Effects of Forest Fragmentation on Genetics of Endangered Brazilian Parakeet

Habitat loss and fragmentation may result in increased isolation of populations and reduced population connectivity. In the dry, deciduous forests of Brazil, habitat fragmentation resulting from deforestation and agriculture since the 1970s is a serious concern for regional biodiversity. USGS scientists Mark Miller, Thomas Mullins, Susan Haig, and a colleague used landscape genetic concepts and analytical approaches to determine the current genetic structure of Pfrimer’s parakeet, a globally endangered species native to Brazil. Results suggest a 35-year or more lag between deforestation and evidence of change in the species’ genetic structure. If forest fragmentation continues at the current rate, it is likely that genetic differentiation will increase among Primer’s parakeet populations in the future due to reduced gene flow among populations.

Miller, M.P., Bianchi, C.A., Mullins, T.D., Haig, S.M., 2012, Associations between forest fragmentation patterns and genetic structure in Pfrimer’s Parakeet (Pyrrhura pfrimeri ), an endangered endemic to central Brazil’s dry forests - DOI 10.1007/s10592-012-0420-4: Conservation Genetics, v. 13, no. 6, p. online. [Details]

Contact: Mark Miller, FRESC, 541-750-0950, Profile