Assess Conservation Priorities Research Articles

Chilean bee diversity: Contrasting patterns of species and phylogenetic turnover along a large‐scale ecological gradient

AbstractChile's isolation and varied climates have driven the evolution of a unique biodiversity with a high degree of endemism. As a result, Chile encompasses diverse environments, including the Mediterranean‐type ecosystem, a global biodiversity hotspot. These environments are currently threatened by anthropogenic land use change impacting the integrity of local biomes and associated species. This area is the most intensively sampled in the country with high endemicity of native bee species. Characterizing habitat requirements of bees is a pressing priority to safeguard these insects and the ecosystem services they provide. We investigated broadscale patterns of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) diversity using newly accessible expert‐validated datasets comprising digitized specimen records from Chilean and US collections, and novel expert‐validated‐type specimen data for the bees of Chile. We used a generalized dissimilarity modeling (GDM) approach to explore both compositional and phylogenetic β‐diversity patterns across latitudinal, altitudinal, climate, and habitat gradients in well‐sampled bee assemblages in Central Chile. Using the GDM measures of increasing compositional and environmental dissimilarity, we categorized and compared the most important drivers of these patterns and used them to classify “wild bee ecoregions” (WBEs) representing unique assemblages. Turnover of bee assemblages was explained primarily by latitudinal variation (proxy for climate) from south to north in Chile. However, temperature variations, precipitation, and the presence of bare soil also significantly explained turnover in bee assemblages. In comparison, we observed less turnover in phylogenetic biodiversity corresponding to spatial gradients. We identified six de novo ecoregions (WBEs), all with distinct taxa, endemic lineages, and representative species. The WBEs represent distinct spatial classifications but have similarities to existing biogeographical classifications, ecosystems, and bioclimatic zones. This approach establishes the baseline needed to prioritize bee species conservation efforts across this global biodiversity hotspot. We discuss the novelty of this classification considering previous biogeographical characterizations and their relevance in assessing conservation priorities for bee conservation. We argue that Chile's WBEs highlight areas in need of funding for bee species surveys and description, distribution mapping, and strengthening of conservation policies.

A framework for identifying bird conservation priority areas in croplands at national level

Global biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework requires each country to fulfill the conservation targets in biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning. Croplands provide habitat and food for many species, making them crucial for biodiversity conservation in addition to food production. Assessing conservation priorities in cropland is a prerequisite to allocate conservation resources and plan actions for better conservation outcomes. Yet quantitative methods to assess cropland conservation priority for biodiversity conservation at a national scale are still lacking. We proposed a framework for identifying the conservation priority in cropland for bird species at a national scale and applied the framework in China. We calculated the suitable habitat for each species and used a complementarity-based approach to designate the irreplaceable conservation priority areas considering richness, threatened level, and conservation percentage targets. We identified cropland taking up 6.76% of China's land area as a bird conservation priority, partially covering the suitable habitat of all the study species. By analyzing the landscape pattern of the priority areas and species' foraging traits, we provided policy-making suggestions according to area-specific characteristics. This framework can be used to identify priority areas for large-scale biodiversity conservation for different countries.

Assessing conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants in China: A new comprehensive phylogenetic scoring system

AbstractOver‐harvesting, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasions have led to a sharp decline in wild medicinal plants population in China, where they are an essential component of traditional medicine and used widely. The current national list of protected medicinal materials, the State Key‐protected Wild Medicinal Species List (SKPWMSL), which has not been revised for 30 years, is in urgent need of an update. This study proposes a new scoring system with seven indicators that set the conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants. The advantages of our approach include: (i) quantitative methods with high repeatability and comparability; and (ii) consideration of the evolutionary history of medicinal species. After assessing 911 threatened medicinal angiosperms in China, we identified 112 species as key medicinal plants for conservation priority (KMPCP). We suggest promoting the SKPWMSL with KMPCP as a supplement and update. Meanwhile, our scoring system will improve the future setting of conservation priority and can be extended to other countries or regions.

