A new era of genetic diversity conservation through novel tools and accessible data

As the foundation of biodiversity, genetic diversity is necessary for species to adapt to ecological changes, such as impacts from disease, invasive species, and climate change. Genetic diversity also supports ecosystem resilience and societal innovations. Unfortunately, declines in genetic diversity have been frequently observed in populations of wild and domestic species. Yet the field of population genetics is often neglected in national and global environmental policy and has been underutilized in biodiversity monitoring and conservation action.