Data and R scripts from: Using conservation genetics to prioritise management options for an endangered songbird

Genetic data can be highly informative for answering questions relevant to
practical conservation efforts but remain one of the most neglected
aspects of species recovery plans. Framing genetic questions with
reference to practical and tractable conservation objectives can help
bypass this limitation of the application of genetics in conservation.
Using a single-nucleotide polymorphism dataset from reduced-representation
sequencing (DArTSeq), we conducted a genetic assessment of remnant
populations of the endangered forty-spotted pardalote (Pardalotus
quadragintus), a songbird endemic to Tasmania, Australia. Our objectives
were to inform strategies for conservation of genetic diversity in the
species and estimate effective population sizes and patterns of
inter-population movement to identify management units relevant to
population conservation and habitat restoration. We show population
genetic structure and identify two small populations on mainland Tasmania
as ‘satellites’ of larger Bruny Island populations connected by migration.
Our data identify management units for conservation objectives relating to
genetic diversity and habitat restoration. Although our results do not
indicate the immediate need to genetically manage populations, the small
effective population sizes we estimated for some populations indicate that
they are vulnerable to genetic drift, highlighting the urgent need to
implement habitat restoration to increase population size and to conduct
genetic monitoring. We discuss how our genetic assessment can be used to
inform management interventions for the forty-spotted pardalote, and show
that by assessing contemporary genetic aspects, valuable information for
conservation planning and decision-making can be produced to guide actions
that account for genetic diversity and increase chances of recovery in
species of conservation concern.