Thirty years of amphibian surveys in the Ukagurus Mountains of Tanzania reveal new species, yet others are in decline

ABSTRACT Records of biodiversity over time are important resources for assessing conservation priorities. However, such baseline data are missing for regions of key biodiversity importance. The Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania are known for their species richness and endemism, but not all mountain blocks have received the same attention. The Ukaguru Mountains, for example, have only infrequently been surveyed by herpetologists, with the first known herpetological survey in 1990. Here we compile and quantify all amphibian survey efforts in the Ukaguru Mountains in the past 30 years, publish an updated species list and comment on the health of amphibian populations and their habitat. We report on fourteen described species of amphibians, with potentially three additional species awaiting formal description. Of these seventeen lineages, seven are endemic to the Ukaguru Mountains. Although total species numbers remain low, compared with other Eastern Arc Mountains, surveys frequently recorded new species for the Ukaguru Mountains and for science. Worryingly, however, endemics, such as the monotypic bufonid Churamiti maridadi, have not been recorded in the past fifteen years. Our analyses show the region is becoming warmer and drier and is experiencing an alarming rate of deforestation. We find that over the past 30 years, dense forest cover inside the boundaries of the forest reserves has reduced by 8.4%.

A Genomic Perspective on the Evolutionary Diversification of Turtles.

To examine phylogenetic heterogeneity in turtle evolution, we collected thousands of high-confidence single-copy orthologs from 19 genome assemblies representative of extant turtle diversity and estimated a phylogeny with multispecies coalescent and concatenated partitioned methods. We also collected next-generation sequences from 26 turtle species and assembled millions of biallelic markers to reconstruct phylogenies based on annotated regions from the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) genome (coding regions, introns, untranslated regions, intergenic, and others). We then measured gene tree-species tree discordance, as well as gene and site heterogeneity at each node in the inferred trees, and tested for temporal patterns in phylogenomic conflict across turtle evolution. We found strong and consistent support for all bifurcations in the inferred turtle species phylogenies. However, a number of genes, sites, and genomic features supported alternate relationships between turtle taxa. Our results suggest that gene tree-species tree discordance in these data sets is likely driven by population-level processes such as incomplete lineage sorting. We found very little effect of substitutional saturation on species tree topologies, and no clear phylogenetic patterns in codon usage bias and compositional heterogeneity. There was no correlation between gene and site concordance, node age, and DNA substitution rate across most annotated genomic regions. Our study demonstrates that heterogeneity is to be expected even in well-resolved clades such as turtles, and that future phylogenomic studies should aim to sample as much of the genome as possible in order to obtain accurate phylogenies for assessing conservation priorities in turtles. [Discordance; genomes; phylogeny; turtles.].

Assessing conservation priorities of endemic seed plants in the central Himalaya (Nepal): A complementarity and phylogenetic diversity approach

The rate of species extinction has accelerated in the past few decades due to human-induced global changes. Establishing protected areas (PA) is one of the most viable solutions to averting this crisis. Although PA establishment in the past followed an ad-hoc approach without considering the conservation value of the prioritized areas, the development of systematic conservation planning approaches has largely maximized the conservation output by offering low-cost and high-efficiency spatial solutions. However, the conservation initiatives are still biased towards mammals and birds and despite the essential ecological role of plants, they are hardly taken as a proxy for conservation decision-making. Furthermore, although phylogenetic diversity captures areas that offer greater ecosystem functions, it remains largely neglected in conservation practice. In this study, using a comprehensive distribution dataset of 316 endemic seed plants in the central Himalaya and the time-calibrated phylogeny, we identified key areas for the systematic protection of species and evolutionary diversity of endemic seed plants. We found a large gap in protecting endemic seed plants in the central Himalaya likely due to disproportionate location of PAs. We recommend expanding protected areas to the mid-hills and lowlands to ensure better representation of biodiversity in the central Himalayan PA network. While flagship species undeniably require high conservation focus, our findings suggest the need to reassess the conservation priorities of less charismatic species too, as many of these species are crucial to ecosystem health and are at greater risk of extinction.

