Global genetic diversity loss and the power of conservation to restore species resilience

At this month's ERGA Plenary meeting, on Monday, September 15 at 15:00 CEST, Robyn Shaw will present on "Global genetic diversity loss and the power of conservation to restore species resilience". Check more information below.

Abstract

Global genetic diversity loss and the power of conservation to restore species resilience

Genetic diversity provides the foundation for species resilience and adaptive capacity. Yet, unlike species and ecosystem diversity, the global status of within-population genetic diversity has received less attention and has not been assessed comprehensively across the tree of life. In addition, the effectiveness of conservation actions in maintaining or restoring genetic diversity remains poorly understood. With 57 collaborators, we conducted a global meta-analysis of more than three decades of research, screening over 80,000 studies and extracting thousands of estimates from 628 species across 141 countries. Using meta-analytic methods, we compared genetic change across taxa, metrics, and study designs. We found widespread genetic diversity loss, particularly in birds and mammals, linked to threats such as habitat modification, disease, and exploitation. Importantly, some conservation actions were associated with positive outcomes. In particular, population supplementation (e.g. restoring connectivity or translocation) led to increases in genetic diversity over time. Our findings indicate that while genetic diversity is being lost globally, targeted conservation can restore it, providing an evidence base to guide genetic monitoring, inform biodiversity reporting, and support species resilience.

Speaker's Bio

Robyn Shaw is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Canberra, in the Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics. She uses genetics and field studies to explore the effects of fire, invasive species, land use and climate on animal populations; integrating this information into decision-making tools for conservation practitioners.

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