Editing Small population size (section)

{{short description|Statistical effects of small numbers on a population}}
'''Small populations''' can behave differently from larger populations. They are often the result of [[population bottleneck]]s from larger populations, leading to [[loss of heterozygosity]] and reduced [[genetic diversity]] and loss or [[Fixation (population genetics)|fixation]] of [[allele]]s and shifts in [[allele frequencies]].<ref name=":3" /> A small population is then more susceptible to demographic and genetic stochastic events, which can impact the long-term survival of the population. Therefore, small populations are often considered at risk of endangerment or extinction, and are often of [[Conservation genetics|conservation]] concern.