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Asymmetric gene flow and the evolutionary maintenance of genetic diversity in small, peripheral Atlantic salmon populations

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Abstract

Small populations may be expected to harbour less genetic variation than large populations, but the relation between census size (N), effective population size (N e), and genetic diversity is not well understood. We compared microsatellite variation in four small peripheral Atlantic salmon populations from the Iberian peninsula and three larger populations from Scotland to test whether genetic diversity was related to population size. We also examined the historical decline of one Iberian population over a 50-year period using archival scales in order to test whether a marked reduction in abundance was accompanied by a decrease in genetic diversity. Estimates of effective population size (N e) calculated by three temporal methods were consistently low in Iberian populations, ranging from 12 to 31 individuals per generation considering migration, and from 38 to 175 individuals per generation if they were regarded as closed populations. Corresponding N e/N ratios varied from 0.02 to 0.04 assuming migration (mean=0.03) and from 0.04 to 0.18 (mean=0.10) assuming closed populations. Population bottlenecks, inferred from the excess of heterozygosity in relation to allelic diversity, were detected in all four Iberian populations, particularly in those year classes derived from a smaller number of returning adults. However, despite their small size and declining status, Iberian populations continue to display relatively high levels of heterozygosity and allelic richness, similar to those found in larger Scottish populations. Furthermore, in the R. Asón no evidence was found for a historical loss of genetic diversity despite a marked decline in abundance during the last five decades. Thus, our results point to two familiar paradigms in salmonid conservation: (1)␣endangered populations can maintain relatively high levels of genetic variation despite their small size, and (2) marked population declines may not necessarily result in a significant loss of genetic diversity. Although there are several explanations for such results, microsatellite data and physical tagging suggest that high levels of dispersal and asymmetric gene flow have probably helped to maintain genetic diversity in these peripheral populations, and thus to avoid the negative consequences of inbreeding.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Angel Serdio, Leticia González and the Cantabrian wildlife bailiffs for help with the collection of samples, and Martha O’Sullivan and Teresa Amigo for help with microsatellite genoty**. **liang Wang provided invaluable assistance with the estimation of effective population size and his help is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank Bill Jordan, Robin Waples and two anonymous referees for useful comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, NW1 4RY, London, UK

    Sofía Consuegra

  2. Freshwater Laboratory, Fisheries Research Service, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland, PH16 5LB, UK

    Eric Verspoor & David Knox

  3. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK

    Carlos García de Leániz

  4. Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 8LB, UK

    Sofía Consuegra

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  1. Sofía Consuegra
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Correspondence to Sofía Consuegra.

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Consuegra, S., Verspoor, E., Knox, D. et al. Asymmetric gene flow and the evolutionary maintenance of genetic diversity in small, peripheral Atlantic salmon populations. Conserv Genet 6, 823–842 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-005-9042-4

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