Amy Vandergast
Dr. Amy Vandergast is a Research Geneticist with the Western Ecological Research Center.
She develops and leads a research program in Conservation and Landscape Genetics and Genomics. Broadly, she seeks to understand how natural and human induced landscape and environmental change impact populations, and shape evolutionary potential. Dr. Vandergast's laboratory group approaches genetic research to inform conservation in three focal areas. 1) At the population level, the team estimates important population parameters such as effective migration (or gene flow) and the number of breeding adults (or effective population size), and quantifies the impacts of landscape changes and disturbance on these parameters. This work informs individual species management. 2) Dr. Vandergast's lab also merges genetic data with mapping and modeling tools to inform biodiversity conservation efforts. Specifically, they define evolutionary significant units within species, reveal evolutionary mechanisms responsible for diversification, and identify regions with high genetic diversity for protection. 3) The team develops genetic approaches for species detection, individual mark recapture, and studies ecological associations (such as predator/prey relationships). These techniques often increase monitoring effectiveness and efficiency when replacing or combining with standard field methodologies.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Landscape genetics
- Population genetics
- Conservation biology
- Habitat fragmentation
- Terrestrial invertebrate ecology and evolution
- Linkage design and monitoring
Professional Experience
Geneticist. USGS Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station (2004-Present)
Adjunct Research Professor. San Diego State University, Department of Biology (2002-Present)
Lecturer. San Diego State University, Department of Biology and Cuyamaca College Department of Biology (2002)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Environmental Science, Policy & Management: Division of Insect Biology, University of California, Berkeley (2002)
M.S., Department of Zoology; Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, University of Hawaii, Manoa (1998)
B.S., Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California, San Diego (1995)
Science and Products
Evolutionary hotspots in the Mojave Desert
Storm surges and climate change implications for tidal marshes: Insight from the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA
Species differentiation on a dynamic landscape: shifts in metapopulation genetic structure using the chronology of the Hawaiian Archipelago
Ecological effects of climate change on salt marsh wildlife: a case study from a highly urbanized estuary
Refugial isolation and divergence in the Narrowheaded Gartersnake species complex (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) as revealed by multilocus DNA sequence data
2010 bathymetric survey and digital elevation model of Corte Madera Bay, California
Genetic landscapes GIS Toolbox: Tools to map patterns of genetic divergence and diversity.
Loss of genetic connectivity and diversity in urban microreserves in a southern California endemic Jerusalem cricket (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Stenopelmatus n. sp. "santa monica")
Optimized DNA extraction methods for encysted embryos of the endangered fairy shrimp, Branchinecta sandiegonensis
Identification of co-occurring Branchinecta fairy shrimp species from encysted embryos using multiplex polymerase chain reaction
Conservation genetics and species recovery
Are hotspots of evolutionary potential adequately protected in southern California?
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Evolutionary hotspots in the Mojave Desert
Genetic diversity within species provides the raw material for adaptation and evolution. Just as regions of high species diversity are conservation targets, identifying regions containing high genetic diversity and divergence within and among populations may be important to protect future evolutionary potential. When multiple co-distributed species show spatial overlap in high genetic diversity anAuthorsAmy G. Vandergast, Richard D. Inman, Kelly R. Barr, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Stacie A. Hathaway, Dustin A. Wood, Philip A. Medica, Jesse W. Breinholt, Catherine L. Stephen, Andrew D. Gottscho, Sharyn B. Marks, W. Bryan Jennings, Robert N. FisherStorm surges and climate change implications for tidal marshes: Insight from the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA
Tidal marshes are dynamic ecosystems, which are influenced by oceanic and freshwater processes and daily changes in sea level. Projected sea-level rise and changes in storm frequency and intensity will affect tidal marshes by altering suspended sediment supply, plant communities, and the inundation duration and depth of the marsh platform. The objective of this research was to evaluate if regionalAuthorsKaren M. Thorne, Kevin J. Buffington, Kathleen Swanson, John Y. TakekawaSpecies differentiation on a dynamic landscape: shifts in metapopulation genetic structure using the chronology of the Hawaiian Archipelago
Species formation during adaptive radiation often occurs in the context of a changing environment. The establishment and arrangement of populations, in space and time, sets up ecological and genetic processes that dictate the rate and pattern of differentiation. Here, we focus on how a dynamic habitat can affect genetic structure, and ultimately, differentiation among populations. We make use of tAuthorsGeorge K. Roderick, Peter J.P. Croucher, Amy G. Vandergast, Rosemary G. GillespieEcological effects of climate change on salt marsh wildlife: a case study from a highly urbanized estuary
