Reexamining the Minimum Viable Population Concept for Long‐Lived Species

Shoemaker, Kevin T.; Breisch, Alvin R.; Jaycox, Jesse W.; Gibbs, James P.

doi:10.1111/cobi.12028

Cited by 41 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Protection of population will work in tandem with introduction management to strengthen the population size, and it would require the metapopulation to reach its MVP size for its ensured persistency. This is in agreement with Shoemaker et al 25 who proposed that while applying MVP for long-lived species, protection of population can serve as a viable option for conservation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Metapopulation Modelling of Threatened Plants to Assess Conservation Status and Determine Minimum Viable Population Size

et al. 2018

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Use of metapopulation modelling in conservation of threatened plants has been demonstrated in this article taking Paris polyphylla Smith as an example. The metapopulation data collected from Sikkim Himalaya over a period of four years were analysed using RAMAS Metapop 5.0 software. Demographic projection, assessment of extinction probability, population viability analysis, and analysis of impact of disturbance on the metapopulation were undertaken. The metapopulation had 11 populations of which seven were in continuous forest (CF) and four were in forest fragments (FF). All the analyses were done in two model scenarios, viz. base-model (M1) representing the disturbed condition, and alternate model (M2) representing the undisturbed condition for three distinct layers of P. polyphylla populations, i.e. CF, FF in isolation, and collectively as metapopulation. The outputs of the deterministic population models in respect of CF and FF populations revealed that both the populations had contribution of growth and survival of plants to such decline was greater than the fecundity in both the models. Stochastic simulations revealed an extinction risk of >10% in 100 years in M1 scenario, which put the species under vulnerable category. The extinction risk of metapopulation significantly varied between the two models (M1 = 0.85; M2 = 0.42), conforming the hypothesis that disturbance and forest fragmentation have detrimental effect on the persistence of P. polyphylla. Recovery of species was most promising when reproductive individuals were introduced to the M2 model. Thus, both introduction of individuals in the field and protection of the populations with emphasis on the reproductive subset would result in achieving minimum viable population size or low threat status of the species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Metapopulation Modelling of Threatened Plants to Assess Conservation Status and Determine Minimum Viable Population Size

et al. 2018

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“…; Hylander & Ehrlén ; Shoemaker et al . ). Populations with positive growth rates and long times to quasi‐extinction may persist in relatively unsuitable macroclimates due to long extinction lags and/or location in suitable microhabitats which are not modelled by global SDMs (Dullinger et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Less favourable climates constrain demographic strategies in plants

et al. 2017

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Correlative species distribution models are based on the observed relationship between species’ occurrence and macroclimate or other environmental variables. In climates predicted less favourable populations are expected to decline, and in favourable climates they are expected to persist. However, little comparative empirical support exists for a relationship between predicted climate suitability and population performance. We found that the performance of 93 populations of 34 plant species worldwide – as measured by in situ population growth rate, its temporal variation and extinction risk – was not correlated with climate suitability. However, correlations of demographic processes underpinning population performance with climate suitability indicated both resistance and vulnerability pathways of population responses to climate: in less suitable climates, plants experienced greater retrogression (resistance pathway) and greater variability in some demographic rates (vulnerability pathway). While a range of demographic strategies occur within species’ climatic niches, demographic strategies are more constrained in climates predicted to be less suitable.

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“…Assessment of a population's probability of extinction should therefore include both demographic and genetic data. Although demographic data can be used to estimate population viability (e.g., Enneson and Litzgus 2009;Shoemaker et al 2013), the implications of genetic data may be less obvious, and the two factors also interact. For example, a severe demographic bottleneck may reduce a population to a nonviable size, and the genetic diversity of the population may be simultaneously impacted by a sudden loss of alleles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation genetics of the endangered Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) illustrate the risks of “bottleneck tests”

DavyChristina

MurphyRobert

2014

Can. J. Zool.

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Studies of population genetics in turtles have suggested that turtles do not experience genetic impacts of bottlenecks as strongly as expected. However, recent studies cast doubt on two commonly used tests implemented in the program BOTTLENECK, suggesting that these findings should be re-evaluated. The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata (Schneider, 1792)) is endangered both globally and within Canada, but genetic data required to develop effective recovery strategies are unavailable. Here, we conducted the first study of population genetic structure in C. guttata. We then used multiple small populations of C. guttata as replicates to test whether the commonly used program BOTTLENECK could detect the genetic signature of bottlenecks in our study populations, which are all thought to have experienced significant declines in the past 2-3 generations (75 years). Turtles (n = 256) were genotyped at 11 microsatellite loci. A suite of Bayesian population genetics analyses and a principal coordinates analysis identified a minimum of 6 distinct genetic populations and a maximum of 10 differentiated subpopulations across the sampled Canadian range of C. guttata, which corresponded to demographically independent units. BOTTLENECK failed to detect population declines. A literature review found that bottleneck tests in 17 of 18 previous genetic studies of tortoises and freshwater turtles were based on suboptimal sampling, potentially confounding their results. High retention of genetic diversity (allelic richness and heterozygosity) in isolated populations of C. guttata and other turtle species is encouraging for species recovery, but conclusions about the prevalence of genetic bottlenecks in such populations should be re-examined.Résumé : Des études de la génétique des populations chez les tortues semblent indiquer que les impacts génétiques des goulots d'étranglement sur ces dernières ne sont pas aussi forts que prévu. Des études récentes jettent toutefois un doute sur deux tests répandus utilisés dans le programme BOTTLENECK, ce qui suggère que ces résultats devraient être réévalués. La tortue ponctuée (Clemmys guttata (Schneider, 1792)) est en voie de disparation à l'échelle tant planétaire que canadienne, mais les données génétiques nécessaires à l'élaboration de stratégies de rétablissement efficaces ne sont pas disponibles. Nous avons réalisé la première étude de la structure de la génétique des populations chez C. guttata. Nous avons ensuite utilisé de multiples petites populations de C. guttata comme réplicats pour vérifier si le programme d'usage courant BOTTLENECK peut déceler la signature génétique de goulots d'étranglement dans les populations à l'étude, qui auraient toutes connu des diminutions significatives au cours des deux ou trois dernières générations (75 ans). Des tortues (n = 256) ont fait l'objet d'un génotypage sur 11 microsatellites. Un ensemble d'analyses bayésiennes de la génétique des populations et une analyse en coordonnées principales a permis de cerner au moins 6 populations génétiques distinctes ...

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Reexamining the Minimum Viable Population Concept for Long‐Lived Species

Cited by 41 publications

References 44 publications

Metapopulation Modelling of Threatened Plants to Assess Conservation Status and Determine Minimum Viable Population Size

Metapopulation Modelling of Threatened Plants to Assess Conservation Status and Determine Minimum Viable Population Size

Less favourable climates constrain demographic strategies in plants

Conservation genetics of the endangered Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) illustrate the risks of “bottleneck tests”

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