How to mitigate loss of genetic variation during climate induced migration of populations

Genetic diversity is of fundamental importance to local adaptation, ecosystem functions, and long-term capacity to survive of populations and species. Climate change pushes species' distributions. During redistribution to new areas populations at the front of the expansion are small and fragmented and under stochastic loss of genetic variation. The available habitats are critical to how much genetic variation will be lost. We use mathematical models to analyse how habitat size and quality ("green infrastructure"), fragmentation, species dispersal, and population growth rate will impact on genetic variation during redistribution of species due to climate change. Our results will help to improve policies for green infrastructure.