The importance of long‐distance dispersal in biodiversity conservation

Abstract

Dispersal is universally considered important for biodiversity conservation. However, the significance of long-as opposed to short-distance dispersal is insufficiently recognized in the conservation context. Long-distance dispersal (LDD) events, although typically rare, are crucial to population spread and to maintenance of genetic connectivity. The main threats to global biodiversity involve excessive LDD of elements alien to ecosystems and insufficient dispersal of native species, for example, because of habitat fragmentation. In this paper, we attempt to bridge the gap in the treatment of LDD by reviewing the conservation issues for which LDD is most important. We then demonstrate how taking LDD into consideration can improve conservation management decisions.

Macroevolutionary consequences of profound climate change on niche evolution in marine molluscs over the past three million years

“…If species are able to keep pace with the changing environment, distributional shifts, rather than extinctions, are expected [33]. Under this scenario, dispersal ability becomes an important parameter predicting species' responses to climate change [81]. Present-day elevational, latitudinal and bathymetric shifts [82] have already been observed in response to current warming patterns, and indeed the fossil record provides abundant evidence for habitat tracking during rapid Pleistocene climate cycles [83], often creating non-analogous community assemblages [84].…”

Spruce colonization at treeline: where do those seeds come from?

“…This suggests the importance of seed morphology in determining LDD potentiality in anemochorous species. The detection of rare LDD events, which have historically been considered unimportant, is of primary importance in understanding species responses to environmental changes (Trakhtenbrot et al, 2005, Nathan, 2006. Genetic methods seem particularly appropriate to provide more accurate LDD data (Alsos et al 2007), although studies based on parentage analysis that can provide LDD estimates at the population level, are still scarce (Nathan, 2006).…”

“…In addition, parentage analysis seems to be a promising technique to assess the scale and the quality of long-distance dispersal (LDD) events (Wang and Smith, 2002;Bacles et al, 2006). The study of LDD is crucial for understanding how plants can respond to global environmental changes (Trakhtenbrot et al, 2005).…”

Towards modelling persistence of woodland birds: the role of genetics

“…These effects seem to be general. Evolution of dispersal strategies have major impacts on rate and mode of range-shifting (Dytham 2009), and variance in dispersal distance is critical in landscape-scale population connectivity and recolonisation (Trakhtenbrot et al 2005;Tittler et al 2006;van Houtan et al 2007).…”