Evolutionary Biology - Applying Principles in Conservation PDF

BIOL3506 Evolutionary Biology KATIE WATSON [email protected] Today’s Lecture: Applying evolutionary principles into biodiversity conservation 2 What contributes to mass extinction? 4 10 What are your targets when you plan conser...

BIOL3506 Evolutionary Biology KATIE WATSON [email protected] Today’s Lecture: Applying evolutionary principles into biodiversity conservation 2 What contributes to mass extinction? 4 10 What are your targets when you plan conservation strategies and interventions? 11 My targets: 12 “Celebrity” species Do we protect function? Economic value? Ecosystem approach? 13  Drivers of genetic diversity: EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE DISPERSAL  Fitness Hig High A B é Genetic drift é Resilience to disturbances é Gene flow é Selection é Extinction vortex é Individual fitness Num Contigous é Inbreeding é Genetic variation Al é Spatial synchrony = é Ext. risk é Population adaptability Population connectivity ê Spatial synchrony = ê Ext. risk é Gene flow Low Low ê Ind. fitness ± Pop. adaptability é Spatial synchrony = é Ext. risk 1 ê Selection ê Spatial synchrony = ê Ext. risk Small ê Local adaptation ê Local adaptation Variabilit ê Genetic variation ê Genetic drift Average population ê Resilience to disturbance ê Inbreeding population size Large 0 C Small population D é Resilience to disturbances é Drift é Selection Hig Fragmented é Mortality é Inbreeding High ê Ne é Individual fitness Extinction é Genetic variation vortex ê Genetic é Population adaptability Ext variation é Local adaptation ê Ind. fitness ê Pop. adaptability ê Genetic Drift ê Reproduction ê Gene flow ê Selection ê Inbreeding Low Low 1 Small Small Large Variabilit Average population population size Population size Large 0 Extinction risk High Low 20XX 18 Genetic drift: 22  Types of genetic diversity: NEUTRAL NON-NEUTRAL (ADAPTIVE) Neutral genetic diversity consists of Adaptive genetic diversity consists of genes genes that do not increase fitness and that increase fitness and are responsible for are not responsible for adaptability adaptability to changes in the environment. Responsible for ecological, morphological, and A genetic variant is ‘invisible’ to natural behavioural traits. selection Natural selection acts on adaptive genes which The evolutionary dynamics (changes in allows the organisms to evolve. frequency) are dictated by random The rate of evolution on adaptive genes is genetic drift and mutation ONLY greater than on neutral genes due to the influence of selection. 26  High non-neutral (adaptive) capacity Low neutral genetic diversity 20XX PRESENTATION TITLE 36 PRESENTATION TITLE 38 39 Any questions? 41 Let’s debate!