India has three distinct and genetically connected tiger populations. These are in which of the following regions?
1. South India
2. Central India
3. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
India has three distinct and genetically connected tiger populations. These are in which of the following regions?
1. South India
2. Central India
3. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
The correct option is D All of the above
Based on a study of samples from tiger post-mortems and collection from live tigers, a new study has found that India has three distinct and genetically connected tiger populations. These are in: south India; central India, the Terai and north-east India; and in Ranthambore. The Ranthambore population has the least genetic diversity and may suffer from isolation.
There are two issues here: populations require genetic flow to remain robust; securing healthy tiger numbers are not enough for tiger health.
we are in an age of active management. When tigers go extinct in an area, they are flown in or carried in from other areas — as was done in the case of Panna (Madhya Pradesh) and Sariska (Rajasthan).
But are these management devices a suitable proxy for genetic flow through actual habitat corridors?
Genetically isolated or stranded populations can suffer from genetic depression, and subsequently, mutations and ailments. This has already happened to species which have had stranded populations such as the Florida panther and possibly the Great Indian Bustard.
Wildness and wildlife conservation also include preserving ecological processes which hold their own evolutionary potential. A robust forest or habitat corridor between tiger reserves is an important means of maintaining these ecological processes and may hold the key to the survival and adaptation of the species.
Based on a study of samples from tiger post-mortems and collection from live tigers, a new study has found that India has three distinct and genetically connected tiger populations. These are in: south India; central India, the Terai and north-east India; and in Ranthambore. The Ranthambore population has the least genetic diversity and may suffer from isolation.
There are two issues here: populations require genetic flow to remain robust; securing healthy tiger numbers are not enough for tiger health.
we are in an age of active management. When tigers go extinct in an area, they are flown in or carried in from other areas — as was done in the case of Panna (Madhya Pradesh) and Sariska (Rajasthan).
But are these management devices a suitable proxy for genetic flow through actual habitat corridors?
Genetically isolated or stranded populations can suffer from genetic depression, and subsequently, mutations and ailments. This has already happened to species which have had stranded populations such as the Florida panther and possibly the Great Indian Bustard.
Wildness and wildlife conservation also include preserving ecological processes which hold their own evolutionary potential. A robust forest or habitat corridor between tiger reserves is an important means of maintaining these ecological processes and may hold the key to the survival and adaptation of the species.
