GOAL: Determine the relatedness structure of Alberta leks
- Are the males on any given lek related to each other as predicted by lekking theory?
ABSTRACT: Endangered species are sensitive to the genetic effects of fragmentation, small population size, and inbreeding so effective management requires a good understanding of their breeding system and genetic diversity. The Greater Sage-Grouse is a lekking species that has declined by 66%-92% during the last 35 years in Alberta, Canada. Our goals were to assess the genetic diversity of Sage-Grouse in Alberta and to determine the degree of sex-specific relatedness within and between leks. Six hundred and four individuals sampled in 1998 – 2007 were genotyped at 13 microsatellite loci. Levels of genetic diversity were high, with the exception of one recently founded lek, and did not change over time. Overall, we did not observe isolation-by-distance among leks and most leks were not differentiated from one another, suggesting gene flow across the study area. Males and females exhibited similar patterns of isolation-by-distance, revealing dispersal was not sex-specific. Overall relatedness was close to zero for both sexes at the provincial, lek, and year levels suggesting neither sex forms strong kin associations. However, within-leks at the year level, we found relatedness greater than zero suggesting interannual variation. We also found no evidence that Sage-Grouse follow the typical avian pattern of male philopatry. Although Sage-Grouse in Alberta are endangered and occur in fragmented habitat, they have maintained genetic diversity and connectivity.