Data from: Genetic analysis of red deer (Cervus elaphus) administrative management units in a human-dominated landscape - patterns of genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow
Data files
Apr 17, 2024 version files 76.38 KB
Abstract
Red deer (Cervus elaphus) throughout central Europe are impacted by different anthropogenic activities including habitat fragmentation, selective hunting, and translocations. This has substantial influences on genetic diversity and the long-term conservation of local populations of this species. Here we use genetic samples from 480 red deer individuals to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation of the 12 administrative management units located in Schleswig Holstein, the northernmost federal state in Germany. We applied multiple analytical approaches and show that the history of local populations (i.e., translocations, culling of individuals outside of designated red deer zones, and anthropogenic infrastructures) has led to comparably low levels of genetic diversity. The mean expected heterozygosity was below 0.6 and we observed on average 4.2 alleles across 12 microsatellite loci. Effective population sizes below the recommended level of 50 were estimated for multiple local populations. Our estimates of genetic structure and gene flow show that red deer in northern Germany are best described as a complex network of asymmetrically connected subpopulations, with high genetic exchange among some local populations and reduced connectivity of others. Genetic diversity was also correlated with population densities of neighboring management units.
Based on these findings, we suggest that connectivity among existing management units needs to be considered in the practical management of the species, which means that some administrative management units should be managed together, while the effective isolation of other units needs to be mitigated.
README: Genetic analysis of red deer (Cervus elaphus) administrative management units in a human-dominated landscape
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9s4mw6mbp
Genetic data of 480 red deer (Cervus elaphus) individuals used throughout this study as well as information on the used samples.
Description of the data and file structure
gendata_reddeer_northern_germany.csv
Biallelic dataset of 12 microsatellite markers (INRA6, C143, T115, C180, C229, T107, Haut14, ILSTS06, BM757, CSSM14, FSBH, and BM1818) for 480 individuals from Northern Germany. The first column indicates the ID for each individual. Following that, there are two columns for each marker site, representing the two allele expressions. Missing values are denoted by "NA".
samples_final_info_reddeer_northern_germany.csv
Metadata for the sampled red deer individuals. Alongside the ID, the Management Unit from which the sample originates, the hunting year (beginning on April 1st and ending on March 30th of the following year) in which the sample was obtained, and the person responsible for sampling are provided (“sampling”). If available, information on gender (“sex”) and age class (calf, yearling, mid age, old) is also listed.