Research overview: genetic management of the Iberian lynx under environmental change

Having passed through a severe bottleneck, the Iberian lynx carries reduced genetic diversity, which compounds its vulnerability to climate and disease stress. This overview surveys how genetic monitoring, pedigree-managed captive breeding, and translocation are used to maintain diversity and avoid inbreeding depression across the recovering metapopulation. It reviews the concept of genetic rescue and how connectivity among reintroduced populations supports it, and why preserving adaptive potential matters as the species faces shifting climate and prey conditions. The synthesis frames genetics as a parallel track to habitat and prey management in lynx recovery, illustrating how small, recovering felid populations are stewarded against multiple simultaneous pressures.