The most common goal of animal conservation programmes is to maintain genetic diversity. Various measures for genetic variability based on pedigree information can be used, but most of them are very sensitive to completeness of pedigree information. Different criteria based on probability of identity-by-descent (effective population size via increase in inbreeding N(e) ) or probability of gene origin (effective number of founders f(e) , ancestors f(a) and founder genomes N(g) ) were used to describe the genetic variability of three Austrian cattle breeds [Original Pinzgau (PI), Tux-Zillertal (TZ), Carinthian Blond (CB)]. Reference populations for PI were defined by animals born between 1993 and 1997 and for TZ and CB by all living animals, irrespective of birth year. The numbers of animals in the reference populations were 9706, 471 and 230 for PI, TZ and CB, respectively. The average complete generation equivalent showed the different quality of pedigree information: 5.33 for PI, 2.52 for TZ and 1.73 for CB. The following N(e) s were calculated: 76 for PI and CB and 43 for TZ. For PI, TZ and CB a f(e) -value of 65.4, 21.0 and 29.9, a f(a) -value of 32.1, 14.2 and 29.0 and a N(g) -value of 19.5, 9.7 and 22.6, respectively, were calculated. In particular, the results for TZ demonstrate the urgent need for a well-planned conservation programme.
