Stability of genetic structure and effective population size inferred from temporal changes of microsatellite DNA polymorphisms in the land snail Helix aspersa (Gastropoda: Helicidae)

Temporal evolution of genetic variability may have far‐reaching consequences for a diverse array of evolutionary processes. Within the polders of the Bay of Mont‐Saint‐Michel (France), populations of the land snail Helix aspersa are characterized by a metapopulation structure with occasional extinction processes resulting from farming practices. A temporal survey of genetic structure in H . aspersa was carried out using variability at four microsatellite loci, in ten populations sampled two years apart. Levels of within‐population genetic variation, as measured by allelic richness, H e or F is , did not change over time and similar levels of population differentiation were demonstrated for both sampling years. The extent of genetic differentiation between temporal samples of the same population established (i) a stable structure for six populations, and (ii) substantial genetic changes for four populations. Using classical F ‐statistics and a maximum likelihood method, estimates of the effective population size ( N e ) illustrated a mixture of stable populations with high N e , and unstable populations characterized by very small N e estimates (of 5–11 individuals). Owing to human disturbances, intermittent gene flow and genetic drift are likely to be the predominant evolutionary processes shaping the observed genetic structure. However, the practice of multiple matings and sperm storage is likely to provide a reservoir of variability, minimizing the eroding genetic effects of population size reduction and increasing the effective population size. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 82 , 89–102.