Effective/census population size ratio estimation: a compendium and appraisal.

ABSTRACT: With an ecological-evolutionary perspective increasingly applied toward the conservation and management of endangered or exploited species, the genetic estimation of effective population size (N(e)) has proliferated. Based on a comprehensive analysis of empirical literature from the past two decades, we asked: (i) how often do studies link N(e) to the adult census population size (N)? (ii) To what extent is N(e) correctly linked to N? (iii) How readily is uncertainty accounted for in both N(e) and N when quantifying N(e)/N ratios? and (iv) how frequently and to what degree might errors in the estimation of N(e) or N affect inferences of N(e)/N ratios? We found that only 20% of available N(e) estimates (508 of 2617; 233 studies) explicitly attempted to link N(e) and N; of these, only 31% (1

SUBMITTER: Palstra FP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3488685 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature