首页|Genetic integrity of European wildcats: Variation across biomes mandates geographically tailored conservation strategies

Genetic integrity of European wildcats: Variation across biomes mandates geographically tailored conservation strategies

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  • NSTL
  • Elsevier
? 2022 Elsevier LtdHybridisation between domestic and wild taxa can pose severe threats to wildlife conservation, and human-induced hybridisation, often linked to species' introductions and habitat degradation, may promote reproductive opportunities between species for which natural interbreeding would be highly unlikely. Using a biome-specific approach, we examine the effects of a suite of ecological drivers on the European wildcat's genetic integrity, while assessing the role played by protected areas in this process. We used genotype data from 1217 putative European wildcat samples from 13 European countries to assess the effects of landcover, disturbance and legal landscape protection on the European wildcat's genetic integrity across European biomes, through generalised linear models within a Bayesian framework. Overall, we found European wildcats to have genetic integrity levels above the wildcat-hybrid threshold (ca. 83%; threshold = 80%). However, Mediterranean and Temperate Insular biomes (i.e., Scotland) revealed lower levels, with 74% and 46% expected genetic integrity, respectively. We found that different drivers shape the level of genetic introgression across biomes, although forest integrity seems to be a common factor promoting European wildcat genetic integrity. Wildcat genetic integrity remains high, regardless of landscape legal protection, in biomes where populations appear to be healthy and show recent local range expansions. However, in biomes more susceptible to hybridisation, even protected areas show limited effectiveness in mitigating this threat. In the face of the detected patterns, we recommend that species conservation and management plans should be biome- and landscape-context-specific to ensure effective wildcat conservation, especially in the Mediterranean and Temperate Insular biomes.

BiomesConservationFelis silvestrisHybridisationProtected area management

Matias G.、Rosalino L.M.、Alves P.C.、Monterroso P.、Tiesmeyer A.、Nowak C.、Steyer K.、Ramos L.、Astaras C.、Brix M.、Domokos C.、Janssen R.、Kitchener A.C.、Mestdagh X.、L'Hoste L.、Titeux N.、Ruette S.、Migli D.、Youlatos D.、Pfenninger M.、Devillard S.、Anile S.、Ferreras P.、Diaz-Ruiz F.

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cE3c - Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa

CIBIO/InBIO Centro de Investiga??o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto

Center for Wildlife Genetics Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt

CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investiga??o Marinha e Ambiental

Forest Research Institute ELGO-DIMITRA Vasilika

Gesch?ftsstelle Biosph?rengebiet Schw?bische Alb

Milvus Group Bird and Nature Protection Association

Bionet Natuuronderzoek

Department of Natural Sciences National Museums Scotland

Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

Office Fran?ais de la Biodiversité Unité-PAD

Department of Zoology School of Biology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Molecular Ecology Group Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre

Univ Lyon Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 CNRS UMR5558 LBBE

Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Southern Illinois University

Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)

Departamento de Biología Animal Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Málaga

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2022

10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109518

Biological Conservation

Biological Conservation

SCI
ISSN：0006-3207
年,卷(期)：2022.268
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