding depression arising from partially recessive deleterious mutations and of genetic purging as main determinants of the medium to long-term success of rescue programs. This role depends on two main predictions: (1) The inbreeding load hidden in populations with a long stable demography increases with the effective population size; and (2) After a population shrinks, purging tends to remove its (partially) recessive deleterious alleles, a process that is slower but more efficient for large populations than for small ones. We also carry out computer simulations to investigate the impact of genetic purging on the medium to long term success of genetic rescue programs. For some scenarios, it is found that hybrid vigor followed by purging will lead to sustained successful rescue. However, there may be specific situations where the recipient population is so small that it cannot purge the inbreeding load introduced by migrants, which would lead to increased fitness inbreeding depression and extinction risk in the medium to long term. In such cases, the risk is expected to be higher if migrants came from a large non-purged population with high inbreeding load, particularly after the accumulation of the stochastic effects ascribed to repeated occasional migration events. Therefore, under the specific deleterious recessive mutation model considered, we conclude that additional caution should be taken in rescue programs. Unless the endangered population harbors some distinctive genetic singularity whose conservation is a main concern, restoration by continuous stable gene flow should be considered, whenever feasible, as it reduces the extinction risk compared to repeated occasional migration and can also allow recolonization events.

     

Genetic rescue in a severely inbred wolf population

Natural populations are becoming increasingly fragmented which is expected to affect their viability due to inbreeding depression, reduced genetic diversity and increased sensitivity to demographic and environmental stochasticity. In small and highly inbred populations, the introduction of only a few immigrants may increase vital rates significantly. However, very few studies have quantified the long‐term success of immigrants and inbred individuals in natural populations. Following an episode of natural immigration to the isolated, severely inbred Scandinavian wolf (Canis lupus) population, we demonstrate significantly higher pairing and breeding success for offspring to immigrants compared to offspring from native, inbred pairs. We argue that inbreeding depression is the underlying mechanism for the profound difference in breeding success. Highly inbred wolves may have lower survival during natal dispersal as well as competitive disadvantage to find a partner. Our study is one of the first to quantify and compare the reproductive success of first‐generation offspring from migrants vs. native, inbred individuals in a natural population. Indeed, our data demonstrate the profound impact single immigrants can have in small, inbred populations, and represent one of very few documented cases of genetic rescue in a population of large carnivores.     

Development of informative genic SSR markers for genetic diversity analysis of Picrorhiza kurroa

Picrorhiza kurroa is a medicinal perennial herb of economic importance due to its hepatoprotective properties mainly accounted by picroside I and picroside II. To fulfill the current demand of the market indiscriminate collection from its natural habitat pose a great threat to this endangered species. To strategize the conservation of natural populations, a set of 20 highly informative novel genic SSR markers were identified. The utility of these makers was successfully tested for the genetic diversity characterization of P. kurroa populations (n = 28) from three geographical locations. These markers produced 136 alleles (average of 6.8) with mean observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, Shannon’s information index, and PIC value of 0.971, 0.798, 1.681, and 0.737 respectively, revealing a higher extent of genetic diversity in P. kurroa. Further, clustering of all the individuals according to their geographical locations indicates at a spatial population structure in P. kurroa. The current study suggests that informative SSR makers identified here can be potentially used for diversity characterization targeting wider geographical locations for selection of elite/quality genotypes for commercial cultivation and genetic rescue of this endangered species.     

Bottlenecks and rescue effects in a fluctuating population of golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis)

Mammal species characterized by highly fluctuating populations often maintain genetic diversity in response to frequent demographic bottlenecks, suggesting the ameliorating influence of life history and behavioral factors. Immigration in particular is expected to promote genetic recovery and is hypothesized to be the most likely process maintaining genetic diversity in fluctuating mammal populations. Most demographic bottlenecks have been inferred retrospectively, and direct analysis of a natural population before, during, and after a bottleneck is rare. Using a continuous 10-year dataset detailing the complete demographic and genetic history of a fluctuating population of golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis), we analyzed the genetic consequences of a 4-year demographic bottleneck that reduced the population to seven adult squirrels, and we evaluated the potential “rescue effect” of immigration. Analysis of six microsatellite loci revealed that, while a decline in allelic richness was observed during the bottleneck, there was no observed excess of heterozygosity, a characteristic bottleneck signature, and no evidence for heterozygote deficiency during the recovery phase. In addition, we found no evidence for inbreeding depression during or after the bottleneck. By identifying immigrants and analyzing their demographic and genetic contributions, we found that immigration promoted demographic recovery and countered the genetic effects of the bottleneck, especially the loss of allelic richness. Within 3 years both population size and genetic variation had recovered to pre-bottleneck levels, supporting the role of immigration in maintaining genetic variation during bottleneck events in fluctuating populations. Our analyses revealed considerable variation among analytical techniques in their ability to detect genetic bottlenecks, suggesting that caution is warranted when evaluating bottleneck events based on one technique.     

