Conservation genetics as a management tool: The five best-supported paradigms to assist the management of threatened species

About 50 y ago, Crow and Kimura [An Introduction to Population Genetics Theory (1970)] and Ohta and Kimura [Genet. Res. 22, 201–204 (1973)] laid the foundations of conservation genetics by predicting the relationship between population size and genetic marker diversity. This work sparked an enormous research effort investigating the importance of population dynamics, in particular small population size, for population mean performance, population viability, and evolutionary potential. In light of a recent perspective [J. C. Teixeira, C. D. Huber, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118, 10 (2021)] that challenges some fundamental assumptions in conservation genetics, it is timely to summarize what the field has achieved, what robust patterns have emerged, and worthwhile future research directions. We consider theory and methodological breakthroughs that have helped management, and we outline some fundamental and applied challenges for conservation genetics.

Evolutionary and Conservation Genetics

Genetic variation, evolution, and conservation are three strictly interconnected words, but none of them exist without the others, unless wanting to waive a complete and operational sense [...]

Plant Conservation Practitioners Can Benefit from Neutral Genetic Diversity

Several papers deal with a conservation genetics gap in which plant conservation and restoration managers or practitioners do not soundly integrate population genetics information into conservation management. Authors concerned about this issue point out that practitioners perceive genetic research results to be impractical or unnecessary in the short term due to time and financial constraints. In addition, researchers often fail to translate research findings into comprehensive, jargon-free recommendations effectively. If possible, conservation-related or conservation-oriented articles should be easily written to bridge the research–implementation gap. Finally, based on a previously published prioritization framework for conservation genetics scenarios, we introduce four simple genetic categories by exemplifying each case. We hope that conservation practitioners could employ these suggested guidelines for the prioritization of population- and species-level management.

Quercus Conservation Genetics and Genomics: Past, Present, and Future

Quercus species (oaks) have been an integral part of the landscape in the northern hemisphere for millions of years. Their ability to adapt and spread across different environments and their contributions to many ecosystem services is well documented. Human activity has placed many oak species in peril by eliminating or adversely modifying habitats through exploitative land usage and by practices that have exacerbated climate change. The goal of this review is to compile a list of oak species of conservation concern, evaluate the genetic data that is available for these species, and to highlight the gaps that exist. We compiled a list of 124 Oaks of Concern based on the Red List of Oaks 2020 and the Conservation Gap Analysis for Native U.S. Oaks and their evaluations of each species. Of these, 57% have been the subject of some genetic analysis, but for most threatened species (72%), the only genetic analysis was done as part of a phylogenetic study. While nearly half (49%) of published genetic studies involved population genetic analysis, only 16 species of concern (13%) have been the subject of these studies. This is a critical gap considering that analysis of intraspecific genetic variability and genetic structure are essential for designing conservation management strategies. We review the published population genetic studies to highlight their application to conservation. Finally, we discuss future directions in Quercus conservation genetics and genomics.

Conservation genetics of conflict in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is an endangered species whose distribution spans 13 countries in south, southeast, and insular Asia. The primary threats to the survival of this species include direct conflict, primarily in the forms of poaching and crop-raiding, as well indirect conflict such as habitat loss and fragmentation. Due to the elephant's elusive behavior within their dense vegetative habitat and the fact that their large size presents handling dangers to researchers and elephants, research increasingly relies on noninvasive monitoring combined with a diverse assemblage of genetic tools. This dissertation uses conservation genetics to evaluate major conflict and conservation issues for Asian elephants. The first study, in the Bago Yoma region of Myanmar, evaluates the impact of direct human-conflict in a high-density area of humans and elephants. Here elephants are heavily impacted by the developing skin trade, and condensed populations frequently raid local farms forined the overall population structure and gained demographic insights as to what defines a crop-raider. The second study, conducted in the Nakai plateau elephant population of Lao PDR, compared and contrasted the diversity and demography of a population of high conservation value before and after the construction of a hydroelectric dam. The results revealed a seasonally shifting population, unique from the previous occupants of the plateau, and a decline in genetic diversity. In the final study, genetic data from across the species' range was used to identify hotspots of genetic diversity despite marker selection bias, a problem frequently encountered in conservation genetic studies. The results highlight the evolutionary distinctiveness and conservation value of populations, particularly in southeast Asia, for conservation management of this iconic species.