IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Bertola, L.D. | |
| Genetic diversity in the lion (_Panthera leo _(Linnaeus 1758): Unravelling the Past and Prospects for the Future | |
| 2015 Full Book | |
Global biodiversity is rapidly declining, largely due to human-induced processes, such as land conversion, habitat degradation and overexploitation (Pimm et al. 1995, 2014; Pimm & Raven 2000; Butchart et al. 2010; Dirzo et al. 2014). The conservation of biodiversity is crucial since biodiversity contributes to stability and resilience in ecosystems, following the diversity-stability hypothesis (McNaughton 1977; Pimm 1984; Tilman & Downing 1994; Peterson et al. 1998; McCann 2000; MacArthur 2008). We depend on environmental services, provided by well-functioning ecosystems (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). The scale at which biodiversity can be studied, ranges from entire ecosystems to intraspecific diversity at the genetic level (UNEP-CBD 2006). Insights into the spatial distribution of this diversity provide us with information regarding evolutionary processes which have shaped these patterns, and may provide us with guidelines on how to conserve it. Genetic diversity at the intraspecific level further contains the evolutionary potential, and therefore, to some degree, the resilience of a species. The goal to preserve species as dynamic entities with the potential to adapt to changing environmental factors, illustrates why recognizing the genetic diversity contributes to conservation planning. This follows from the notion that conservation should not focus on preserving particular objects (species or ecosystems), but rather on preserving the processes of life (Bowen 1999). In addition, genetic diversity may also reflect other types of diversity of importance for conservation, e.g. ecological, behavioural, morphological and demographical diversity, and provides natural resources for breeding. The aim of this thesis is to gain insight into the intraspecific genetic diversity of an ecological and cultural umbrella species: the lion (Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758)). The distribution of this diversity reflects the evolutionary history on one hand, but may also provide guidance on how to retain this for the future on the other. The lion serves as a model for illustrating general phylogeographic patterns on the African continent, and provides us with a framework in which we can make recommendations for conservation practices. |
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