Molecular markers and movement ecology

The study of movement is central to ecological analysis at the gene, individual, population, community and ecosystem levels. DNA markers are very useful tools for the study of movement at all these levels, allowing, for instance, the determination of population origin of migrants, the study of mating systems, the quantification of the scale of interspecific interactions, or the characterization of dispersal and competence spatial patterns. At the gene level, DNA markers are necessary to study genetic structure and gene flow within and among populations, and to study their combined effects with other evolutionary forces and biotic and abiotic factors on local adaptation. We review in this paper some DNA-marker methods of potential utility in movement ecology, identifying study areas where they are expected to be especially useful during the next years.