Coastal areas are high-risk zones subject to the impacts of global climate change, with significant increases in the frequencies of extreme weather and storm events, and sea-level rise forecast by 2100. These physical processes are expected to alter estuaries, resulting in loss of intertidal wetlands and their component wildlife species. In particular, impacts to salt marshes and their wildlife wiAuthorsKaren M. Thorne, John Y. Takekawa, Deborah L. Elliott-FiskRefugial isolation and divergence in the Narrowheaded Gartersnake species complex (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) as revealed by multilocus DNA sequence data
Glacial–interglacial cycles of the Pleistocene are hypothesized as one of the foremost contributors to biological diversification. This is especially true for cold‐adapted montane species, where range shifts have had a pronounced effect on population‐level divergence. Gartersnakes of the Thamnophis rufipunctatus species complex are restricted to cold headwater streams in the highlands of the SierrAuthorsDustin A. Wood, A. G. Vandergast, A. Lemos Espinal, Robert N. Fisher, A.T. Holycross2010 bathymetric survey and digital elevation model of Corte Madera Bay, California
A high-resolution bathymetric survey of Corte Madera Bay, California, was collected in early 2010 in support of a collaborative research project initiated by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The primary objective of the Innovative Wetland Adaptation in the Lower Corte Madera Creek Watershed Project is to develop sAuthorsAmy C. Foxgrover, David P. Finlayson, Bruce E. Jaffe, John Y. Takekawa, Karen M. Thorne, Kyle A. SpragensGenetic landscapes GIS Toolbox: Tools to map patterns of genetic divergence and diversity.
The Landscape Genetics GIS Toolbox contains tools that run in the Geographic Information System software, ArcGIS®, to map genetic landscapes and to summarize multiple genetic landscapes as average and variance surfaces. These tools can be used to visualize the distribution of genetic diversity across geographic space and to study associations between patterns of genetic diversity and geographic feAuthorsAmy G. Vandergast, William M. Perry, Roberto V. Lugo, Stacie A. HathawayLoss of genetic connectivity and diversity in urban microreserves in a southern California endemic Jerusalem cricket (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Stenopelmatus n. sp. "santa monica")
Microreserves may be useful in protecting native arthropod diversity in urbanized landscapes. However, species that do not disperse through the urban matrix may eventually be lost from these fragments. Population extinctions may be precipitated by an increase in genetic differentiation among fragments and loss of genetic diversity within fragments, and these effects should become stronger with timAuthorsA. G. Vandergast, E.A. Lewallen, J. Deas, A.J. Bohonak, D.B. Weissman, Robert N. FisherOptimized DNA extraction methods for encysted embryos of the endangered fairy shrimp, Branchinecta sandiegonensis
The San Diego fairy shrimp Branchinecta sandiegonensis is a federally endangered species endemic to vernal pools in southern California, USA. Filling events in these habitats are highly variable, with some pools failing to hold water long enough for reproduction over many successive years. Studies of this species are thus hindered by the relatively rare appearance of aquatically active life historAuthorsA.N. Steele, M.A. Simovich, D. Pepino, K.M. Schroeder, A. G. Vandergast, A.J. BohonakIdentification of co-occurring Branchinecta fairy shrimp species from encysted embryos using multiplex polymerase chain reaction
Morphological identification of many fairy shrimp species is difficult because distinguishing characters are restricted to adults. We developed two multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays that differentiate among three Branchinecta fairy shrimp with distributional overlap in southern California vernal pools. Two of the species are federally listed as threatened. Molecular identification of BranAuthorsA. G. Vandergast, D.A. Wood, M. Simovich, A.J. BohonakConservation genetics and species recovery
Recent advances in molecular genetics have proven to be extremely useful in efforts to conserve imperiled species. Genetics data are used to identify appropriate units of management (e.g., populations, metapopulations), effective sizes of breeding populations, population mixing rates, and other variables. These data help managers make decisions about which populations to preserve, whether to moveAuthorsEd Pendleton, A. G. Vandergast, T.L. KingAre hotspots of evolutionary potential adequately protected in southern California?
Reserves are often designed to protect rare habitats, or "typical" exemplars of ecoregions and geomorphic provinces. This approach focuses on current patterns of organismal and ecosystem-level biodiversity, but typically ignores the evolutionary processes that control the gain and loss of biodiversity at these and other levels (e.g., genetic, ecological). In order to include evolutionary processesAuthorsA. G. Vandergast, A.J. Bohonak, S.A. Hathaway, J. Boys, Robert N. Fisher - Web Tools
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