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Dynamics of neutral genes and genes under selection and their implications for threatened species translocations
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Dynamics of neutral genes and genes under selection and their implications for threatened species translocations

Xenia Münger, Carly N. Cook and Carlo Pacioni
The Journal of applied ecology, Vol.63(5), e70416
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.70416
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Open Access CC BY-NC-ND V4.0

Abstract

conservation management gene flow genetic swamping population modelling rare alleles translocation vortex
1. Small and isolated populations quickly lose genetic diversity, which impedes their adaptability to environmental change. A powerful tool for threatened species conservation are translocations, aiming to counteract demographic and genetic risks. Concerns persist about potential risks of introducing maladaptive loci into a genetically impoverished population, as well as losing local genetic variation (i.e. genetic swamping). With limited knowledge on adaptive alleles in the wild, management recommendations are developed following genetic theory of neutral genes. 2. We simulated biallelic alleles under directional selection with varying starting frequencies in a stochastic metapopulation model. We tested a range of gene flow rates across two release strategies in populations of different sizes. 3. We found that following the recommendation of ≤20% gene flow, local alleles across selection pressures were typically well retained with retention rate changes of ±5% compared to no-gene flow. 4. Furthermore, the simulations demonstrated that, to increase genetic diversity, larger populations require lower levels of gene flow compared to smaller populations and have higher retention rates for both introduced and local alleles at low frequencies. 5. Synthesis and Applications. Our results provide advice for the management of wild populations and the planning of translocations. Prior to this study, the understanding was deduced from genetic theory, which did not consider stochastic events included in our simulations. Our modelling showed an overall increase in genetic diversity resulting from translocations, suggesting that the introduced variation outweighs the loss of local variation.

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