Genetic rescue is the increasing of the genetic diversity and viability of a small, inbred population by introducing individuals from another population of the same species. This process helps reduce inbreeding depression and enhances the population's adaptability and resilience to environmental changes.
By increasing genetic variation through gene flow, genetic rescue can improve population health, growth rates and long-term survival prospects. It is often used to save endangered species whose populations have become fragmented and genetically isolated.
A successful genetic rescue results in increased population fitness due to the introduction of beneficial alleles, while unsuccessful attempts can sometimes cause outbreeding depression or genetic swamping.
Genetic rescue has been used effectively for several species, including the Florida panther, greater prairie chicken, bighorn sheep, mountain pygmy possum, Scandinavian wolf, and pacific pocket mouse. However, these successes are minor in the context of the vast number of suitable candidates, which has been attributed in part to the lack of awareness in conservation planning and insufficient funding.