The imprecision of heterozygosity-fitness correlations hinders the detection of inbreeding and inbreeding depression in a threatened species

In nonpedigreed wild populations, inbreeding depression is often quantified through the use of heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs), based on molecular estimates of relatedness. Although such correlations are typically interpreted as evidence of inbreeding depression, by assuming that the marker heterozygosity is a proxy for genome-wide heterozygosity, theory predicts that these relationships should be difficult to detect. Until now, the vast majority of empirical research in this area has been performed on generally outbred, nonbottlenecked populations, but differences in population genetic processes may limit extrapolation of results to threatened populations. Here, we present an analysis of HFCs, and their implications for the interpretation of inbreeding, in a free-ranging pedigreed population of a bottlenecked species: the endangered takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri). Pedigree-based inbreeding depression has already been detected in this species. Using 23 microsatellite loci, we observed only weak evidence of the expected relationship between multilocus heterozygosity and fitness at individual life-history stages (such as survival to hatching and fledging), and parameter estimates were imprecise (had high error). Furthermore, our molecular data set could not accurately predict the inbreeding status of individuals (as 'inbred' or 'outbred', determined from pedigrees), nor could we show that the observed HFCs were the result of genome-wide identity disequilibrium. These results may be attributed to high variance in heterozygosity within inbreeding classes. This study is an empirical example from a free-ranging endangered species, suggesting that even relatively large numbers (>20) of microsatellites may give poor precision for estimating individual genome-wide heterozygosity. We argue that pedigree methods remain the most effective method of quantifying inbreeding in wild populations, particularly those that have gone through severe bottlenecks.     

Molecular population genetic analysis of the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in the northern Andean area

Eighty-two Andean bear samples obtained in three South American Andean countries were analyzed using five hypervariable microsatellite markers. Neither the overall sample nor the samples coming from each of the countries analyzed were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. This is attributable to the Wahlund effect caused by a fragmentation of the bear populations. The genetic variability levels found were in general low for this kind of molecular markers (H = 0.38 for the global population). The situation of the Ecuadorian bear population seems to be endangered (H = 0.24). This is the lowest level recorded for any bear population. The genetic heterogeneity among the three populations was large and highly significant (F(ST) = 0.39; R(ST) = 0.32-0.49). Likewise, the gene flow estimates were remarkably low among these populations (Nm = 0.2-0.3). This means that the populations are strongly isolated. Different methods were applied to determine the effective numbers in these populations. A significant spatial structure of the genotypes was analyzed with different procedures. In all cases, an isolation-by-distance structure was detected. This could be a consequence of the original South America colonization. There was no evidence for a recent genetic bottleneck. This could mean that the low heterozygosity and the population fragmentation could be explained by ancient events related to the bear colonization, with the arrival of humans beings in the Americas, and/or with the glacial maximum, 16.000-30.000 years ago.     

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Emmenopterys henryi (Rubiaceae), a rare tree from China

? Premise of the study: Compound microsatellite primers were developed for Emmenopterys henryi, an endangered deciduous tree endemic to China, to assess its genetic diversity and population structure as well as its evolutionary history. ? Methods and Results: Using the compound microsatellite marker technique, 10 pairs of polymorphic microsatellite primers were isolated and characterized in E. henryi. Levels of polymorphism were tested across a total of 63 individuals from three natural populations. Allele numbers varied from 10 to 20 per locus, with an average of 14.50 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.125 to 0.962, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.377 to 0.903. ? Conclusions: The highly polymorphic markers developed and characterized in this study will facilitate evolutionary and population genetic studies in E. henryi.     

