Genetic structure of a patchily distributed philopatric migrant: implications for management and conservation

Abstract

Significant demographic fluctuations can have major genetic consequences in wild populations. The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) has suffered both population declines and range fragmentation during the second half of the 20 th century. In this study we analysed multilocus microsatellite data to assess the genetic structure of the species. Our analysis revealed significant genetic structuring of lesser kestrel populations, not only at the cross-continental scale, but also regionally within the Central and Eastern (CE) Mediterranean region. We detected signs of genetic bottlenecks in some of the peripheral populations coupled with small effective population sizes. Values of genetic differentiation among the largest populations were low, albeit significant, whereas the small peripheral CE Mediterranean populations showed higher levels of differentiation from all other populations. Gene flow levels were relatively low among the discontinuously distributed populations of the CE Mediterranean region. We argue that the observed spatial genetic structure can be attributed at some level to the past demographic decline experienced by the species. Finally, we identify management units in the region, and inform the design of conservation actions aimed at the increase of population sizes and dispersal rates among peripheral populations.

Falcon genomics in the context of conservation, speciation, and human culture

“…Several studies have suggested that reintroduction campaigns mitigated losses of genetic diversity in the regions in which they occurred (Brown et al, ; Johnson et al, ; Ponnikas, Ollila, & Kvist, ). However, studies comparing reintroduced populations to naturally recovered populations, which may retain high heterozygosity (Bounas et al, ), are lacking, as are studies assessing potential losses in local and locally adaptive genetic diversity among reintroduced and naturally recovered populations. As the legacy of falcon conservation continues to guide similar contemporary reintroduction and management programs (Carroll et al, ; Watson, ), such studies will help inform ongoing conservation efforts for other species.…”

Effect of spatial and temporal urban isolation on the genetic diversity, acoustic variation, and morphological characteristics of an urban survivor bird species

“…The indirect evidence of limited gene flow found in our study, could be also a result of the interaction between philopatry, territoriality and the lack of suitable habitat for populations of ground-sparrows in an urban setting. Philopatry and territoriality keep individuals within a population, thereby decreasing gene flow and increasing genetic differentiation between populations (Bounas et al, 2018;Rodríguez-Bardía et al, 2022). In urbanized sites ground-sparrow males may increase their territories to search for additional food sources (Juárez et al, 2020).…”