New genomic techniques and statistical analyses are crucial tools for the conservation geneticist. This 3-day workshop will provide an essential toolkit grounded in population genetics theory, coupled with basic and applied research examples from plants, animals, and microbes. It will provide a comprehensive overview of the essential background, concepts, and tools required to understand how genetics and genomics can be used to conserve species, reduce the threat of extinction and manage species of ecological or commercial importance.

The workshop will be based on Allendorf et al.'s Conservation and the Genomics of Populations (3rd edition, 2022). It will examine genetic and phenotypic variation in natural populations, the principles and mechanisms of evolutionary change, evolutionary response to anthropogenic change, and applications in conservation and management. A copy of the textbook is recommended for the workshop, but not required.
 

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Topics

• Genomic variation in populations
• Hardy-Weinberg principle
• Genetic drift & effective population size
• Natural selection
• Mutation
• Gene flow & population structure
• Multiple loci
• Hybridization
• Inbreeding depression
• Units of conservation
• Demography and extinction
• Exploited populations
• Climate change
• Genetic monitoring

The workshop will also feature invited guest speakers who will present local case studies and a panel discussion on career paths in conservation genetics.

Additional background reading

• Document

  Fifty Years of Conservation Genetics: A Personal Perspective (PDF, 746.34 KB)

Seminar

Fred will also be giving a seminar What does effective population size tell us about loss of allelic variation? the day before the workshop (3pm, Tues 7 Oct).