Are Isolated Indigenous Populations Headed toward Extinction?

At least 50 indigenous groups spread across lowland South America remain isolated and have only intermittent and mostly hostile interactions with the outside world. Except in emergency situations, the current policy of governments in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru towards isolated tribes is a “leave them alone” strategy, in which isolated groups are left uncontacted. However, these no-contact policies are based on the assumption that isolated populations are healthy and capable of persisting in the face of mounting external threats, and that they can maintain population viability in the long-term. Here, we test this assumption by tracking the sizes and movements of cleared horticultural areas made by 8 isolated groups over the last 10–14 years. We used deforestation data derived from remote sensing Landsat satellite sensors to identify clearings, and those were then validated and assessed with high-resolution imagery. We found only a single example of a relatively large and growing population (c. 50 cleared ha and 400 people), whereas all of the other 7 groups exhibited much smaller villages and gardens with no sizable growth through time. These results indicated that the smaller groups are critically endangered, and it prompts an urgent re-thinking of policies toward isolated populations, including plans for well-organized contacts that may help save lives and rescue isolated indigenous populations from imminent extinction.     

Seasonal abundance of nonbreeding Piping Plovers on a Georgia barrier island

ABSTRACT.   Although breeding populations of Piping Plovers are well studied, their winter distribution is less clear. We studied the seasonal abundance of nonbreeding Piping Plovers ( Charadrius melodus ) during the winters of 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 on Little St. Simons Island (LSSI), Georgia. Our objectives were to determine the relative abundance of individuals from three breeding populations at LSSI, and identify possible differences among populations in arrival time, winter movements, or departure time. We observed up to 100 Piping Plovers during peak migration, and approximately 40 plovers wintered at LSSI. From July 2004 to May 2005, approximately 20% of the Great Lakes breeding population used LSSI. Plovers were not present at LSSI during June. All breeding populations of Piping Plovers had similar patterns of temporal occurrence on LSSI, suggesting no need for population-specific management plans at this site. Our results suggest that LSSI is among the most important wintering sites on the Atlantic coast for Piping Plovers, especially for individuals from the endangered Great Lakes population.     

Modelling problems in conservation genetics using Drosophila: consequences of fluctuating population sizes

Many natural populations fluctuate widely in population size. This is predicted to reduce effective population size, genetic variation, and reproductive fitness, and to increase inbreeding. The effects of fluctuating population size were examined in small populations of Drosophila melanogaster of the same average size, but maintained using either fluctuating ( FPS ) or equal ( EPS ) population sizes.FPS lines were maintained using seven pairs and one pair in alternate generations, and EPS lines with four pairs per generation. Ten replicates of each treatment were maintained. After eight generations, FPS had a higher inbreeding coefficient than EPS (0.60 vs. 0.38), a lower average allozyme heterozygosity (0.068 vs. 0.131), and a much lower relative fitness (0.03 vs. 0.25). Estimates of effective population sizes for FPS and EPS were 3.8 and 7.9 from pedigree inbreeding, and 4.9 vs. 7.1 from changes in average heterozygosities, as compared to theoretical expectations of 3.3 vs. 8.0. Results were generally in accordance with theoretical predictions. Management strategies for populations of rare and endangered species should aim to minimize population fluctuations over generations.     

Genetic diversity and structure of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Crotalus triseriatus</Emphasis>, a rattlesnake of central Mexico

The isolated and fragmented populations are highly susceptible to stochastic events, increasing the extinction risk because of the decline in putative adaptive potential and individual fitness. The population has high heterozygosity values and a moderate allelic diversity, the heterozygosity values are higher than in most other Crotalus species and snake studies. Possibly these high levels of genetic diversity can be related to a large founder size, high effective population size, multiple paternity and overlapping generations. We did not find the genetic structuring but the effective number of alleles \((N_{\mathrm{e}})\) was 138.1. We found evidence of bottlenecks and the majority of rattlesnakes were unrelated, despite the small sample size, endemic status, the isolated and fragmented habitat. The genetic information provided in this study can be useful as a first approach to try to make informed conservation efforts for this species and also, important to preserve the habitat of this species; the endangered Abies–Pinus forest of the Nevado the Toluca Volcano.     

