Estimation of census and effective population sizes: The increasing usefulness of DNA-based approaches

Gordon Luikart; Nils Ryman; David A. Tallmon; Michael K. Schwartz; Fred W. Allendorf

doi:10.1007/s10592-010-0050-7

Estimation of census and effective population sizes: The increasing usefulness of DNA-based approaches

Gordon Luikart
, Nils Ryman
, David A. Tallmon
, Michael K. Schwartz
, Fred W. Allendorf

Flathead Lake Biological Station

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

481 Scopus citations

Abstract

Population census size (N_C) and effective population sizes (N_e) are two crucial parameters that influence population viability, wildlife management decisions, and conservation planning. Genetic estimators of both N_C and N_e are increasingly widely used because molecular markers are increasingly available, statistical methods are improving rapidly, and genetic estimators complement or improve upon traditional demographic estimators. We review the kinds and applications of estimators of both N_C and N_e, and the often undervalued and misunderstood ratio of effective-to-census size (N_e/N_C). We focus on recently improved and well evaluated methods that are most likely to facilitate conservation. Finally, we outline areas of future research to improve N_e and N_C estimation in wild populations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	355-373
Number of pages	19
Journal	Conservation Genetics
Volume	11
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0050-7
State	Published - 2010

Funding

Acknowledgements This article is based partially on work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DEB 074218 to F.W.A, and G.L. G.L. was supported by the Portuguese-American Science Foundation, CIBIO-UP, the National Park Service (USA) and research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). We thank R. Waples and R. Harris for many helpful citations and comments, and P. Taberlet for the citation on PCR-based aging of birds. Some ideas here arose from the Genetic Monitoring Working Group jointly supported by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NSF #EF-0423641) and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a Center funded by NSF (NSF #EF-0553768), the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the State of California. This work also benefited from association with the ESF Science Networking Programme ConGen.

Funders	Funder number
California State University Stanislaus
DEB 074218
-0423641, -0553768
University of California at Santa Barbara
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
PTDC/BIA-BDE/65625/2006

Keywords

Abundance
Bottleneck
Habitat fragmentation
N/N ratio
Noninvasive sampling
Population size estimation
Remote genetic monitoring

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10.1007/s10592-010-0050-7

Cite this

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title = "Estimation of census and effective population sizes: The increasing usefulness of DNA-based approaches",

abstract = "Population census size (NC) and effective population sizes (Ne) are two crucial parameters that influence population viability, wildlife management decisions, and conservation planning. Genetic estimators of both NC and Ne are increasingly widely used because molecular markers are increasingly available, statistical methods are improving rapidly, and genetic estimators complement or improve upon traditional demographic estimators. We review the kinds and applications of estimators of both NC and Ne, and the often undervalued and misunderstood ratio of effective-to-census size (Ne/NC). We focus on recently improved and well evaluated methods that are most likely to facilitate conservation. Finally, we outline areas of future research to improve Ne and NC estimation in wild populations.",

keywords = "Abundance, Bottleneck, Habitat fragmentation, N/N ratio, Noninvasive sampling, Population size estimation, Remote genetic monitoring",

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note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements This article is based partially on work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DEB 074218 to F.W.A, and G.L. G.L. was supported by the Portuguese-American Science Foundation, CIBIO-UP, the National Park Service (USA) and research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). We thank R. Waples and R. Harris for many helpful citations and comments, and P. Taberlet for the citation on PCR-based aging of birds. Some ideas here arose from the Genetic Monitoring Working Group jointly supported by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NSF \#EF-0423641) and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a Center funded by NSF (NSF \#EF-0553768), the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the State of California. This work also benefited from association with the ESF Science Networking Programme ConGen.",

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AU - Allendorf, Fred W.

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgements This article is based partially on work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DEB 074218 to F.W.A, and G.L. G.L. was supported by the Portuguese-American Science Foundation, CIBIO-UP, the National Park Service (USA) and research grant PTDC/BIA-BDE/65625/2006 from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). We thank R. Waples and R. Harris for many helpful citations and comments, and P. Taberlet for the citation on PCR-based aging of birds. Some ideas here arose from the Genetic Monitoring Working Group jointly supported by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NSF #EF-0423641) and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a Center funded by NSF (NSF #EF-0553768), the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the State of California. This work also benefited from association with the ESF Science Networking Programme ConGen.

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AB - Population census size (NC) and effective population sizes (Ne) are two crucial parameters that influence population viability, wildlife management decisions, and conservation planning. Genetic estimators of both NC and Ne are increasingly widely used because molecular markers are increasingly available, statistical methods are improving rapidly, and genetic estimators complement or improve upon traditional demographic estimators. We review the kinds and applications of estimators of both NC and Ne, and the often undervalued and misunderstood ratio of effective-to-census size (Ne/NC). We focus on recently improved and well evaluated methods that are most likely to facilitate conservation. Finally, we outline areas of future research to improve Ne and NC estimation in wild populations.

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KW - Habitat fragmentation

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KW - Noninvasive sampling

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M3 - Review article

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SP - 355

EP - 373

JO - Conservation Genetics

JF - Conservation Genetics

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ER -

Estimation of census and effective population sizes: The increasing usefulness of DNA-based approaches

Abstract

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Keywords

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