Is Genetic Variation Lower in Insular Species Populations? Researchers Use IPBES Approach to Conduct Quantitative Literature Review

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Researchers undertook a quantitative assessment of the genetic properties of small and isolated populations considered to fall into the “insular” category. The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment emphasized the importance of formal consideration of ecosystems considered to be “insular” due to their inherent vulnerability. These insular populations are expected to suffer from lower levels of genetic diversity, particularly when they are small, and scientists undertaking this research intended to find this out.

The researchers concluded that “insularity had relatively minor effects on genetic diversity within and among populations, which points to the more important role of other factors in shaping evolutionary processes…insularity influenced genetic diversity in a study system when genetic diversity was high even in non-insular populations of the same study system—suggesting an important role for the scope’ of influences on genetic diversity.”