Conservation implications
As the only extant felids in Taiwan, leopard cats may play a crucial role as apex predators, contributing to ecosystem stability and trophic cascades (Pace et al., 1999; Terborgh et al., 1999). Our genetic study complements previous ecological research (Chen et al., 2016; van der Meer et al., 2023), revealing that direct and indirect impacts of anthropogenic features have compromised the sustainability of Taiwanese leopard cat populations. Although there is currently no evidence of genetic drift or inbreeding affecting the genetic diversity among leopard cat populations in Taiwan, human-related landscape features have contributed to genetic differentiation among its populations. Despite no prospect of significant loss of diversity in the near future, our species distribution models predict that climate change may further endanger the viability and connectivity of Taiwanese populations, restricting suitable habitats to northern and mountainous regions with rugged topography. The mitochondrial marker revealed extremely low genetic diversity in the leopard cat populations of Taiwan. Indeed, it is the lowest among related populations in Far East Asia (Ito & Inoue-Murayama, 2019; Ko, An, & Eo, 2022; Teng et al., 2022). Moreover, the distinct Taiwanese haplotypes indicate limited gene flow between peripheral island habitats and continental core populations (Patel et al., 2017; Tamada et al., 2008). The evolutionary potential to adapt to changing environments depends on the balance between genetic variation and drift (Brown, 1984; Holderegger, Kamm, & Gugerli, 2006; Slatkin, 1987). However, the low genetic variation resulting from founder effects and lack of new genetic components increases the risk of local extinctions in island populations facing extreme climate change (Johnson, Adler, & Cherry, 2000; Wood et al., 2017).
The key conservation management actions for Taiwanese leopard cats should focus on maintaining neutral and adaptive genetic diversity, population fitness, and evolutionary potential in the face of habitat fragmentation and impending climate alterations. Efforts should be made to reduce adverse human activities that drive genetic differentiation in the island’s leopard cats, such as establishing corridors to facilitate gene flow between fragmented habitats. Protected areas can be designated in areas of high dispersal potential to minimize disturbance from human activities and predation by free-roaming domestic dogs. To mitigate fragmentation and reduce the risk of road collisions, artificial underground or aboveground corridors can be implemented along highways in areas with a high population density of leopard cats. Lastly, to counteract the negative effects of drift and inbreeding caused by isolation and climate change, establishing corridors connecting southern and northern areas should be a high priority to prevent loss of genetic diversity and reduce the risk of local extinctions. Our study provides valuable insights into how landscape features shape the evolutionary processes and future distribution of a locally endangered felid on a subtropical island, offering fundamental ecological information for its conservation.
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