Genetic evidence of capercaillie Tetrao urogallus dispersal sources and sinks in the Alps

Abstract

The aim of our study was to identify fine-scale genetic population structure of capercaillie Tetra urogallus populations in the Bavarian Alps, Germany. We studied five local populations and estimated genetic variation using 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers. We found no differences in the number of alleles per locus or the degree of heterozygosity between pairs of populations, but significant genetic variation among all populations. We detected significant genetic differentiation for pairs of populations separated by distances as short as 10 km. Genetically detected effective population sizes agreed with field data for relative population densities. Populations of peripheral study areas bordering the dairy-farming lowlands tended to show sink characteristics with immigration exceeding emigration. Our study confirmed that microsatellites have the potential to detect dispersal sources and sinks at a local scale and the results of studies like ours may help to develop improved, effective conservation plans for capercaillie.