Journal
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
Volume 30, Issue 17, Pages 4147-4154Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/mec.16051
Keywords
conservation biology; conservation genetics; population genetics; empirical; population genetics; theoretical
Funding
- USDA-NIFA
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The importance of genetic diversity in conservation biology cannot be overstated, as it is closely tied to evolutionary fitness and crucial for conservation efforts. In the Anthropocene, responsible management should prioritize the conservation of ecosystems, communities, populations, individuals, and their underlying genetic diversity.
Since allozymes were first used to assess genetic diversity in the 1960s and 1970s, biologists have attempted to characterize gene pools and conserve the diversity observed in domestic crops, livestock, zoos and (more recently) natural populations. Recently, some authors have claimed that the importance of genetic diversity in conservation biology has been greatly overstated. Here, we argue that a voluminous literature indicates otherwise. We address four main points made by detractors of genetic diversity's role in conservation by using published literature to firmly establish that genetic diversity is intimately tied to evolutionary fitness, and that the associated demographic consequences are of paramount importance to many conservation efforts. We think that responsible management in the Anthropocene should, whenever possible, include the conservation of ecosystems, communities, populations and individuals, and their underlying genetic diversity.
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