Targeted conservation management of white pines in China: Integrating phylogeographic structure, niche modeling, and conservation gap analyses

White pines (Pinus subsect. Strobus) are important in many Northern Hemisphere forest ecosystems, and white pine species are often narrowly distributed or even endangered in China. In this study, we integrated phylogeography, ecological niche modeling, and conservation gap analysis to assess conservation priorities for the white pine species in China, and subsequently provided valuable insights for their effective conservation. First, to infer their phylogeographic structure, DNA sequence data were obtained for three plastid and two mitochondrial regions from 87 individuals representing all 12 natural species in China. Then, the effectiveness of existing protected areas (PAs) in China was evaluated by overlapping 1372 PAs to the current and future suitable habitats identified by MaxEnt. We also used the software Marxan to assess irreplaceable planning units (IPUs) and conservation priority areas. Our results revealed that the plastid and mitochondrial data generated different phylogenetic relationships, indicating historical introgressions among the white pine species. Additionally, half of the species in China, including endangered species such as P. dabeshanensis, P. wangii, and P. kwangtungensis, are poorly protected with low percentages (<10%) of suitable habitats held within the current PAs. We also identified 73,390 IPUs representing 201 conservation priority areas for the white pine species. Those IPUs, as well as priority areas, are also poorly protected especially in southern China. Our results demonstrated large conservation gaps for white pines in southern China that need to be filled by creating more nature reserves. Given these findings, we concluded that white pine species in China urgently need targeted conservation management to ensure effective protection and to maintain the species’ overall genetic diversity. Such management should include in situ and ex situ conservation, ground protection, and assisted migration.

Significant habitat loss of the black vanilla orchid (Nigritella nigra s.l., Orchidaceae) and shifts in its pollinators availability as results of global warming

The black vanilla orchid (Nigritella nigra s.l.) is a perennial plant found in the main European mountain ranges. It occurs in large numbers in the Alps, but it has become a rare and endangered species in Scandinavia. Two subspecies of N. nigra s.l are recognized by most authors – the nominal subspecies which is restricted in its distribution to Scandinavia and N. nigra subsp. austriaca which is found in the alpine region. Some taxonomists postulated that these two taxa should be considered as separated species. The N. nigra s.l. is pollinated mostly by Lepidoptera. As a mainly montane species it is especially fragile to global warming, however, some previously published reports indicated that the climate changes will not significantly affect northern populations of this species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the climatic niche preferences between Scandinavian and central European populations of the black vanilla orchid and to estimate the impact of global warming on the distribution of this species using (ENM). Additionally, the predicted future location and extent of suitable climatic niches of insects pollinating studied orchid was modeled in order to estimate the availability of pollinators for this montane plant. This approach was applied as the persistence of an orchid population depends on pollination and subsequent seed production. Our analyses showed that the northern and southern populations differ in bioclimatic preferences and geographical distribution of these orchids together with variations in their chromosomes number and morphological discrepancies, suggest that N. nigra in not homogenous taxon as postulated by some authors and this approach should be also applied in assessing conservation priorities in Europe. Both, northern and southern population of N. nigra, will face significant habitat loss as a result of the global warming. In the best case scenario (rcp2.6) only 31.7% and 60.5% of the currently suitable niches will be still available for N. nigra respectively. The most damaging rcp8.5 scenario will cause the extreme decline of the coverage of orchid and just 2.3% of the habitats will be still suitable for N. nigra in the North and 18% for N. nigra in the South. Within the future potential range of N. nigra and N. nigra subsp. austriaca some pollinators will be still available for orchids, mostly for the latter taxon. Considering that the flowering time of the orchid seems to overlap with the activity of pollinators for the last 70 years we not expect significant desynchronization of these events which could prevent pollen transfer. Noteworthy as the Scandinavian populations N. nigra is characterized by lower genetic diversity than in the alpine region of central Europe, species seems to be more endangered in the North (Moen and Øien, 2002) and the future loss of habitats predicted in our study together with limited availability of pollinators can led to loss of the unique gene pool of this orchid. In our opinion this fact should be considered in the establishment of nature protection projects and the conservation efforts should focus on areas which in the future will be still suitable for occurrence of this species and its pollen vectors.

