Establishing translocated populations is a common process to preserve and maintain genetic diversity of threatened species. In 2001, three translocated populations of noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) were established in the Czech Republic, founded by either adult or juvenile individuals from three particular source populations. We assessed genetic diversity at seven microsatellite loci after one decade (assumed three generations) from establishment. Although the translocated populations exhibited a slight but non-significant reduction in genetic diversity (A R = 2.2-5.0; H O = 0.11-0.31), the most striking result was generally very low genetic diversity in source populations (A R = 3.0-5.3; H O = 0.15-0.38). Similarly, a high degree of inbreeding (F IS = 0.36-0.60) demonstrates the nature of source populations, already affected by isolation and small size. In spite of that, based on the results of this study, the establishment of new translocated noble crayfish populations was successful, since there is no significant decline in genetic variability and all populations are still viable. Although source populations did not exhibit high genetic diversity, their distinctiveness makes them possible to use for conservation purposes. Continued monitoring is necessary to track the long-term progress of the translocation program, including other parameters describing the state of the population, such as the occurrence and frequency of diseases or morphological changes.

Biology Centre ASCR Institute of Entomology Branišovská 31 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Zátiší 728 2 389 25 Vodňany Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Mol Ecol Resour. 2008 Jul;8(4):753-6 PubMed

Am J Primatol. 2008 Oct;70(10):990-4 PubMed

Mol Ecol. 2000 Oct;9(10):1517-28 PubMed

Mol Ecol. 2002 Aug;11(8):1393-407 PubMed

Bioinformatics. 2012 Oct 1;28(19):2537-9 PubMed

Genetics. 1989 Feb;121(2):379-91 PubMed

Evolution. 1989 Jan;43(1):223-225 PubMed

Mol Ecol Resour. 2014 Jan;14(1):209-14 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Dec;70(12):3321-3 PubMed

Mol Ecol Resour. 2008 Jan;8(1):103-6 PubMed

ScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:975930 PubMed

Int J Biol Sci. 2008 Aug 28;4(5):279-82 PubMed

Biometrics. 1992 Jun;48(2):361-72 PubMed

Mol Ecol. 2008 Feb;17(4):1009-19 PubMed

Annu Rev Genet. 1995;29:305-27 PubMed

Evol Appl. 2008 Aug;1(3):462-74 PubMed

Mol Ecol. 2003 Jan;12 (1):21-34 PubMed

Conserv Biol. 2009 Oct;23(5):1204-13 PubMed

Proc Biol Sci. 2001 Jul 7;268(1474):1387-94 PubMed

J Hered. 1998 May-Jun;89(3):238-47 PubMed

PeerJ. 2014 Mar 04;2:e281 PubMed

PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e20281 PubMed

Evolution. 1984 Nov;38(6):1358-1370 PubMed

Anim Genet. 2009 Feb;40(1):124 PubMed

Genetics. 1996 Dec;144(4):2001-14 PubMed