Biological Sciences Division
Published December 13, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Dealing With the Complexity of Effective Population Size in Conservation Practice

Creators

  • 1. National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry
  • 2. Research Institute for Nature and Forest
  • 3. University of Ibadan
  • 4. Budur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
  • 5. University of Zurich
  • 6. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
  • 7. University of Primorska
  • 8. University of Zagreb
  • 9. Royal Botanic Gardens
  • 10. Estación Biológica de Doñana
  • 11. University of Bordeaux
  • 12. WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute
  • 13. University of Chicago
  • 14. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
  • 15. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • 16. Technical University in Zvolen
  • 17. Leipzig University
  • 18. Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1
  • 19. University of the Basque Country
  • 20. National Institute of Oceanography

Description

Effective population size (Ne) is one of the most important parameters in evolutionary biology, as it is linked to the long-term survival capability of species. Therefore, Ne greatly interests conservation geneticists, but it is also very relevant to policymakers, managers, and conservation practitioners. Molecular methods to estimate Ne rely on various assumptions, including no immigration, panmixia, random sampling, absence of spatial genetic structure, and/or mutation-drift equilibrium. Species are, however, often characterized by fragmented populations under changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressure. Therefore, the estimation methods' assumptions are seldom addressed and rarely met, possibly leading to biased and inaccurate Ne estimates. To address the challenges associated with estimating Ne for conservation purposes, the COST Action 18134, Genomic Biodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems (G-BiKE), organized an international workshop that met in August 2022 in Brașov, Romania. The overarching goal was to operationalize the current knowledge of Ne estimation methods for conservation practitioners and decision-makers. We set out to identify datasets to evaluate the sensitivity of Ne estimation methods to violations of underlying assumptions and to develop data analysis strategies that addressed pressing issues in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Referring to a comprehensive body of scientific work on Ne, this meeting report is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to present approaches, workshop findings, and a collection of papers that serve as fruits of those efforts. We aimed to provide insights and opportunities to help bridge the gap between scientific research and conservation practice.

Data availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the study at hand. Code Availability: No code is available to this article as no new data were analyzed or new code was created in this study.

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Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1111/eva.70031
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:14807

Funding

European Cooperation in Science and Technology
CA 18134
European Cooperation in Science and Technology
CA 23121
European Commission
862221
Scientific Grant Agency VEGA
1/0328/22
IdEx Bordeaux University
Swiss National Foundation
IZCOZ0_198147
Norges Forskningsråd
160022/F40
Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS
P1-0386
Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS
P4-0107
Romanian Ministry of Research
PN23090304
HEFCW
Higher Education Investment and Recover (HEIR) Fund for Research
Biodiversa+
ANR-23-EBIP-0003-06
Austrian Science Fund
I5081-B
Agence Nationale de la Recherche
ANR-10-LABEX-0025
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
PID2020-118028GB-I00
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
PRE2022-105110
Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
2019-05503
Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
2020-01290
People's Trust for Endangered Species
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Biological Sciences Division
Department(s)
Evolutionary Biology