Genetic structure of Iranian indigenous sheep breeds: insights for conservation.

Genetic structure and genetic diversity levels of indigenous Iranian sheep breeds are not clear, despite the interest this region has in itself as an important center for domestication of livestock. Early population genetic studies have reported high levels of diversity among Iranian sheep breeds until recently, when high admixture levels and genetic homogeneity have been detected. The rapid reduction of diversity observed in Iranian breeds might be due to an increasing trend of intensive crossbreeding practices or even total replacement of native breeds by highly specialized and productive ones. From a conservative perspective, this situation is highly concerning; thus, it might be wise to consider a conservation program in Iran to preserve the original genetic diversity in native sheep breeds. In this study, a total of 1065 animals with the purest morphological features representing 24 Iranian indigenous sheep breeds were sampled, corresponding to ancestral breed diversity. These samples were genotyped for 17 microsatellite loci in order to (1) determine the native ancestral diversity of Iranian breeds, (2) define the degree of genetic relationship among studied breeds, and (3) assess conservation priorities among defined groups. Our results showed no recent loss of diversity, but high genetic diversity levels for indigenous sheep breeds in Iran. Indeed, the analysis of conservation priorities pointed out the importance of 8 breeds for maintaining Iranian sheep breeds' maximum genetic diversity. Thus, under a genetic perspective, these 8 breeds should be the ones included into conservation programs for restocking endangered areas.

Identifying transboundary conservation priorities in a biodiversity hotspot of China and Myanmar: Implications for data poor mountainous regions

Difficult to study species that inhabit inaccessible terrain, present significant challenges in obtaining accurate ecological, distributional, and conservation information. To address these challenges, we used an effective set of time- and cost-efficient methods including interview-based surveys assisted by Google earth 3D maps to document the distributional range of 32 native animal taxa in the biodiverse but difficult to access Gaoligong Mountains (GLGMS), located on the northern Sino-Myanmar Border. Five threatened flagship species, including the black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri), the Skywalker hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing), Shortridge's langur (Trachypithecus shortridgei), Sclater's monal (Lophophorus sclateri) and the Mishmi takin (Budorcas taxicolor) were selected for intensive surveys and used as surrogate taxa to study community biodiversity. Field surveys of each species were conducted to determine their presence/absence and to confirm the reliability of species distribution data obtained from interview-based surveys. Multicriteria Decision Analyses were used along with data on habitat suitability (MAXENT) to prioritize transboundary conservation areas. Our results indicate that approximately 83.4% (10,398.7 km2) of the remaining habitat with high biodiversity conservation value in the GLGMs is unprotected. This includes six large zones located along the northern Sino-Myanmar border, separated by rivers and human settlements. These areas should be designated as a transboundary World Nature Heritage Site, national parks, or wildlife sanctuaries. This study presents a reliable, rapid and integrative method for developing informed policies for conservation prioritization in data poor areas, which can be applied successfully to assess conservation priorities in other mountainous regions where obtaining data on biodiversity is difficult.

Assessing conservation priorities of endemic freshwater fishes in the Tropical Andes region

Abstract Assessing the effectiveness of protected areas for sustaining species and identifying priority sites for their conservation is vital for decision making, particularly for freshwater fishes in South America, the global centre of freshwater fish diversity. Several conservation planning studies have used threatened freshwater fishes or species that are vulnerable to climate change as conservation targets, but none has included both in priority‐setting analysis. The objectives of this study were to identify gaps in the coverage of the existing protected areas in representing the endemic freshwater fishes of the Tropical Andes region, and to identify conservation priority areas that adequately cover threatened species and species vulnerable to climate change. Data on 648 freshwater fishes from the Tropical Andes were used to identify gaps in the protected area coverage, and to identify conservation priority sites under three scenarios: (i) prioritize threatened species; (ii) prioritize species that are vulnerable to climate change; and (iii) prioritize both threatened species and species vulnerable to climate change. A total of 571 species (88% of all species) were not covered by any protected areas; most of them are restricted to ≤10 catchments. To represent both threatened species and species vulnerable to climate change in the third scenario, 635 catchments were identified as priority areas, representing 26.5% of the study area. The number of irreplaceable catchments for this scenario is 475, corresponding to 22.5% of the total area. The results of this study could be crucial for designing strategies for the effective protection of native fish populations in the Tropical Andes, and for planning proactive climate adaptation. It is hoped that the identification of priority areas, particularly irreplaceable catchments, will help to guide conservation and management decisions in the Andean region.

Freshwater Biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing Conservation Priorities Using Primary Species-Occurrence Data

The Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe is a biodiversity hotspot that forms part of the Eastern Afromontane region, which has seen an increase in human activities such as agriculture, illegal mining, and introduction of invasive species. These anthropogenic activities have had negative environmental consequences including land degradation and water pollution, which have negatively impacted on the quality of aquatic habitats and biodiversity in the region. The region harbours several freshwater species of conservation interest whose numbers and distribution are little known. We also do not know the impacts of the ongoing human activities and threats on the local wetland biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystem in the region. The relevant data on the wetland biodiversity from previous studies and surveys is also not readiliy available to guide poliies and conservation efforts in this region. With the aid of the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) program sponsored by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the European Union (EU), a project titled 'Freshwater Biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing Conservation Priorities Using Primary Species-Occurrence Data' has mobilized and digitized over 2,000 occurrence records on freshwater biodiversity, with a focus on fish, invertebrates, amphibians and bird species in the region, since October 2017. The project also makes use of biodiversity informatics tools such as ecological niche modelling, to identify the important sites for conservation of the freshwater biodiversity in this region. The outputs will help to show policy makers, wildlife managers, researchers and conservationists where to target resources and conservation efforts. This will also help protect the biodiversity that still existsin the unprotected wetlands of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and that could be lost to human activities such as clearing for agriculture.

Assessing conservation priorities of unexecuted urban parks in Seoul using ecological network and accessibility analyses

Assessing conservation priorities of unexecuted urban parks in Seoul using ecological network and accessibility analyses

Differentiation of South Italian goat breeds in the focus of biodiversity conservation

This study analysed the genetic differentiation of six Italian goat breeds reared in Sicily (Girgentana, Maltese, Rossa Mediterranea, Argentata dell’Etna, Messinese) and Calabria (Capra dell’Aspromonte). The aim was to assess the conservation priorities and to design strategies for a sustainable conservation of these populations. A set of 20 microsatellite markers was used to estimate the main parameters of biodiversity in the Italian breeds and in a sample of Norwegian dairy goat breed which was an out-group for the phylogenetic analysis and for the investigation of the population structure. The conservation priorities were assessed in the six Italian goat breeds, through different scientific approaches. In the whole sample (207 goats), representative of 7 populations, a total of 218 alleles (average 10.9) were found. The gene diversity, in terms of expected heterozygosity (He), had the lowest values in Norwegian (0.614) and Girgentana (0.708), the highest in Argentata dell’Etna (0.753). The overall fixation index (FST) showed a moderate rate of differentiation at population level (5.9%). Norwegian, Girgentana and Maltese reported the highest degree of differentiation in the set. The clustering analysis identified K=5 as the most probable number of ancestral clusters; among the Italian breeds, Girgentana and Maltese revealed a good internal cohesion, whereas Argentata dell’Etna, Messinese, Capra dell’Aspromonte and Rossa Mediterranea showed a rather high rate of admixture. Finally, the methods implemented to assess conservation priorities pointed out Maltese, Girgentana and, at lesser extent, Messinese and Argentata dell’Etna as the breeds of choice in the context of safeguarding programmes.

