Conservation Genetics
Conservation Genetics
Filter Total Items: 16
Advancing the Environmental DNA Toolkit for Ecosystem Monitoring and Management
The emerging field of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows characterization of species presence and community biodiversity by identifying trace amounts of genetic material left behind as organisms move through their environments. EESC scientists have been using eDNA technologies to detect native and rare species and as community biomonitoring tools.
Conservation Genetics of the Hawaiian Hoary Bat
The Hawaiian Hoary Bat ( Lasiurus semotus ) or ʻōpeʻapeʻa is the only extant land mammal native to the Hawaiian archipelago and is listed as endangered due to apparent population declines, and a lack of knowledge concerning its distribution, abundance, and habitat needs. This study is designed to apply molecular techniques to document demographic information, assess genetic variability, describe...
Bison Conservation
USGS science in support of the Department of the Interior's Bison Conservation Initiative.
Genetic and Demographic Analyses of Species at Risk
Genetic and demographic analyses are key to understanding mechanisms of population and species declines and recovery potential. They are equally important to managers assessing risk of extinction relative to the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and for establishing recovery goals and planning recovery actions. In addition to the methodologically and conceptually complex nature of these...
Effects of Climate Change and Other Environmental Stressors on Water Birds and Their Habitats
Predicted climate impacts on arid U.S. Great Basin wetlands will alter their number, distribution, and quality (e.g., salinity). The scarcity and isolation of these wetlands make them essential not only to wildlife but to ranchers, farmers, and urban areas that rely on their ecosystem services. Great Basin wetlands are important habitats for migratory birds at high volumes, but they become...
Assessing Spatial Patterns in Genetic Diversity Across Species Assemblages
WERC's Dr. Amy Vandergast and colleagues merge genetic data with mapping and modeling tools to inform biodiversity conservation efforts. They define evolutionary significant units within species, reveal evolutionary mechanisms responsible for diversification, and identify regions with high genetic diversity for protection.
Conservation Genetics and Genomics of Rare and Endangered Species
At the population level, Dr. Amy Vandergast and her team estimates important population parameters such as effective migration (or gene flow) and the number of breeding adults (or effective population size), and quantify the impacts of landscape changes and disturbance on these parameters. This work informs individual species management.
Distribution, Occupancy and Population Genetic Structure of California Gnatcatchers in Southern California
The coastal California Gnatcatcher ( Polioptila californica californica ), a federally threatened species, is considered a flagship species for southern California conservation planning. Dr. Barbara Kus collaborates with Dr. Amy Vandergast and local agencies to provide information to managers that can be used to conserve this species and its habitat.
Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Environmental stressors such as contaminants and disease can cause physiological imbalance in all types of wildlife. WERC’s Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles develop gene transcription profiles to detect organisms’ physiological responses to environmental stressors and provide resource managers with early warnings for potential effects on wildlife and ecosystem health.
A Website Tool for Predicting Triploidy in Larval Fish Spawns
Differentiating diploids from triploids at the earliest life stage possible allows for a more efficient use of resources including production time and rearing space. Thus, a reliable flow cytometric (FCM) method has been developed to discriminate triploids from diploids at the larval stage. In order to help simplify the process of differentiating triploids from diploids, we propose a simple...
Molecular Genetics
The use of molecular genetics has become increasingly important in addressing wildlife conservation issues. In the Fort Collins Science Center Molecular Ecology Lab, scientists answer complex questions and conservation issues facing the management of the Nation's fish and wildlife resources. For example, FORT scientists can now locate genes that may contribute to a species' ability to respond to...
West Indian Manatee Population Genetics
Nuclear microsatellite markers have been developed and implemented on ~2,000 West Indian manatees. These markers provide individual genetic fingerprints for mark-recapture studies, population structure information for the conservation of unique or isolated populations, and pedigree and relatedness information for addressing inbreeding and breeding structure patterns.