Application of GENELAND to investigate population structure

The program GENALAND has been developed in recent years as a statistical program for genetic structure analysis. Integrating genetic data obtained from dominant and co-dominant markers with spacial data and without pre-defining the population boundaries can obtain number of homogeneous groups and a map of spacial distribution. Such information about population genetic structure can be used for conservation and management of species. In the current study genotypic data produced by nine microsatellite loci of 13 populations of Petaurus breviceps were used to investigate the spatial distribution of these populations and correlate the obtained spatial structure with environmental and landscape features. The result showed that four homogenous groups can be defined within these populations which are separated and isolated from each other due to habitat clearance and land use change. Maintaining the size of patches and establishing corridors between populations need to be consider in management and conservation of species.