A review of methods used to analyse albatross diets—assessing priorities across their range

Abstract Many seabird populations are threatened by interactions with commercial fisheries, and climate change. Understanding their prey requirements and dietary flexibility in this context is important for effective conservation and management. However, changes in the methods used to assess diet, as well as the spatial and temporal coverage of monitoring schemes, may reduce our ability to detect and monitor these marine threats. To help assess conservation priorities linked to diet, we performed a systematic review of 109 albatross diet papers published between 1950 and 2016, which corresponded to 296 studies when stratified by sampling year, breeding site, and breeding species. We assessed the methods used, changes over time, and spatial and temporal sampling coverage by species and island group. Most albatross studies have focused on chick-rearing, and diet during other breeding phases is comparatively poorly known. Furthermore, chicks are more commonly sampled than adults and very rarely immature birds, all of which may differ in diet composition. There was a pronounced shift over time in the preferred method of characterising diet, from the morphological examination of prey remains to stable isotope analysis of tissue. This shift has reduced the volume of detailed taxonomic information available from morphological studies. This difference in resolution hinders the ability to detect changes in prey species, with implications for management of threatened albatrosses and for monitoring broader changes in marine ecosystems. In a knowledge gap analysis for important breeding colonies (with &amp;gt;5% of global population), we identified key sites where existing monitoring has provided a foundation for robust longitudinal diet studies. Maintaining and augmenting these long-term research programmes will enable analyses of the impacts of changing climate and fishing practices on seabird populations and facilitate the timely identification and implementation of management options.

Cultural keystone species of fauna as a method for assessing conservation priorities in a Protected Area of the Brazilian semiarid

The Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) method of identification has been used to define culturally important species. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize CKS vertebrates in the communities surrounding the Environmental Protection Area of Chapada do Araripe and define conservation priorities using semi-structured interviews and free listings. Interviews were conducted with 246 people; 53 species were identified and then included in categories of use: food, medicinal, handicraft and symbolic. Food preference was identified for Mazama gouazoubira, Penelope superciliaris, Dasyprocta prymnolopha and Dasypus novencimctus. As medicinal resources, Salvator merianae and M. gouazoubira represented 51.85% of treatment recommendations. For use in handicrafts, M. gouazoubira, which is also the only species recorded for symbolic use, stands out. Use values (UV) varied from 0.03 to 1.34, and M. gouazoubira had the highest UV (1.34) and a 0.74 projection. Regarding cultural importance, M. gouazoubira was the species with the highest UV and projection, and was indicated as a CKS to be prioritized in research and conservation studies.

Use of insect distribution across landscape-soil units to assess conservation priorities in a Mediterranean coastal reserve: the tenebrionid beetles of Castelporziano (Central Italy)

We investigated the conservation concern of landscape-soil units within Castelporziano lowland forest (a natural reserve of 6,000 hectares facing the Tyrrhenian Sea) using tenebrionid species vulnerability as defined by the Kattan index, which is based on species rarity, and IUCN categories. Species rarity was evaluated according to various measures of geographical distribution, habitat specialization and population size on a regional level. Measures of species vulnerability were combined into two indexes of conservation concern for each landscape-soil unit: (1) the Biodiversity Conservation Concern index, BCC, which reflects the average rarity score of the species present in a site, and (2) the Biodiversity Conservation Weight, BCW, which reflects the sum of rarity scores of the same species assemblage. Because the same species was subject to multiple evaluations under different criteria, we obtained various series of BCC and BCW values. BCC and BCW provided complementary information and the use of different scoring schemes of species vulnerability produced correlated, but not identical conservation ranking in landscape-soil unit prioritization. Forests, wetlands and beach-dunes were identified as high priority units, whereas dry pastures, traditional crop mosaics, pinewoods and maquis/garrigue shrublands, were identified as medium–low priority units. Tenebrionids were proved to be particularly useful as a bio-indicator group in coastal areas because they include both sand-dwelling and saproxylic species, being distributed, with distinct communities, in all coastal biotopes.