Effects of clonality on the genetic variability of rare,insular species: the case of Ruta microcarpa from the Canary Islands

Many plant species combine sexual and clonal reproduction. Clonal propagation has ecological costs mainly related to inbreeding depression and pollen discounting; at the same time, species able to reproduce clonally have ecological and evolutionary advantages being able to persist when conditions are not favorable for sexual reproduction. The presence of clonality has profound consequences on the genetic structure of populations, especially when it represents the predominant reproductive strategy in a population. Theoretical studies suggest that high rate of clonal propagation should increase the effective number of alleles and heterozygosity in a population, while an opposite effect is expected on genetic differentiation among populations and on genotypic diversity. In this study, we ask how clonal propagation affects the genetic diversity of rare insular species, which are often characterized by low levels of genetic diversity, hence at risk of extinction. We used eight polymorphic microsatellite markers to study the genetic structure of the critically endangered insular endemic Ruta microcarpa. We found that clonality appears to positively affect the genetic diversity of R. microcarpa by increasing allelic diversity, polymorphism, and heterozygosity. Moreover, clonal propagation seems to be a more successful reproductive strategy in small, isolated population subjected to environmental stress. Our results suggest that clonal propagation may benefit rare species. However, the advantage of clonal growth may be only short‐lived for prolonged clonal growth could ultimately lead to monoclonal populations. Some degree of sexual reproduction may be needed in a predominantly clonal species to ensure long‐term viability.     

Experimental test of genetic rescue in isolated populations of brook trout

Genetic rescue is an increasingly considered conservation measure to address genetic erosion associated with habitat loss and fragmentation. The resulting gene flow from facilitating migration may improve fitness and adaptive potential, but is not without risks (e.g., outbreeding depression). Here, we conducted a test of genetic rescue by translocating ten (five of each sex) brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from a single source to four nearby and isolated stream populations. To control for the demographic contribution of translocated individuals, ten resident individuals (five of each sex) were removed from each recipient population. Prior to the introduction of translocated individuals, the two smallest above‐barrier populations had substantially lower genetic diversity, and all populations had reduced effective number of breeders relative to adjacent below‐barrier populations. In the first reproductive bout following translocation, 31 of 40 (78%) translocated individuals reproduced successfully. Translocated individuals contributed to more families than expected under random mating and generally produced larger full‐sibling families. We observed relatively high (>20%) introgression in three of the four recipient populations. The translocations increased genetic diversity of recipient populations by 45% in allelic richness and 25% in expected heterozygosity. Additionally, strong evidence of hybrid vigour was observed through significantly larger body sizes of hybrid offspring relative to resident offspring in all recipient populations. Continued monitoring of these populations will test for negative fitness effects beyond the first generation. However, these results provide much‐needed experimental data to inform the potential effectiveness of genetic rescue‐motivated translocations.     

Population genetics of Mioscirtus wagneri,a grasshopper showing a highly fragmented distribution

The genetic consequences of population fragmentation and isolation are major issues in conservation biology. In this study we analyse the genetic variability and structure of the Iberian populations of Mioscirtus wagneri, a specialized grasshopper exclusively inhabiting highly fragmented hypersaline low grounds. For this purpose we have used seven species‐specific microsatellite markers to type 478 individuals from 24 localities and obtain accurate estimates of their genetic variability. Genetic diversity was relatively low and we detected genetic signatures suggesting that certain populations of M. wagneri have probably passed through severe demographic bottlenecks. We have found that the populations of this grasshopper show a strong genetic structure even at small geographical scales, indicating that they mostly behave as isolated populations with low levels of gene flow among them. Thus, several populations can be regarded as independent and genetically differentiated units which require adequate conservation strategies to avoid eventual extinctions that in highly isolated localities are not likely to be compensated for with the arrival of immigrants from neighbouring populations. Overall, our results show that these populations probably represent the ‘fragments’ of a formerly more widespread population and highlight the importance of protecting Iberian hypersaline environments due to the high number of rare and endangered species they sustain.     

Simple sequence repeats provide a direct estimate of pollen-mediated gene dispersal in the tropical tree Gliricidia sepium

An understanding of the processes that determine the observed patterns of genetic variation in natural plant populations is an important factor in the management of biodiversity. Pollen-mediated gene dispersal is recognized as a major determinant of population genetic structure. Here, the utility of simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis was investigated for the measurement of pollen-mediated gene transfer by paternity exclusion in a restricted, fragmented and endangered population of the insect-pollinated tropical leguminous tree Gliricidia sepium located in Guatemala. Data at a single SSR locus, which revealed six allelic variants, were employed to generate minimum distance curves of pollen dispersal. Combined data from all six alleles indicated that a minimum of 1.8% of transfer events occurred over a distance of greater than 75 m. However, this value represents an underestimate because of the exclusion approach employed for analysis. Considering the four rarest alleles in the population only (combined frequency = 0.196), which provides a less biased indicator of gene transfer, a minimum of 6.1% of pollen movements could be attributed to greater than 75 m. One extreme example of gene transfer of over 275 m was recorded. Estimates of pollen transfer suggest a homogenizing effect on genetic structure over the spatial scale of the study population and provide an important indicator for the genetic management of natural and exotic stands of G. sepium . This study provides the first example of SSR analysis being employed to estimate directly pollen movement in a natural stand of any tree species.     

Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA variation defines island genetic reservoirs for reintroductions of an endangered Australian marsupial, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perameles bougainville</Emphasis>

Natural populations of the endangered western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville) now exist on only two islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Our aim was to investigate genetic diversity in natural, reintroduced, and captive populations of the bandicoots and to assess the extent of divergence between the populations. The contemporary isolation of the natural populations has resulted in heterogeneity of allele frequency between the islands, which has acted to maintain a higher combined diversity than would be expected from either population on its own. These findings highlight how remnant island populations can act as genetic reservoirs to maximize diversity for reintroductions into a species former range. Although diversity is high between island populations, diversity within populations, based on six microsatellite loci, are amongst the lowest ever recorded for populations of marsupials. The mtDNA sequence data indicate that the two remaining natural populations show only minor divergence from each other, with the five haplotypes separated by just single base pairs. The reintroduced population and captive colonies show evidence for the loss of diversity related to genetic drift operating on small isolated populations.     

Modeling problems in conservation genetics using captive Drosophila populations: Improvement of reproductive fitness due to immigration of one individual into small partially inbred populations

Immigration into small isolated captive and wild populations is recommended to alleviate inbreeding depression. The effects on reproductive fitness of introducing one immigrant into 10 small partially inbred captive populations of D. melanogaster were evaluated. The relative reproductive fitness of the immigrant populations (0.628) was approximately double that of the isolated populations (0.294) and about halfway between the isolated populations and the outbred base population (1.00). Every replicate population increased in fitness following the introduction of an immigrant. The improvements in reproductive fitness shown by the immigrant populations were not due to F₁ hybrid vigor, as the experimental populations underwent three generations of random mating prior to the fitness tests. These results indicate substantial benefits can be gained by the translocation of as few as a single animal between small, partially inbred populations. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The Effect of Multiple Paternity on Genetic Diversity of Small Populations during and after Colonisation

Genetic variation within and among populations is influenced by the genetic content of the founders and the migrants following establishment. This is particularly true if populations are small, migration rate low and habitats arranged in a stepping-stone fashion. Under these circumstances the level of multiple paternity is critical since multiply mated females bring more genetic variation into founder groups than single mated females. One such example is the marine snail Littorina saxatilis that during postglacial times has invaded mainland refuge areas and thereafter small islands emerging due to isostatic uplift by occasional rafting of multiply mated females. We modelled effects of varying degrees of multiple paternity on the genetic variation of island populations colonised by the founders spreading from the mainland, by quantifying the population heterozygosity during both the transient colonisation process, and after a steady state (with migration) has been reached. During colonisation, multiple mating by males increased the heterozygosity by in comparison with single paternity, while in the steady state the increase was compared with single paternity. In the steady state the increase of heterozygosity due to multiple paternity is determined by a corresponding increase in effective population size. During colonisation, by contrast, the increase in heterozygosity is larger and it cannot be explained in terms of the effective population size alone. During the steady-state phase bursts of high genetic variation spread through the system, and far from the mainland this led to short periods of high diversity separated by long periods of low diversity. The size of these fluctuations was boosted by multiple paternity. We conclude that following glacial periods of extirpation, recolonization of isolated habitats by this species has been supported by its high level of multiple paternity.