No consistent effects of humans on animal genetic diversity worldwide

Abstract

Human impacts on genetic diversity are poorly understood yet critical to biodiversity conservation. We used 175 247 COI sequences collected between 1980 and 2016 to assess the global effects of land use and human density on the intraspecific genetic diversity of 17 082 species of birds, fishes, insects and mammals. Human impacts on mtDNA diversity were taxon and scale-dependent, and were generally weak or non-significant. Spatial analyses identified weak latitudinal diversity gradients as well as negative effects of human density on insect diversity, and negative effects of intensive land use on fish diversity. The observed effects were predominantly associated with species turnover. Time series analyses found nearly an equal number of positive and negative temporal trends in diversity, resulting in no net monotonic trend in diversity over this time period. Our analyses reveal critical data and theory gaps and call for increased efforts to monitor global genetic diversity.