Evaluating Growth, Survival and Swimming Performance to Determine the Feasibility of Telemetry for Age-0 Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)

Abstract Telemetry is valuable for understanding animal ecology and assessing conservation priorities. Sturgeon species worldwide are imperiled and telemetric methods have been applied to adults, but the feasibility of using this methodology on age-0 sturgeon remains unclear. The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is a federally endangered species in the central United States and little is known about its early life ecology. The use of telemetry on age-0 pallid sturgeon would greatly increase understanding of their early life ecology. We assessed growth, survival, and swimming performance of age-0 pallid sturgeon tagged with 0.2 g, nonfunctioning radio telemetry tags to determine whether radio telemetry can be used on such small sturgeon. Tags were surgically implanted internally and attached externally, with a control group that only experienced handling. Age-0 sturgeon with internally implanted tags grew slowly and had low survival, while counterparts within the control group and those with external...

Genetic characterization and conservation priorities of chicken lines

Molecular markers are a useful tool for evaluating genetic diversity of chicken genetic resources. Seven chicken lines derived from the Plymouth Rock breed were genotyped using 40 microsatellite markers to quantify genetic differentiation and assess conservation priorities for the lines. Genetic differentiation between pairs of the lines (pairwise FST) ranged from 0.201 to 0.422. A neighbor-joining tree of individuals, based on the proportion of shared alleles, formed clearly defined clusters corresponding to the origins of the lines. In Bayesian model-based clustering, most individuals were clearly assigned to single clusters according to line origin and showed no admixture. These results indicated that a substantial degree of genetic differentiation exists among the lines. To decide priorities for conservation, the contribution of each line to the genetic diversity was estimated. The result indicated that a loss of 4 of the 7 lines would lead to a loss from 1.14 to 3.44% of total genetic diversity. The most preferred line for conservation purposes was identified based on multilocus microsatellite analysis. Our results confirmed that characterization by means of molecular markers is helpful for establishing a plan for conservation of chicken genetic resources.

Analysis of conservation priorities of Iberoamerican cattle based on autosomal microsatellite markers

BackgroundDetermining the value of livestock breeds is essential to define conservation priorities, manage genetic diversity and allocate funds. Within- and between-breed genetic diversity need to be assessed to preserve the highest intra-specific variability. Information on genetic diversity and risk status is still lacking for many Creole cattle breeds from the Americas, despite their distinct evolutionary trajectories and adaptation to extreme environmental conditions.MethodsA comprehensive genetic analysis of 67 Iberoamerican cattle breeds was carried out with 19 FAO-recommended microsatellites to assess conservation priorities. Contributions to global diversity were investigated using alternative methods, with different weights given to the within- and between-breed components of genetic diversity. Information on Iberoamerican plus 15 worldwide cattle breeds was used to investigate the contribution of geographical breed groups to global genetic diversity.ResultsOverall, Creole cattle breeds showed a high level of genetic diversity with the highest level found in breeds admixed with zebu cattle, which were clearly differentiated from all other breeds. Within-breed kinships revealed seven highly inbred Creole breeds for which measures are needed to avoid further genetic erosion. However, if contribution to heterozygosity was the only criterion considered, some of these breeds had the lowest priority for conservation decisions. The Weitzman approach prioritized highly differentiated breeds, such as Guabalá, Romosinuano, Cr. Patagonico, Siboney and Caracú, while kinship-based methods prioritized mainly zebu-related breeds. With the combined approaches, breed ranking depended on the weights given to the within- and between-breed components of diversity. Overall, the Creole groups of breeds were generally assigned a higher priority for conservation than the European groups of breeds.ConclusionsConservation priorities differed significantly according to the weight given to within- and between-breed genetic diversity. Thus, when establishing conservation programs, it is necessary to also take into account other features. Creole cattle and local isolated breeds retain a high level of genetic diversity. The development of sustainable breeding and crossbreeding programs for Creole breeds, and the added value resulting from their products should be taken into consideration to ensure their long-term survival.