New strategies to characterise genomic diversity for biodiversity conservation

Project Information

ConserVar

Grant agreement ID: 101111414

DOI

10.3030/101111414

Project closed

EC signature date 11 May 2023

Start date 15 September 2023

End date 14 September 2025

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 222 727,68

Coordinated by

STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ConserVar (New strategies to characterise genomic diversity for biodiversity conservation)

Reporting period: 2023-09-15 to 2025-09-14

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Given the current state of events with climate change and other causes of biodiversity loss, it is crucial to understand the genetic variation of many species, as well as its structure across populations and the way it allows populations to survive. This knowledge is indispensable for the effective conservation of wild – potentially endangered – species.

In the last decade, technological advances have made it possible to scan the entire genetic codes of many species (their genomes) and to check how this information varies between individuals and populations of the same species. However, the analytical methods that are routinely used cannot take full advantage of all types of variation contained in the whole genomes of wild species. In contrast, highly efficient tools have been developed to study this variation in human populations and other well-studied organisms.

In this project, we have developed new analysis strategies to study different types of genomic variation that remain largely unexplored in wild animals and non-model organisms. Using the Arctic fox as a model species we are using genomic data to uncover new details about how their populations and individuals relate to each other. We are also using genomes from museum specimens to detect how these types of variation have changed through time. Finally, we are also assessing how these new sources of information can give us new insights about how the Arctic fox is adapting to current environmental changes.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The resulting analysis strategies and computational workflows that we have developed will not only have a direct impact on the Swedish Arctic fox conservation programme but will also provide a benchmark for other endangered species in both basic and applied conservation settings. For instance, we have identified the geographic and ecological origins of farmed Arctic foxes in Fennoscandia and produced valuable new data from ancient Arctic foxes to better understand present-day population structure and diversity.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results from this study will not only provide new methodological tools to advance the field of conservation genomics – setting a benchmark for similar studies around the world, but will also potentially inform management programmes to conserve the Arctic fox, which is considered a climate change flagship species – ideal to understand the genomic consequences of fast changing environments – and is critically endangered in Scandinavia. Broadly speaking, the deeper understanding of genetic diversity in endangered species could provide invaluable information for conservation and management strategies.

Working on the ancient DNA lab