Abstract
International organizations and biodiversity scientists recognize three levels of biodiversity: genetic, species, and ecosystem. However, most studies with the goal of assessing biodiversity collect data at only a single level--that of the species. Even when multiple levels of biodiversity are considered, usually only ecosystem diversity is also evaluated. Genetic diversity is virtually never considered. Yet, genetic diversity is essential for the maintenance of populations and species over ecological and evolutionary time periods. Moreover, because components of genetic diversity are independent of either species or ecosystem diversity, genetic diversity can provide a unique measure by which to assess the value of regions for conservation. Regions can be valuable for conservation of their genetic resources regardless of their levels of species or ecosystem uniqueness or diversity. In general, the same methods and statistical programs that are used to answer questions about population genetics and phylogenetics are applicable to conservation genetics. Thus, numerous genetic techniques, laboratory methods, and statistical programs are available for assessing regional levels of genetic diversity for conservation considerations. Here, we provide the rationale, techniques available, field and laboratory protocols, and statistical programs that can be used to estimate the magnitude and type of genetic diversity in regions. We also provide information on how to obtain commonly utilized statistical programs and the type of analyses that they include. The guide that we present here can be used to conduct investigations of the genetic diversity of regions under consideration for conservation of their natural resources.
Highlights
The conservation of genetic diversity is of paramount importance for long-term species survival because the maintenance of gene pools with sufficient variability is necessary for species to adapt to changing environments (Lande, 1995; Ayala, 1997; Meffe & Carroll, 1997)
Rapid-assessment evaluations of biological diversity are ongoing worldwide, at both international, and national/regional levels (e.g., the Biodiversity Virtual Institute Program supported by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) within the BIOTA/FAPESP [see www.biotasp. org.br]), and they are gaining in importance
Most importantly for preservation of regions for the conservation of their biodiversity, genetic diversity can be used as a measure of biodiversity that is independent from either species or ecosystem biodiversity
Summary
The conservation of genetic diversity is of paramount importance for long-term species survival because the maintenance of gene pools with sufficient variability is necessary for species to adapt to changing environments (Lande, 1995; Ayala, 1997; Meffe & Carroll, 1997). Because they are ecological transition zones, ecotones tend to harbor high numbers of species as well as unusual genetic representatives of those species Such areas are sources of evolutionarily novel genetic combinations and are important to preserve for future biodiversity (Smith et al, 1997). As well as providing unique information on the level of genetic importance of an area, biodiversity studies based on phylogenetic and population genetic methods can be blended with morphological analyses to identify new species, lineages, and areas of hybridization. Genetic analyses can thereby provide critical baseline information on natural levels of genetic diversity and population structure of numerous species These types of genetics studies are important from the perspectives of evolutionary biology, population ecology, and fisheries biology, as well as conservation biology. The methods presented here can be generally applied to most aquatic macro-organisms with little modification
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