Supporting the implementation of genetic diversity indicators for Canada

Project Description

This Hub of Expertise project “Pilot testing a novel method for defining genetically distinct populations across hundreds to thousands of species, leveraging publicly available genetic data,” is focused on a long standing challenge in biodiversity science - defining populations. The aim is to advance the science and practice of this challenge, with a specific purpose of informing policy, decision making, and action for conserving genetic diversity. This project will establish a hub of expertise and advance a tool for which a need has been highlighted through sustained dialogue with end user partners. The Hub will specifically provide expert knowledge, guided by policy needs, to implement the headline indicator for genetic diversity of the KM-GBF. This will require integrating knowledge from three of the QCBS research axes: Observe and monitor, Detect changes, and Support decisions. It will require integration of these different axes, and it will require communication and hand-in-hand work with the end users. This will provide a training environment for researchers, students, and end users on topics such as genetic diversity, adaptive capacity, rates of changes, design of indicators, quantifying and displaying uncertainty, spatial ecology, demographic models, spatial planning, and threatened species protection and management. Based on past experience working on tools relating to this topic, this innovative research is likely to attract promising students and postdocs keen to work on indicators to inform Quebec’s Plan Nature and Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy. This work builds on several partnerships, including with GEO BON’s Secretariat and several members of the QCBS (Griffith et al 2025, Hoban et al 2024, Leigh et al 2021, Hoban et al 2023, Hebert et al in prep, Gonzalez et al 2023).

Principal Investigators

Collaborators

Student members