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Diversity
Special Issues
Conservation Genetics of Wildlife
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Conservation Genetics of Wildlife

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 8293

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jan E. Janecka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Interests: population genetics; conservation biology; evolution
Dr. Aaron M. Haines

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
Interests: wildlife ecology; conservation; wildlife law enforcement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genetics has become an important aspect of wildlife biology and ecology. In the last several decades, conservation genetics has provided important tools for monitoring populations, understanding population dynamics, providing insights into landscape ecology, and even shedding light on the behavior, social structure, and adaptation of species. More recently, technical developments in next-generation sequencing have enabled genome-scale studies of non-model organisms that further expand wildlife research. Many of these studies, however, although valuable for science, remain largely academic. In this Special Issue, we focus on ways that genetics can have direct positive impacts for both the conservation of endangered species and the management of abundant wildlife taxa. Papers include studies that link genetic research with both successful conservation practices and stewardship of wildlife resources, and reviews on how to improve the integration of genetics into the practices of state, federal, and international agencies.

Dr. Jan E. Janecka
Dr. Aaron M. Haines
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conservation biology
  • population genetics
  • natural history
  • wildlife management
  • environmental policy
  • sustainable harvest
  • landscape ecology
  • genomics
  • population biology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1820 KiB  
Article
Genetic Consequences of Fence Confinement in a Population of White-Tailed Deer
by Emily K. Latch, Kenneth L. Gee, Stephen L. Webb, Rodney L. Honeycutt, Randy W. DeYoung, Robert A. Gonzales, Stephen Demarais and Ryan Toby
Diversity 2021, 13(3), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030126 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3811
Abstract
Fencing wildlife populations can aid wildlife management goals, but potential benefits may not always outweigh costs of confinement. Population isolation can erode genetic diversity and lead to the accumulation of inbreeding, reducing viability and limiting adaptive potential. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA [...] Read more.
Fencing wildlife populations can aid wildlife management goals, but potential benefits may not always outweigh costs of confinement. Population isolation can erode genetic diversity and lead to the accumulation of inbreeding, reducing viability and limiting adaptive potential. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data collected from 640 white-tailed deer confined within a 1184 ha fence to quantify changes in genetic diversity and inbreeding over the first 12 years of confinement. Genetic diversity was sustained over the course of the study, remaining comparable to unconfined white-tailed deer populations. Uneroded genetic diversity suggests that genetic drift is mitigated by a low level of gene flow, which supports field observations that the fence is not completely impermeable. In year 9 of the study, we observed an unexpected influx of mtDNA diversity and drop in inbreeding as measured by FIS. A male harvest restriction imposed that year increased male survival, and more diverse mating may have contributed to the inbreeding reduction and temporary genetic diversity boost we observed. These data add to our understanding of the long-term impacts of fences on wildlife, but also highlight the importance of continued monitoring of confined populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Genetics of Wildlife)
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18 pages, 2016 KiB  
Article
Testing a Local Inbreeding Hypothesis as a Cause of Observed Antler Characteristics in Managed Populations of White-Tailed Deer
by Stephen L. Webb, Randy W. DeYoung, Stephen Demarais, Bronson K. Strickland and Kenneth L. Gee
Diversity 2021, 13(3), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030116 - 9 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3748
Abstract
The increased use of antler restrictions by state game agencies has led to a focus on antlers by the hunting public, particularly the potential for an association between genetics and antler characteristics. We analyzed microsatellite data from 1231 male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus [...] Read more.
The increased use of antler restrictions by state game agencies has led to a focus on antlers by the hunting public, particularly the potential for an association between genetics and antler characteristics. We analyzed microsatellite data from 1231 male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from three states (Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Texas) within USA to determine if genetic relatedness, internal relatedness (IR), homozygosity weighted by locus (HL), or correlations among uniting gametes (Fis) influenced total antler points, antler score, non-typical points or antler malformations. Within each location, deer in the lower and upper quartile intervals for number of antler points and score were unrelated (95% CI included 0 or was <0) and relatively heterozygous for four measures of inbreeding. Antler score and points were positively influenced by age but negatively influenced by IR and HL, except for antler score in Mississippi. Relatedness, HL, IR and Fis did not differ between groups of deer with and without antler malformations. Perceived differences in antler quality do not appear to be affected by heterozygosity or a result of close inbreeding because we found deer were unrelated and measures of inbreeding and genome-wide heterozygosity were not correlated with antler characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Genetics of Wildlife)
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