Speaker
Description
Habitat loss and agricultural intensification are considered major drivers of insect biodiversity decline, yet their impacts on insect genetic diversity remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates how human land-use practices, particularly the role of extensively managed meadows, affect insect genetic diversity to inform conservation strategies in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Using a comparative landscape genetics approach, we evaluated how land-use composition and configuration influence genetic diversity and population structure in three grassland insect species, Polyommatus icarus (common blue butterfly), Melanargia galathea (marbled white butterfly) and Conocephalus fuscus (long-winged conehead grasshopper), across a heterogeneous landscape of protected areas, extensively managed meadows, intensively managed grasslands and agricultural fields in southern Germany. Genome-wide SNP data using reduced-representation sequencing (NextRAD) from 404 individuals sampled at 16 extensively managed meadow sites revealed pronounced interspecific differences. Polyommatus icarus exhibited the lowest genetic diversity and weakest population structure, likely reflecting its high dispersal capacity, while M. galathea showed intermediate levels of both and C. fuscus displayed the highest genetic differentiation and strongest structure. Genetic diversity in P. icarus and M. galathea showed a positive trend with the proportion of extensively managed meadows. In addition, edge density was positively correlated with genetic diversity in M. galathea and C. fuscus, indicating that fine-scale habitat configuration promotes higher population densities and gene flow for less mobile species. Additionally, isolation by distance was detected only in M. galathea, indicating species-specific responses to spatial patterns. Our findings emphasize that conservation strategies must go beyond preserving habitat area to focus on spatial configuration and connectivity. Promoting networks of extensively managed meadows and maintaining landscape heterogeneity are crucial for sustaining insect genetic diversity and evolutionary resilience in human-dominated landscapes.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | Yes, I’m willing to present as a poster. |
