1. Genetics The rate of evolutionary change in a population is proportional to the amount of genetic diversity available.

2. Genetic variation has three levels: heterozygosity- genetic variation within individuals variation among individuals within a population variation among populations

3. Results of the loss of genetic diversity:  lower fitness- i.e. lifetime reproductive success relative to other individuals in the population  reduced evolutionary flexibility of populations

4. Causes of declines in genetic diversity: Founder effect- when a few individuals establish a new population, the genetic composition depends on the founders Demographic bottlenecks- occurs when a new population experiences a severe, temporary reduction of size Genetic drift- random change in gene frequencies in small populations. Through chance alone some alleles will not be represented in the next generation.

5. Genetic Diversity: Inbreeding inbreeding- mating with closely related individuals results: increased homozygosity inbreeding depression- reduced fecundity, offspring size, growth, or survivorship; changes in age of maturation and physical deformities

6. Loss of among-population genetic diversity: when historically divergent, isolated populations experience unusually high rates of gene flow…  organisms are moved  creation of new corridors

7. Management Concerns maintenance of viable populations in the short term maintenance of the ability to adapt maintenance of the ability for continued “natural” speciation

8. Populations deme- locally, randomly interbreeding group of individuals metapopulation- network of populations that have some degree of intermittent or regular gene flow among geographically distinct units. populations exist along a continuum