Harvest and decimation affect genetic drift and the effective population size in wild reindeer.

ABSTRACT: Harvesting and culling are methods used to monitor and manage wildlife diseases. An important consequence of these practices is a change in the genetic dynamics of affected populations that may threaten their long-term viability. The effective population size (N _e) is a fundamental parameter for describing such changes as it determines the amount of genetic drift in a population. Here, we estimate N _e of a harvested wild reindeer population in Norway. Then we use simulations to investigate the genetic consequences of management efforts for handling a recent spread of chronic wasting disease, including increased adult male harvest and population decimation. The N _e/N ratio in this population was found to be 0.124 at the end of the

SUBMITTER: Kvalnes T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11009432 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature