Integrating population genetics and species distribution modelling to guide conservation of the noble crayfish, Astacus astacus, in Croatia

The noble crayfish, Astacus astacus, is an indigenous European freshwater species. Its populations show significant declines caused by anthropogenic pressure on its habitats, climate change and the spread of invasive species. Diminishing populations’ trends and loss of genetic diversity highlight the need for effective conservation that will ensure their long-term survival. We combined population genetics and species distribution modelling (SDM) to reveal the impact of climate change and invasive species on the noble crayfish, and to guide future conservation programs of current populations. Our study showed that Croatian populations of A. astacus harbour an important part of species genetic diversity and represent significant genetic reservoir at the European level. The SDM results predicted substantial reductions of suitable habitats for A. astacus by the 2070; only 13% of its current potential distribution is projected to remain stable under pessimistic Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP 8.5) emission scenario. Moreover, most of the populations with high genetic diversity are located in the areas predicted to become unsuitable, and consequently have a high probability of being lost in the future. Further, SDM results also indicated considerable decrease of future habitat suitability for invasive crayfish species in Croatia, suggesting that climate change poses a major threat to already endangered A. astacus. The obtained results help in the identification of populations and areas with the highest conservation value which should be given the highest priority for protection. In order to preserve present diversity in areas that are predicted as suitable, we propose assisted migration and repopulation approaches, for enhancing populations’ size and saving maximum genetic variability. The result of our research emphasizes once again the benefits of multidisciplinary approach in the modern biodiversity conservation.