Karim Clivaz


Last Name

Clivaz

First Name

Karim

ORCID

0009-0007-3160-5431

Organisational unit

08715 - Gruppe Mol. Physiologie der Pflanzen / Plant Molecular Physiology Group

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Publications 1 - 5 of 5
  • Monitoring genetic diversity: A genomics-based pilot study for Switzerland
    Item type: Other Conference Item
    Fischer, Martin C.; Reutimann, Oliver; Ulrich, Gabriel F.; et al. (2024)
    Proceedings World Biodiversity Forum 2024
    Genetic diversity is the raw material of evolution and is essential for species to adapt to changing environments. To date, systematic monitoring of genetic diversity on a national scale has rarely been undertaken. We have initiated a pilot study on genetic diversity monitoring in Switzerland, with the aim of assessing genetic diversity indicators for five animal and plant species, thereby gaining the practical experience necessary for setting up a genomics-based monitoring programme. The five selected species occur in habitats of national importance or in anthropogenically modified landscapes. We de novo assembled their reference genomes, sampled >1,200 individuals across all biogeographic regions in Switzerland, and re-sequenced their full genomes. For two species, we used a museomic approach to go back up to 200 years into the past. Together, these data enable detailed conservation-relevant analyses, not only of genetic diversity, but also of runs of homozygosity (ROH) and estimates of effective population size (Ne), and provide unprecedented insights into temporal changes in genetic diversity in natural populations. With the experience gained, it is now possible to monitor genetic diversity at a national scale. An ongoing challenge is to develop scientifically sound but intuitive indicators, which can be effectively communicated to relevant authorities and stakeholders for implementation in conservation management.
  • Wie steht es um die genetische Vielfalt der Kreuzkröte in der Schweiz
    Item type: Other Conference Item
    Fischer, Martin C.; Reutimann, Oliver; Ulrich, Gabriel F.; et al. (2024)
    30. Herpeto-Kolloquium / 30e colloque herpétologique
  • Integrating genetic diversity into biodiversity conservation
    Item type: Other Conference Item
    Fischer, Martin C.; Reutimann, Oliver; Ulrich, Gabriel F.; et al. (2024)
    Tagungsband EUBIRECO 2024
  • A perspective on the Swiss pilot study for a monitoring of genetic diversity
    Item type: Other Conference Item
    Fischer, Martin C.; Reutimann, Oliver; Ulrich, Gabriel F.; et al. (2024)
    Abstract Booklet 6th European Consrvation Genetics Meeting 2024
  • Genetic erosion of a peatland specialist in space and time
    Item type: Other Conference Item
    Ulrich, Gabriel F.; Rayo, Enrique; Clivaz, Karim; et al. (2024)
    Abstract Booklet of the 6th European Conservation Genetics Meeting 2024
    Anthropogenic habitat degradation, fragmentation and loss are among the key drivers of biodiversity decline. These can lead to population size reduction and isolation, and thus to genetic erosion, a decrease in genetic diversity over time through random genetic drift and inbreeding. Since genetic diversity provides the raw material for evolution, understanding the temporal dynamics of changes in genetic diversity and causes of genetic erosion is relevant for conservation. Here, we investigated habitat loss and changes in genetic diversity in space and time in a peatland specialist, Eriophorum vaginatum. Peatlands have drastically declined over the past two centuries due to drainage and peat extraction. We selected and sequenced 148 herbarium specimens from Switzerland, collected between the 1800s and 1940s. In 2022, we revisited the sites where they were collected to sample ten contemporary individuals from each population. Only 103 revisited populations could be recovered, and population extinction was greatest in densely populated and agricultural regions. Whole-genome re-sequencing data from 148 historical and 853 contemporary samples were used to infer temporal changes in genetic diversity and inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity (FROH). Genome-wide genetic diversity has declined by more than 6%, with frequent local increases in inbreeding. Interestingly, the region with the highest population extinction has not suffered the greatest loss of genetic diversity or increase in inbreeding. This may be a consequence of the large size and genetic diversity of the remaining populations, high historical genetic diversity, and an associated slow loss of genetic diversity. Our study shows that genetic diversity in wild populations of a peatland specialist has been declining for more than a century and is likely to continue to decline despite strict habitat protection. This is a consequence of past habitat destruction leading to increased isolation and inbreeding. Conserving large populations and restoring connectivity are necessary to prevent further genetic erosion.
Publications 1 - 5 of 5