Estructura genética de mariposas en un paisaje fragmentado: Una aproximación al manejo ambiental en Porce (Antioquia, Colombia)

Introduction: The increase of human activities on ecosystems and the need to reduce the adverse effects due to human transformations on them requires the incorporation in environmental management of state of the art technologies and recent developments in diverse areas of knowledge, including ecology and molecular conservation. These innovations suggest that appropriation of genetic information and of the evolutionary component of the biotic environment are necessary elements for environmental management, especially in fragmented ecosystems. Materials and methods: Five forest terrains in the Porce area (Antioquia, Colombia) were selected in order to obtain genetic information. Using mitochondrial DNA of two butterfly species with different dispersion capabilities (Hypoleria vanilia and Euptychia hermes ), the existence of potential management units were determined by relating molecular information with landscape elements. Results: The species with different dispersion capabilities presented differences in their genetic structure, related to landscape composition and structure. The incorporation of genetic information constitutes a meaningful element in the process of decision making related to interventions in the habitats, benefiting a sustainable development in management strategies. Conclusion: This work contributes to current knowledge in the area and to future management decisions in same.