Abstract
The potential of genetic, genomic, and phenotypic metrics for monitoring population trends may be especially high in isolated regions, where traditional demographic monitoring is logistically difficult and only sporadic sampling is possible. This potential, however, is relatively underexplored empirically. Over eleven years, we assessed several such metrics along with traditional ecological knowledge and catch data in a socioeconomically important trout species occupying a large, remote lake. The data revealed largely stable characteristics in two populations over 2–3 generations, but possible contemporary changes in a third population. These potential shifts were suggested by reduced catch rates, reduced body size, and changes in selection implied at one gene-associated single nucleotide polymorphism. A demographic decline in this population, however, was ambiguously supported, based on the apparent lack of temporal change in effective population size, and corresponding traditional knowledge suggesting little change in catch. We illustrate how the pluralistic approach employed has practicality for setting future monitoring efforts of these populations, by guiding monitoring priorities according to the relative merits of different metrics and availability of resources. Our study also considers some advantages and disadvantages to adopting a pluralistic approach to population monitoring where demographic data are not easily obtained.
Highlights
For practical reasons, traditional demographic monitoring of populations is increasingly complemented with genetic and evolutionary approaches (Hansen et al 2006, 2012; Schwartz et al 2007; Hendry et al 2011)
Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
For the generalized linear models (GLMs) based on Catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) data, the interactive model with both time period and population was the best model (Table 1; both from an Akaike information criterion (AIC) perspective and based on the significance of parameter effect-sizes)
Summary
Traditional demographic monitoring of populations is increasingly complemented with genetic and evolutionary approaches (Hansen et al 2006, 2012; Schwartz et al 2007; Hendry et al 2011). While sampling of genetic, genomic, and phenotypic metrics is more feasible (e.g., Fraser and Bernatchez 2005; Gomez-Uchida et al 2012), such regions are more likely to harbor the last remaining population strongholds of the focal species. Changes in these metrics can be more difficult to interpret with respect to moderate or large population a 2013 The Authors.
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