title: Genetic evidence of tiger population structure and migration within an isolated and fragmented landscape in Northwest India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Majority of the tiger habitat in Indian subcontinent lies within high human density landscapes and is highly sensitive to surrounding pressures. These forests are unable to sustain healthy tiger populations within a tiger-hostile matrix, despite considerable conservation efforts. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Northwest India is one such isolated forest which is rapidly losing its links with other tiger territories in the Central Indian landscape. Non-invasive genetic sampling for individual identification is a potent technique to understand the relationships between threatened tiger populations in degraded habitats. This study is an attempt to establish tiger movement across a fragmented landscape between RTR and its neighboring forests, Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWLS) and Madhav National Park (MNP) based on non-invasively obtained genetic data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from twelve microsatellite loci was used to define population structure and also to identify first generation migrants and admixed individuals in the above forests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Population structure was consistent with the Central Indian landscape and we could determine significant gene flow between RTR and MNP. We could identify individuals of admixed ancestry in both these forests, as well as first generation migrants from RTR to KPWLS and MNP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate reproductive mixing between animals of RTR and MNP in the recent past and migration of animals even today, despite fragmentation and poaching risk, from RTR towards MNP. Substantial conservation efforts should be made to maintain connectivity between these two subpopulations and also higher protection status should be conferred on Madhav National Park.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Patlolla Anuradha
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Digpal Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gour
authors.forename: Maradani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhavanishankar
authors.forename: Kanika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaggi
authors.forename: Shaik Mohammed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Katakam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harika
authors.forename: Sisinthy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shivaji
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017753:Ecosystem; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D011157:Population Dynamics; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D046010:Tigers / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA