Conservation priorities for chukar partridge in Israel based on genetic diversity across an ecological gradient

Recent studies suggest that patterns of genetic diversity significantly inf luence the viability and persistence of local populations. Revealing and ma pping spatial patterns of genetic diversity within species' ranges may be v ital when defining criteria and prioritizing areas for conservation. Chukar Partridges (Alectoris chukar) in Israel occur along a steep ecogeographica l gradient extending from mesic Mediterranean zones in the north to steppe and desert regions in the south. To rest the hypothesis that the most genet ically diverse populations within a species' range occur within the ecotone , an area of transition between ecosystems where a sharp environmental grad ient exists, we examined the allozyme diversity of chukars collected at fiv e locations within the species' continuous range in each of 2 years. Based on 32 allozyme loci, the genetic diversity of chukars increased significant ly, along a gradient from population in Mediterranean regions to those at t he ecotone in the northern Negev desert, despite close geographical proximi ty among populations Genetic diversity As estimated by percent polymorphic loci, observed and expected heterozygosity, and mean number of alleles was not homogeneous among sampling localities: single and multilocus Hardy-Wein berg and linkage disequilibria increased along the gradient toward the ecot one. Populations exhibited some isolation by distance effects in the face o f substantial gene flow. We therefore recommend that higher conservation pr iority be assigned to the Mediterranean-Negev ecotone area. For Chukar Part ridges, it supports the highest overall genetic diversity across ecological gradients. Rapid urbanization of Israeli landscapes, and management of chu kars in Israel within a metapopulation context is an urgent requirement.