Citation
The Biodiversity of Species and Their Rates of Extinction, Distribution, and Protection
TL;DR
Genetic rescue effective for small, inbred populations
Reviews genetic rescue as a conservation strategy, documenting when migration between populations rescues declining populations from inbreeding depression versus when excessive gene flow causes outbreeding depression by disrupting locally adapted gene combinations.
Reinforces that gene flow must be calibrated: too little causes inbreeding, too much causes outbreeding depression - the organizational equivalent of culture clash.
Key Findings from Pimm et al. (2014)
- Genetic rescue effective for small, inbred populations
- Excessive gene flow causes outbreeding depression
- Migration must be calibrated: too little or too much both harmful
- Donor population should be differentiated but not too divergent