Incipient Genetic Differentiation of the African Buffalo, <i>Syncerus caffer</i> Populations: Is Fencing Playing a Role?

ABSTRACT: Fences are increasingly used globally as a management tool in conservation to reduce wildlife depredations, disease transmission, and wildlife mortality. There are a limited number of studies on the genetic effects of perimeter fencing of protected areas on megaherbivores. Using population genetic analyses on 226 sequences of a 400 bp fragment of the mtDNA Dloop from 10 East African buffalo populations (3 fenced and 7 unfenced), the influence of spatial isolation and fencing on buffalo population genetic diversity and genetic differentiation was examined. Mean gene diversity between fenced and unfenced buffalo populations was not different (fenced: 0.978 ± 0.003, unfenced: 0.973 ± 0.004, p = 0.300), but nucleotide diversity was higher in fenced than unfenced populations (fenced: 0.0

SUBMITTER: Karanja P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12313837 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature