Conservation of adaptive potential and functional diversity: integrating old and new approaches

Abstract

Continuing advances in whole genome scale approaches integrated with other ‘omic’ technologies promise to revolutionise understanding about the relevance of genetic variation to risks of species declines and extinctions. In the face of the vastly increased accessibility of such approaches, it is important that we advance beyond descriptive genetics to developing a more functional perspective on whether enhancing genetic variation is the most effective strategy for conservation management. Rather than a comprehensive review of the field, this paper focuses on several key issues that have been discussed since the dawn of “conservation genetics” and that warrant re-assessment based on emerging “omics” data, combined with new analytical approaches to ecological niche modelling and population genomic analyses. Specifically, the following inter-related issues are discussed: (1) the relative impacts of inbreeding and outbreeding on fitness and adaptive potential, particularly in relation to genetic rescue; (2) how “species” should be defined for conservation management; (3) deciding on how much and what type of genetic variation should be preserved; and (4) how we can move from descriptive genetics to actually understanding adaptive processes in the wild. None of the ideas presented are new; the purpose here is to serve as a reminder that many of the issues raised 30 years ago are still relevant but not completely resolved and would benefit from tackling afresh with modern tools, but considering historical perspectives.