Welcome to the 3rd Genetic Diversity Monitoring Workshop, 23 & 24 January 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Aims and objectives
Rapid environmental changes pose a threat to biodiversity and much emphasis has been placed on monitoring species and habitat diversity in recent years; on the other hand, we know much less about the extent and possible changes in genetic diversity in natural populations over time. However, genetic diversity is widely considered a prerequisite for adaptation to a changing environment, and may thus be essential for the long-term persistence of populations and species.
Current negotiations on the CBD’s post-2020 biodiversity targets are underway and COP15 in Montreal just has happened. Advances in sequencing technology and genomic inference tools provide opportunities to integrate genetic diversity and adaptive potential in conservation management of natural populations and species. These new developments simultaneously require and enable long-term monitoring programmes of genetic diversity in all major organismal lineages with the goals of quantifying changes in genetic diversity, identifying environmental drivers of these changes, and deriving management plans that prevent future losses of genetic diversity and help maintain the adaptive potential of populations and species.
The goal of the 3rd genetic diversity monitoring workshop is to discuss current advances and future directions in the field of national and international monitoring of genetic diversity in wild populations and species.
With special focus on:
- National genetic diversity monitoring programmes
- Synergies between different national monitorings
- CBD COP15 and genetic diversity
- Indicators of change in genetic diversity
- Stakeholder engagement and management decision
Workshop program
Workshop discussions
Venue and organization
Organizing committee
Dr. Martin C. Fischer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Andrea Ryffel, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Felix Gugerli, WSL, Switzerland
Prof. Rolf Holderegger, WSL, Switzerland
Prof. Alex Widmer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Contact
Martin C. Fischer
martin.fischer@usys.ethz.ch
Andrea Ryffel
andrea.ryffel@usys.ethz.ch