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Conservation Biology BISC 309
Lecture 5
Conservation Genetics wrap-up
Course assessment - details
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Do small populations have higher levels of inbreeding, reduced heterozygosity and lower levels of genetic variation? YES
Does inbreeding/loss of heterozygosity reduce a population’s ability to adapt? YES
What is the unresolved issue?
Evolution requires h2 = VA/VP Geneticists typically measure H and A
using neutral markers We don’t know if H predicts h2
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How closely correlated are molecular and quantitative measures of genetic variation?
Reed and Frankham meta-analysis - 71 datasets mean corr r = 0.22 H and life history traits r = -0.11 ns H and morph traits r = 0.30
Molecular measures of variation provide a very imprecise measure of evolutionary potential
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Next Q
How big do populations have to be to avoid losing genetic variation and the ability to adapt?
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How big is big enough?
Franklin (1982) Argued VA determines evolutionary potential
VA at eqm depends on the balance between gain (mutation) and loss (drift)
Change VA = Vm - VA/2Ne
Require Ne when there is no change so 0 = Vm - VA/2Ne
Ne=VA/2Vm
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How big is big enough?
Franklin (1982) used Vm=10-3VE Drosophila
Ne= VA/2(10-3.VE) = 500 VA/VE
since h2 = VA/VP ! VA/(VA+VE)
Ne = 500 h2/(1- h2)
if heritability 0.5 Need Ne = 500 -----> N = 5000 to avoid losing evolutionary potential
Q.why?
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How big is big enough?
Retaining genetic diversity in perpetuity requires
Effective sizes of at least 500 Census population sizes of 5000
But how large are threatened populations?
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Critically Endangered Threatened Endangered Criterion
Reduction in population size 10 yrs 3 generations
>80% >50% >30%
<100 km2 <5000 km2 <20,000 km2
<50 <250 <1000
>50% >20% >10% 10 yrs 20 yrs 100 yrs Or 3 gen or 5 gen
Small range
Very Small population
Quantitative analysis Eg PVA
IUCN
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High profile threatened taxa
Giant panda 1000
Whooping crane 340
Mauna Kea silversword 500
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Recovery targets for delisting
Black-footed ferret 1500 adults in 10 pop’ns Sea otter 2650
California condor 150 in 2 pop’ns + 150 captive Peregrine falcon 900 DELISTED in US
Red cockaded woodpecker 500 in 5 populations
Lakeside daisy 1000 plants
Target sizes are rarely based on genetic concerns
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Summary
Population size influences evolutionary potential by reducing S, and reducing heritability (via loss of heterozygosity)
To retain evolutionary potential effective population sizes of 500 have been recommended ie 5000
Current pop’n sizes for most threatened spp in the wild or captivity are too small to avoid genetic deterioration
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At this point you should now be able to:
Calculate Ne, H, F
Understand how/why Ne influences heterozygosity, inbreeding and evolutionary potential
Explain why it is important to conserve genetic variation
Discuss whether current recovery targets for endangered species are sufficient.
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Genetics (basics) - alleles, heterozygosity, genetic drift, inbreeding, quantitative traits Evolutionary Analysis Fourth Edition
Conservation Genetics Ch 11. Principles of Conservation Biology (3rd Ed) Ch’s in Introduction to Conservation Genetics
Papers on Conservation Genetics Week 2 readings Week 3 readings ----- on course webpage
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Assessment
Exams Midterm 20% or 15? Feb 18 Final 20% and 25? April 16
Tutorial Participation 5% Presentation 15%
Writing Newspaper article 15% Recovery Plan 25%
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Goals of Presentation/Mini-lecture
1 to allow independent research relating to a current issue in conservation biology
2 to provide an opportunity for you to give a presentation in an informal setting
3! to increase the breadth of topics discussed during this course
4! to illustrate how scientific research is addressing conservation questions
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Format of Presentation/Mini-lecture
2-3 presenters
10-12 minute presentation - powerpoint
3 minute discussion period
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Content of Presentation/Mini-lecture
Topic - any conservation oriented issue (local, national, global)
TALK - introduce issue - identify key question or argument - give background - describe recent research ie one or two studies - what do new results mean
DISCUSSION- lead/prompt input from class - NOT a Q/Ans session
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Goals of newspaper article
1 to allow independent research relating to a current issue in conservation biology
2! to develop the ability to communicate the importance and relevance of scientific research to a general audience
4! to increase awareness of conservation issues on campus
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Format/content of Newspaper article
The article is to be written independently
Word limit 1000 words (minimum 500)
The article should be entertaining introduce why an issue is important describe the importance of recent research be critical and evaluate competing points of view identify the key sources of information
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Getting started with the presentation/article
Finding a topic Sources of ideas your personal experience newspaper or magazine articles the internet scientific journals
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Finding a topic - example 1 Cruising the scientific journals
Hunter 2007 Climate change and moving species: furthering the debate on assisted colonization. Conservation Biology 21: 1356-58
Issue: Climate change is likely to drive extinctions Possible Actions Increase connectivity to enhance movement Increase efforts to minimise climate change or Assisted colonization
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Florida torreya
1000 trees left Decline linked to climate change - few new seeds are found
Proposed - assisted colonization Move spp. 500 km Northwards
--> southern Appalachians Not found there for 65 million years!
