Mapping our knowledge on birds of prey population genetics

Abstract

The current and rapid anthropogenic environmental changes could disproportionately impact ecosystems, particularly when they affect species with critical roles in ecosystem integrity. As top predators, raptors provide critical top-down ecosystem services and structure food webs. Yet, many avian predators are currently experiencing global population declines and some are threatened with extinction. The dire conservation status of numerous raptor species warrants urgent action, and detailed ecological data are needed to guide management strategy, including empirical knowledge regarding genetic structure. To that end, we compiled published studies investigating population genetic structure in raptors. Out of a total of 83 publications on 50 raptors species published, we identified a lack of empirical genetic studies for species from the Southern Hemisphere and species with a high level of extinction risk according to IUCN Red List criteria. Only 24% of the species studied are considered “threatened” (i.e., with the “Vulnerable”, “Endangered”, or “Critically Endangered” status). We found a significant signal of genetic differentiation in 41 species (82%) at the study-specific population. Isolation-by-Distance is a common pattern of genetic differentiation in raptors. Future steps in raptor conservation could prioritize facilitating genetic studies on species located in the Southern Hemisphere and on species with a conservation status. A better inclusion of some key genetic metrics (e.g., Ne, Ne/Nc, genetic diversity) in published studies will further help management and conservation across various species and ecosystems.