Conservation Genetics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Genetics and conservation biology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introductory remarks: Genetics and conservation biology

      • V. Loeschcke, J. Tomiuk, S. K. Jain

      Pages 3-8

   3. Global issues of genetic diversity

      • G. Vida

      Pages 9-19

3. Genetic variation and fitness

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 21-21

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   2. Introductory remarks

      • Volker Loeschcke, Subodh K. Jain, Jürgen Tomiuk

      Pages 23-25

   3. Genetic variation and fitness: Conservation lessons from pines

      • O. Savolainen

      Pages 27-36

   4. Genetic diversity and fitness in small populations

      • R. C. Vrijenhoek

      Pages 37-53

   5. Mutation load depending on variance in reproductive success and mating system

      • D. Couvet, J. Ronfort

      Pages 55-68

   6. Extinction risk by mutational meltdown: Synergistic effects between population regulation and genetic drift

      • W. Gabriel, R. Bürger

      Pages 69-84

4. Inbreeding, population and social structure

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 85-85

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   2. Introductory remarks

      • Volker Loeschcke, Subodh K. Jain, Jürgen Tomiuk

      Pages 87-89

   3. Inbreeding: One word, several meanings, much confusion

      • A. R. Templeton, B. Read

      Pages 91-105

   4. The genetic structure of metapopulations and conservation biology

      • C. Gliddon, J. Goudet

      Pages 107-114

   5. Effects of inbreeding in small plant populations: Expectations and implications for conservation

      • T. P. Hauser, C. Damgaard, V. Loeschcke

      Pages 115-129

   6. The interaction of inbreeding depression and environmental stochasticity in the risk of extinction of small populations

      • A. J. van Noordwijk

      Pages 131-146

   7. Genetic structure of a population with social structure and migration

      • G. de Jong, J. R. de Ruiter, R. Haring

      Pages 147-164

   8. Guidelines in conservation genetics and the use of the population cage experiments with butterflies to investigate the effects of genetic drift and inbreeding

      • P. M. Brakefield, I. J. Saccheri

      Pages 165-179

5. Molecular approaches to conservation

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 181-181

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   2. Introductory remarks

      • Volker Loeschcke, Subodh K. Jain, Jürgen Tomiuk

      Pages 183-185

It follows naturally from the widely accepted Darwinian dictum that failures of populations or of species to adapt and to evolve under changing environments will result in their extinction. Population geneti­ cists have proclaimed a centerstage role in developing conservation biology theory and applications. However, we must critically reexamine what we know and how we can make rational contributions. We ask: Is genetic variation really important for the persistence of species? Has any species become extinct because it ran out of genetic variation or because of inbreeding depression? Are demographic and environmental stochas­ ticity by far more important for the fate of a population or species than genetic stochasticity (genetic drift and inbreeding)? Is there more to genetics than being a tool for assessing reproductive units and migration rates? Does conventional wisdom on inbreeding and "magic numbers" or rules of thumb on critical effective population sizes (MVP estimators) reflect any useful guidelines in conservation biology? What messages or guidelines from genetics can we reliably provide to those that work with conservation in practice? Is empirical work on numerous threatened habitats and taxa gathering population genetic information that we can use to test these guidelines? These and other questions were raised in the invitation to a symposium on conservation genetics held in May 1993 in pleasant surroundings at an old manor house in southern Jutland, Denmark.

• behavior
• biology
• genetic information
• genetics
• population
• genetic engineering

• Institute of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus Ny Munkegade, Aarhus C, Denmark

  V. Loeschcke

• Department of Agronomy and Range Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA

  S. K. Jain

• Section of Clinical Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

  J. Tomiuk

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