Genetic diversity monitoring: a feasibility study in Switzerland
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2020-02-27
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Other Conference Item
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yes
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Abstract
Genetic diversity is an integral component of biodiversity. The Swiss Biodiversity Strategy and CBD Aichi targets emphasize its importance and aim to prevent further loss and foster sustainable use of genetic diversity by 2020. Unfortunately, we are far from reaching these goals. In Switzerland, no con- cept of how genetic diversity can be monitored and how changes in genetic diversity over time can be inferred has previously been developed. However, recent progress in sequencing technology now al- lows sequencing the genomes of hundreds of individuals at low cost, providing robust estimates of the genetic diversity of populations and species. In a feasibility study we explored how extant genetic diver- sity and possible changes over time could be assessed across a variety of organisms to initiate a mon- itoring of genetic diversity, as a first step to its conservation and sustainable use. We propose that ge- netic diversity be monitored for 50 species from all major taxonomic groups using whole-genome re- sequencing. The proposed sampling encompasses about 17,000 individuals from all biogeographical regions of Switzerland. The selected species should meet a variety of criteria and include, e.g. rare and common species as well as species affected by climate change or habitat fragmentation. Since genetic diversity usually changes over extended time intervals, we further recommend a retrospective genetic diversity monitoring using samples from scientific collections. With the study of museum and herbarium samples we anticipate to reconstruct changes in genetic diversity over at least one century. We present the set-up of the proposed Swiss genetic diversity monitoring program.
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published
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Book title
4th Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics 2020 from Genomes to Application. Book of Abstracts
Journal / series
Volume
Pages / Article No.
48 - 49
Publisher
Senckenberg Nature Museum Frankfurt
Event
4th Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics: from Genomes to Application (ConsGen 2020)
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Organisational unit
03706 - Widmer, Alexander / Widmer, Alexander
09856 - Holderegger, Rolf / Holderegger, Rolf
Notes
Conference lecture held on February 27, 2020