Data from: Genetic and population monitoring of two small black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in Alabama, within a regional context.

One of the major concerns in conservation today is the loss of genetic
diversity which is a frequent consequence of population isolation and
small population sizes. Fragmentation of populations and persecution of
carnivores has posed a substantial threat to the persistence of free
ranging carnivores in North America since the arrival of European
settlers. Black bears have seen significant reductions in range size from
their historic extent, which is most pronounced in the southeastern United
States and even more starkly in Alabama where until recently bears were
reduced to a single geographically isolated population in the Mobile River
Basin. Recently a second population has naturally re-established itself in
northeastern Alabama. We sought to determine size, genetic diversity and
genetic connectivity for these two populations in relation to other
regional populations. Both populations of black bears in Alabama had small
population sizes and had moderate to low genetic diversity, but showed
different levels of connectivity to surrounding populations of bears. The
Mobile River Basin population had a small population size at only 86
individuals (76-124, 95% C.I.), the lowest genetic diversity of compared
populations (richness =2.33, Ho and He =0.33), and showed near complete
genetic isolation from surrounding populations across multiple tests. The
newly recolonizing population in northeastern Alabama had a small but
growing population doubling in 3 years (34 individuals 26-43, 95% C.I.),
relatively moderate genetic diversity compared to surrounding populations
(richness = 3.32, Ho =0.53, He =0.65), and showed a high level of genetic
connectivity with surrounding populations.