Conserving genetic diversity of at-risk species across the data-availability spectrum
Huck Ecology Seminar Series

Genetic data have been used for decades in conservation, including for the identification and recovery of species assessed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Technological advances have made much larger genomic datasets available for at-risk species, bringing previously inaccessible parameters like adaptive differentiation and individual inbreeding within reach. The advantages of these data are clear for targeted species, yet the vast majority of at-risk species will never benefit from these studies. Fortunately, population genetic theory can be leveraged to inform at-risk species conservation even when genetic data are not available. In this talk, I will discuss two indicators of genetic diversity and their application to species assessed under the ESA.

These indicators reflect two major processes driving genetic health: large population sizes, which help mitigate genetic drift and inbreeding depression while facilitating local adaptation, and the maintenance of populations across species' ranges, which conserves species-wide evolutionary potential. Because they do not require DNA-based assessments, genetic indicators can be evaluated rapidly and affordably. In our assessment, we found that while most populations of at-risk species were maintained, these populations were likely to be too small to prevent genetic erosion. We also found a lack of correlation between the genetic indicators and ESA classification status, suggesting that genetic health is not being fully considered in extinction risk assessments and downstream decision-making. Inclusion of affordable and intuitive approaches like genetic indicators into conservation practice can help ensure protection of at-risk species prior to irreversible losses of genetic diversity. This, in turn, could increase the success of recovery actions while reducing time to recovery and overall costs.

About the Speaker

Brenna is a landscape and molecular ecologist focused on conserving biodiversity in a period of rapid global change. Her research integrates environmental, genetic, and phenotypic data sets to inform the management of at-risk species. Her current research areas include applications of genetic and genomic data to U.S. Endangered Species Act decision-making and conservation genomics of amphibians. She completed her MSc at Western Washington University, her PhD at Duke University, and a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship at Colorado State University. She is currently an Endangered Species Biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Contact

  Jesse Lasky
  lasky@psu.edu