Population Structure of the Steppe Eagle Range and Preliminary Data on the Population Genetic Diversity and Status of Subspecies

Abstract

Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) is recognized as endangered species, therefore the study of its population structure is relevant for planning the environmental protection measures. As a part of this work GIS-analysis of the distribution of actual and potential nesting sites of the steppe eagle has been made, on the basis of which it was allocated 19 population groupings of this species area of which varies from 592 km2 (Turanskaya) to 419,866 km2 (Western Kazakhstan). The abundance of nesting Steppe Eagles in these groupings is ranged from 10 to 12,000 nesting pairs. Maximum species resource is concentrated in the West Kazakhstan population, and the entire western enclave of population groupings at one time of the whole population are more than 40 % of the total number of the world population of this species. The most ancient haplotypes, allocated on the basis of the analysis in the polymorphic region of mitochondrial DNA D-loop were found in the Kalmyk and West Kazakhstan populations, in these populations the maximum haplotype diversity was developed. Genetic diversity of the steppe eagle decreases as we move to the east - the minimum number of haplotypes, and more young, is typical for the Steppe Eagle population in Dauria. Analysis of the birds distribution with different morphological characteristics and haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA in populations of steppe eagle on the area of its nesting area suggests that the species is of monotypicality, and there is no reason to divide it into two subspecies.

Keywords

• raptors
• birds of prey
• Steppe Eagle
• Aquila nipalensis
• populations
• subspecies
• zoogeography
• genetic diversity