High genetic diversity and low differentiation retained in the European fragmented and declining Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) population

Abstract

Characterising genetic diversity and structure of populations is essential for effective conservation of threatened species. The Greater Spotted Eagle ( Clanga clanga ), a large and globally vulnerable raptor, is extinct or in severe decline in most of its previous range in Europe. We assessed whether the remnants of European population are genetically impoverished, and isolated from each other. We evaluated levels of genetic diversity and population structuring by sequencing mitochondrial pseudo-control region and 10 introns from various nuclear genes, and estimated length diversity in 23 microsatellite markers. The European population has expanded since the late Pleistocene, and does not exhibit signs of a recent population bottleneck. The global genetic diversity in Europe was rather similar to that detected in other similar species. Microsatellites suggested shallow but significant differentiation between the four extant populations in Estonia, Poland, Belarus and Russia (Upper Volga region) populations, but introns and mtDNA showed that only the Estonian population differed from the others. Mitochondrial diversity was highest in the northernmost Estonian population, introns suggested lower diversity in Upper Volga, microsatellites indicated equal diversity among populations. A recent bottleneck was detected in Poland, which is consistent with the observed repopulation of the region. We conclude that significant gene flow and high genetic diversity are retained in the fragmented Greater Spotted Eagle populations; there is currently no need for genetic augmentation in Europe.

Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of Sea Urchin Tripneustes gratilla in Region Surrounding Cenderawasih Bay, Papua-Indonesia and Indo-Pacific

“…This combination was similar to T. gratilla population in the Indo-Pacific (Lessios et al 2003;Liggins et al 2014), and many others marine taxa (Rocha et al 2002on Bowen et al 2001, such as H. pulchella (Barber et al 2002) and T. crocea (Kochzius and Nuryanto 2008;DeBoer et al 2014). The high levels of haplotype diversity and low levels of nucleotide diversity indicated either a long stable evolutionary history or secondary contact among differentiated lineages (Väli et al 2019). According to Plough (2016), this combination has frequently been attributed to expansion after a period of small effective population size, retaining new mutations and related to episodes of marine level oscillations (e.g.…”

“…Consequently, the world sea urchin fishery is now in a state of decline (Stefánsson et al 2017;FAO 2020). Characterising genetic diversity and structure of populations is essential for effective conservation of threatened species (Väli et al 2019). According to Goodall-Copestake et al (2012) estimates of genetic diversity represent a valuable resource for biodiversity assessments and could be used to guide conservation and management programs.…”

Assessing the origin, genetic structure and demographic history of the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in the introduced European range

“…The membership probabilities (Q-values) were used to assign individuals to clusters considering a membership threshold of either 50% or 70% (e.g. 85 , 86 ). CLUMPP 1.1.2 87 and DISTRUCT 1.1 88 were used to average the membership probabilities over the 10 runs for each K and to plot the results, respectively.…”

Movements of a male greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga) during its 2nd and 3rd calendar years

“…NE China, Primorsky Krai, Russia), and spans more degrees of latitude in the west than in the east (Meyburg et al 2016b, 2020b, BirdLife International 2021. The distribution of breeding greater spotted eagles in the Asian part of its distribution is patchy and little known (Väli et al 2019). Breeding concentrations exist in the VolgaUral region (e.g.…”