Biodiversity conservation informed by genetics

Dr. Juan Viruel

Department Ecosystem Stewardship, Kew Gardens

The protection and management of biodiversity requires interdisciplinary scientific evidence to deliver effective conservation action. We will explore the use of genetics to inform conservation at different scales: i) prioritization of species to conserve, ii) protecting genetic diversity of threatened species, iii) assessing the success of a conservation plan. The first example will introduce the project ‘Biodiversity metrics for conservation management in the British Virgin Islands’, in which we are sequencing the entire flora to generate metrics, such as phylogenetic diversity, to guide biodiversity management in the territory. A second example will focus on protecting genetic diversity in threatened baobab populations in Madagascar, in which we will investigate the importance of understanding the life cycle of a threatened plant, including the role of an endemic bat species as pollinator, and we will engage with local communities to plant thousands of trees. The last example will evaluate an eradication programme of invasive plant species in South Georgia by using molecular barcoding to enable identification of seedlings.