Wolf population genetics at the south-eastern edge of their European range

Abstract

Gray wolf populations have been recovering recently across Europe, a fact that poses serious challenges to the management of the species. We investigate the population genetics of wolves at the south-eastern edge of their European range, in Greece, and identify conservation priorities for the species in the country. During population monitoring efforts (1998–2014) 48 tissue and hair samples were collected and genotyped at 14 microsatellite loci. Eight samples were discarded from further downstream analysis because of possible dog-wolf admixture. Unlike many other edge populations, wolves in Greece showed high levels of genetic variation (HE=0.73; HO=0.66). We detected two genetic clusters of wolves but no genetic bottleneck, which suggests that the human-caused population reduction of wolves in Greece may not have been as severe as previously assumed and that enough wolves may have survived in inaccessible areas and/or neighboring countries to maintain genetic diversity. Two of the main conservation priorities identified for gray wolves in Greece are non-invasive genetic monitoring and ensuring the functional connectivity of the Natura 2000 network through the identification and protection of ecological corridors and road-less areas.