As species face increasing environmental pressures, their populations often decline, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.
As species face increasing environmental pressures, their populations often decline, leading to a loss of genetic diversity. This reduction in genetic variation can have serious consequences, including increased inbreeding and a diminished capacity to adapt to changing conditions. Genome-wide genetic diversity is often used as an indicator of species' vulnerability to extinction. However, recent studies have suggested that genetic diversity does not always predict population viability.
The collaborative research sought to clarify under what circumstances genetic diversity can accurately predict extinction risk. The findings suggest that while genetic diversity is indeed linked to extinction risk, the strength of this relationship varies depending on other factors such as population size and the potential for rescue through dispersal.
Read More: University of Helsinki
The researchers utilized the well-known ecological model system of the Glanville fritillary butterfly metapopulation in the Åland islands, SW Finland. (Photo Credit: Marjo Saastamoinen)
