Abstract:

Aims: In the context of global biodiversity facing threats, protecting the genetic diversity of wildlife is of critical importance for maintaining ecological balance and enhancing the adaptive capacity of ecosystems. 

Methods: This study focused on red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve (Ebinur Lake Reserve), employing non-invasive sampling methods to collect fecal samples. Genetic diversity and structure were analyzed using microsatellite and mitochondrial markers (Cytb, D-loop). 

Results: The results showed that the overall observed heterozygosity (Ho) for microsatellites was 0.662, the expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.777, the polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.712, and the inbreeding coefficient (Fis) was 0.165, indicating a deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The haplotype diversity (Hd) of mitochondrial markers Cytb and D-loop was 0.447 and 0.605, respectively, and the nucleotide diversity (Pi) was 0.00463 and 0.00334, respectively. Compared to other subspecies of red deer, the genetic diversity of red deer in Ebinur Lake Reserve is moderately high. No bottleneck effect was detected, although a certain degree of inbreeding was observed. Microsatellite structure analysis and principal coordinates analysis indicated that red deer in Ebinur Lake Reserve formed two distinct genetic clusters, suggesting genetic differentiation has occurred. Phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses suggested that the red deer in the Ebinur Lake Reserve was closely related to both the Tianshan red deer and the Altai red deer. 

Conclusion: As one of the large ungulate species within the reserve, its genetic diversity is of significant importance for maintaining the ecosystem. Therefore, to preserve the genetic diversity of the red deer in the Ebinur Lake Reserve, it is recommended to strengthen the protection of red deer habitats, establish ecological corridors to facilitate gene exchange, and prevent inbreeding.

Key words: Ebinur Lake Reserve, red deer, genetic diversity, non-invasive sampling, microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA