Genetic variation and metapopulation structure inform recovery goals in a threatened species

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Abstract

Background: Monitoring genetic parameters is important for setting effective conservation and management strategies, particularly for small, fragmented, and isolated populations. Small, isolated populations face increased rates of genetic drift and inbreeding, which increase extinction risk especially when gene flow is limited. Methods: Here, we applied a Genotyping-in-Thousands by sequencing (GT-seq) panel to inform recovery action for the federally threatened northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus). We evaluated genetic diversity, structure, connectivity, and effective population size to address species recovery goals. Results: We delineated three types of conservation units: (1) three evolutionarily significant units that represent long-term population structure and variation, (2) nine management units that reflect current demographic connectivity and restrictions to gene flow, and (3) three adaptive units that capture adaptive differentiation across the species range. Effective population sizes per management unit were small overall (mean 38.16, range 2.3–220.9), indicating that recovery goals of 10 subpopulations with Ne > 500 have not been reached. Conclusions: Our results support the maintenance of connectivity within evolutionarily significant units through the restoration of dispersal corridors. Next steps could include further sampling of some subpopulations with low sample sizes, unsampled subpopulations, and subpopulations that are geographically isolated. Genotyping future samples with the same GT-seq panel would help to detect dispersal, assess effective population size, monitor the effects of inbreeding, and evaluate adaptive differentiation to monitor the effects of management action and environmental change.

Suggested Citation

Garrett, M.J., Conway, C.J., Waits, L.P., Hohenlohe, P.A., 2025, Genetic variation and metapopulation structure inform recovery goals in a threatened species: Genes, v. 16, no. 6, 694, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16060694.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Genetic variation and metapopulation structure inform recovery goals in a threatened species
Series title Genes
DOI 10.3390/genes16060694
Volume 16
Issue 6
Publication Date June 08, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher MDPI
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Seattle
Description 694, 19 p.
Country United States
State Idaho
County Adams County, Valley County
Other Geospatial central Idaho
Additional publication details