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Inbreeding and extinction in a butterfly metapopulation

Author

Listed:
  • Ilik Saccheri

    (Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology
    University of Helsinki)

  • Mikko Kuussaari

    (Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology
    University of Helsinki)

  • Maaria Kankare

    (Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology
    University of Helsinki)

  • Pia Vikman

    (Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology
    University of Helsinki)

  • Wilhelm Fortelius

    (Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki)

  • Ilkka Hanski

    (Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology
    University of Helsinki)

Abstract

It has been proposed that inbreeding contributes to the decline and eventual extinction of small and isolated populations1,2. There is ample evidence of fitness reduction due to inbreeding (inbreeding depression) in captivity3,4,5,6,7 and from a few experimental8,9 and observational field studies10,11, but no field studies on natural populations have been conducted to test the proposed effect on extinction. It has been argued that in natural populations the impact of inbreeding depression on population survival will be insignificant in comparison to that of demographic and environmental stochasticity12,13. We have now studied the effect of inbreeding on local extinction in a large metapopulation14 of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia)15. We found that extinction risk increased significantly with decreasing heterozygosity, an indication of inbreeding6, even after accounting for the effects of the relevant ecological factors. Larval survival, adult longevity and egg-hatching rate were found to be adversely affected by inbreeding and appear to be the fitness components underlying the relationship between inbreeding and extinction. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an effect of inbreeding on the extinction of natural populations. Our results are particularly relevant to the increasing number of species with small local populations due to habitat loss and fragmentation16.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilik Saccheri & Mikko Kuussaari & Maaria Kankare & Pia Vikman & Wilhelm Fortelius & Ilkka Hanski, 1998. "Inbreeding and extinction in a butterfly metapopulation," Nature, Nature, vol. 392(6675), pages 491-494, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:392:y:1998:i:6675:d:10.1038_33136
    DOI: 10.1038/33136
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Blanquart, François, 2014. "The demography of a metapopulation in an environment changing in time and space," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1-9.
    2. A Bradley Duthie & Jane M Reid, 2015. "What Happens after Inbreeding Avoidance? Inbreeding by Rejected Relatives and the Inclusive Fitness Benefit of Inbreeding Avoidance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-22, April.
    3. J Nevil Amos & Andrew F Bennett & Ralph Mac Nally & Graeme Newell & Alexandra Pavlova & James Q Radford & James R Thomson & Matt White & Paul Sunnucks, 2012. "Predicting Landscape-Genetic Consequences of Habitat Loss, Fragmentation and Mobility for Multiple Species of Woodland Birds," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(2), pages 1-12, February.
    4. Mengmeng Zhang & Fujun Shen & Tao Yang & Han Zhang & Yunfeng Lu & Keliang Wu & Fujun Shen & Yunfeng Lu, 2018. "Genetic Input from Wild Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) into the Captive Population Simulated by OMPG Rule," JOJ Wildlife & Biodiversity, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 1(1), pages 6-13, December.
    5. M. Heino & I. Hanski, 2000. "Evolution of Migration Rate in a Spatially Realistic Metapopulation Model," Working Papers ir00044, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
    6. Rondon, Diego & Mäntyniemi, Samu & Aspi, Jouni & Kvist, Laura & Sillanpää, Mikko J., 2024. "A Bayesian multi-state model with data augmentation for estimating population size and effect of inbreeding on survival," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 490(C).
    7. Vortkamp, Irina & Barraquand, Frédéric & Hilker, Frank M., 2020. "Ecological Allee effects modulate optimal strategies for conservation in agricultural landscapes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 435(C).

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