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8-3.2 | IMPORTANCE OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN POPULATIONS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGEMaintaining high levels of genetic variation within species and populations is a central aim in conservation biology. The main reasons for this are the facts that genetic diversity holds the adaptation potential for populations to novel environments, such as climate change conditions. Moreover, several heterozygosity-fitness correlations have shown that high levels of genetic diversity within populations support population survival, in particular under stressful conditions. PublicationsErnst, A., Sauer, J., Wittig, R. & C. Nowak (2013) : Local genetic structure of a montane herb among isolated grassland patches: implications for the preservation of genetic diversity under climate change. - Population Ecology 55: 417-431. Sauer, J., Domisch, S., Nowak, C. & P. Haase (2011) : Low mountain ranges – summit traps for montane freshwater species under climate change. - Biodiversity and Conservation 20: 3133-3146. |