SYMP 1 - Combining Ecology and Evolutionary Knowledge for Conservation

Organizer(s)

• ML

  Meixi Lin

  Carnegie Institution for Science, United States

Co-organizer(s)

• LG

  Lauren Gillespie

  PhD Student
  Stanford University
  Palo Alto, CA, United States
• ME

  Moisés Expósito-Alonso

  Principal Investigator
  Carnegie Institution for Science, United States

From populations to species, anthropogenic global change – including climate change and land use alterations – is shifting ecosystems and imposing unprecedented pressure on biodiversity at all scales. On the one hand, ecological models have been essential in estimating species ranges and forecasting extinctions, but in these models evolutionary processes have been relatively overlooked. On the other hand, the genomics revolution in the 21st century has brought powerful tools to ecologists, and the vital role of genetic diversity in sustaining populations has been increasingly acknowledged in conservation practice. Traditionally, these ecosystem-scale ecological changes and population-scale evolutionary processes were studied in isolation. However, to efficiently halt biodiversity loss at all scales, combining both ecological and evolutionary knowledge is critical for effective conservation in the Anthropocene.

Recently, significant advances have been made to provide an eco-evolutionary view in conservation, from understanding species range shifts with landscape genomics to estimating global genetic diversity loss with ecological theories. This symposium brings together academics and practitioners at the intersection of these two disciplines of ecology and evolution with a broad taxonomical and spatial coverage, and introduces not only the theoretical advancements but also ongoing conservation actions. We will first introduce emerging research integrations in applying evolutionary thinking in ecology and the adaptation of macro-ecological and community ecology theories in genomics, followed by real-life examples on applying genomics for ecological research and conservation practice. By providing a view synthesizing current theories and applications, we hope to facilitate a much needed conversation between ecologists and evolutionary biologists on how to build an eco-evolutionary framework that connects population evolutionary responses with macro-ecological processes for biodiversity conservation.

In 2021, the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity included the goal to preserve species’ genetic diversity by 2050 and marked the inception of considering evolutionary processes in global biodiversity frameworks. Unfortunately, some threatened species have likely already fallen below this threshold. This symposium is especially timely to engage a breadth of expertise and promote future collaborations to integrate eco-evolutionary knowledge and take action on this devastating diversity loss. Aligning with this year’s meeting theme “for all ecologists”, we hope to bridge the gap in the understanding of genomic concepts for all ecologists through this symposium and advocate for the importance of considering evolutionary processes in ecological studies.

Presentations:

• 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM PDT

  Using landscape genomics and resurrection studies to understand whether rapid evolution can forestall range contractions
  

  Presenting Author: Amy Angert, Botany – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Daniel N. Anstett – Michigan State University

  Co-author: Haley Branch – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Julia Anstett – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Seema N. Sheth – North Carolina State University

  Co-author: Loren Rieseberg – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Dylan Moxley – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Marco Todesco – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Kaichi Huang – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Mojtaba Jahan – University of British Columbia

  Co-author: Rebecca Jordan – Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

  Co-author: Jose Miguel Lazaroguevara – University of British Columbia
• 1:50 PM – 2:10 PM PDT

  Genetic extinction vortex: feedbacks between species range and adaptability loss in the Anthropocene
  

  Presenting Author: Meixi Lin – Carnegie Institution for Science

  Co-author: Oliver Selmoni – Carnegie Institution for Science

  Co-author: Kristy Mualim – Carnegie Institution for Science

  Co-author: Moisés Expósito-Alonso – Carnegie Institution for Science
• 2:10 PM – 2:30 PM PDT

  Conservation biology meets eco-evolutionary dynamics
  

  Presenting Author: Andrew Gonzalez – McGill University
• 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM PDT

  Putting wildlife conservation genomics into practice in California: genomic approaches to species reintroduction, recovery, and management
  

  Presenting Author: Michael Buchalski – California Department of Fish and Wildlife

  Co-author: Stella Yuan – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA

  Co-author: Robert Wayne – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA

  Co-author: Kirk Lohmueller – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA
• 2:50 PM – 3:00 PM PDT

  Discussion