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Abstract:
Effective population size (Ne) is one of the most important parameters in evolutionary biology, as it is linked to the long-termsurvival capability of species. Therefore, Ne greatly interests conservation geneticists, but it is also very relevant to policymak-ers, managers, and conservation practitioners. Molecular methods to estimate Ne rely on various assumptions, including noimmigration, panmixia, random sampling, absence of spatial genetic structure, and/or mutation-drift equilibrium. Species are,however, often characterized by fragmented populations under changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressure.Therefore, the estimation methods' assumptions are seldom addressed and rarely met, possibly leading to biased and inaccu-rate Ne estimates. To address the challenges associated with estimating Ne for conservation purposes, the COST Action 18134,Genomic Biodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems (G-BiKE), organized an international workshop that met in August2022 in Brașov, Romania. The overarching goal was to operationalize the current knowledge of Ne estimation methods for con-servation practitioners and decision-makers. We set out to identify datasets to evaluate the sensitivity of Ne estimation methodsto violations of underlying assumptions and to develop data analysis strategies that addressed pressing issues in biodiversitymonitoring and conservation. Referring to a comprehensive body of scientific work on Ne, this meeting report is not intended tobe exhaustive but rather to present approaches, workshop findings, and a collection of papers that serve as fruits of those efforts.We aimed to provide insights and opportunities to help bridge the gap between scientific research and conservation practice.