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Finding a topic - example 2 Cruising the scientific journals
Garcia VB and others 2008 The importance of habitat and life history characters to extinction risk in sharks skates rays and chimaeras. Proc. R Soc Lond 275:83-89
Issue Deep water fisheries are seen as an alternative to depleted shallow water fisheries
40% Mediterranean sharks and rays threatened with extinction
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Finding a topic - example 2 Cruising the scientific journals
Garcia VB and others 2008 The importance of habitat and life history characters to extinction risk in sharks skates rays and chimaeras. Proc. R Soc Lond 275:83-89
Question Do “slow” life histories of deep water species make them even more vulnerable to extinction?
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Finding a topic - example 3 Cruising the internet
Science Daily Jan 14 2008 Greenhouse oceans may downsize fish, risking one of most productive fisheries
Bering Sea
diatoms --> large zooplankton ---> large fish
Produces 1/2 fish ct in US waters 1/3 fish ct worldwide
ISSUE
Greenhouse conditions favour small phytoplankton
---> change in food chain
---> reduced ability to soak up atmospheric CO2
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Finding a topic - example 4 Cruising the internet
National Geographic News Jan 11 2008 Ants, Acacias drop truce when wildlife threat drops
Acacias provide “home” Ants protect against herbivores
What happens when large herbivores are lost from the system?
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Finding a topic Reading the Newspaper - example 5
Guardian weekly - Too many elephants in the room Jan 4 2008
ISSUE - Elephants in SA
12,500 elephants in Kruger National Park
QUESTION
Is the large/growing population threatening the habitat of other species
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Finding a topic Reading the Newspaper - example 5
Guardian weekly - Too many elephants in the room Jan 4 2008
Options
Resume culling
Translocations
Allow movement
Sterilization program
Q. How does sterilization influence male behavior and female fecundity?
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Finding a topic - do this SOON
Developing your topic Read up on the basics Search for scientific articles by author or by topic Talk to people
Writing DUE FEB 27 5 pm Be engaging but provide context and more content and critical evaluation than in shorter media articles Get comments from friends/siblings/someone
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Goals for the Recovery Strategy assignment
1.! To help understand the listing and recovery planning process in BC and Canada
2.!To practise using your scientific training to
collect data on a threatened spp
assess evidence for population declines
identify key threats to the species
identify critical habitat areas
suggest actions that will halt population declines and aid recovery
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Format for the Recovery Strategy assignment
4 sections
Summary 250 words Background and Status 650 words Recovery Plan 1100 words Action Plan 1000 words
Plus references Figures
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Format for the Recovery Strategy assignment
Summary - the bottom line in 250 words Background and Status Recovery Plan Action Plan
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Format for the Recovery Strategy assignment
Summary Background and Status - distribution
- biology - population #, sizes - trends - significance - status
Recovery Plan Action Plan
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Format for the Recovery Strategy assignment
Summary Background and Status Recovery Plan - scientific knowledge (gaps)
declining? Why? measurable objectives critical habitat (what/where) how could declines be halted rationale for approach
Action Plan
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Format for the Recovery Strategy assignment
Summary Background and Status Recovery Plan Action Plan - who are the stakeholders
- does critical habitat need protection
- what legislation may be useful - socio-economic cost of spp loss of conservation actions
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The Recovery strategy assignment
Getting started Finding a species
BC Ecosystem Species Explorer www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/toolintro.html
! COSEWIC/SAR webpages
Your species may be listed or may be a candidate for assessment but can not have a published recovery plan
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The Recovery strategy assignment
Further info on webpage Me - Guidelines for assignment CWS - Templates for Recovery Plans
Examples Real recovery strategies are on the SAR website
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Questions about assignments in general
Your Input on assessment on workload on course