Measuring and managing genetic variability in small populations

Abstract

Genetic variability in small populations is affected by specific phenomena. The joint effects of genetic drift and selection, in addition to the decrease in genetic variance due to the mere selection (Bulmer effect), enhance the risk of losing alleles at selected or unselected genes and increase the inbreeding in the population by changing the family structure. Criteria for measuring this change in genetic variability are derived from the three approaches to describe the genetic variability. At the genealogical level, the kinship and inbreeding coefficients, or the effective population size, can be used. At the trait level, the estimation of its heritability is a good measure of remaining genetic variance. At the genome level, studying the polymorphism of known genetic markers can inform on the degree of genetic diversity. These criteria are to be integrated in specific tools for the management of the genetic variability. After a short introduction on the basic concepts needed for the study of genetic variability in small populations, the main criteria available to measure its change in populations is exposed and their relative efficiencies discussed. The strategies for monitoring genetic variability, deriving from the previous criteria, are illustrated through different examples.