Postgraduate Course: Introduction to Applied Conservation Genetics Part 2 (VESC11253)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Introduction to conservation science and the role of genetics in supporting wildlife management. |
| Course description |
This 10-credit course forms Part 2 of the Introduction to Applied Conservation Genetics. It covers the following topics:
¿ Identifying Populations for Conservation Management
¿ Genetic Monitoring - Data Analysis
¿ Challenges in Ex-situ Management
¿ Genetic Management of Conservation Breeding Programmes
¿ Hybridization and Introgression
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2020/21, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 4 (Sem 2) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
98 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative assessment: MCQ
Summative assessment (95%): Development of a project research plan including a component of group work contributing to the assessment
Discussion board (5%): Student nominated best Discussion board contribution over the five weeks
|
| Feedback |
Weekly live sessions with course tutors
Formative assessment feedback
Summative assessment feedback
|
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Integrate and apply a range of conservation genetic tools to specific management questions.
- Formulate practical solutions based on available information to address conservation scenarios.
- Communicate conservation genetic concepts and results to non-specialist stakeholders.
|
Reading List
Introduction to Applied Conservation Genetics Part 2
Identifying Populations for Conservation Management
1. Frankham R. Introduction to Conservation Genetics. (Ballou JD, Briscoe DA, eds.). Cambridge University Press; 2002.
2. Dubach J, Briggs M, White P, Ament B, Patterson B. Genetic perspectives on ¿Lion Conservation Units¿ in Eastern and Southern Africa. Conservation Genetics. 2013;14(4):741-755. doi:10.1007/s10592-013-0453-3
3. Hefti-Gautschi B, Pfunder M, Jenni L, Keller V, Ellegren H. Identification of conservation units in the European Mergus merganser based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers. Conservation Genetics. 2009;10(1):87-99. doi:10.1007/s10592-008-9528-y
4. Selier SAJ, Slotow R, Blackmore A, Trouwborst A. The Legal Challenges of Transboundary Wildlife Management at the Population Level: The Case of a Trilateral Elephant Population in Southern Africa. Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy. 2016;19(2):101-135. doi:10.1080/13880292.2016.1167460
5. Funk WC, Mckay JK, Hohenlohe PA, Allendorf FW. Harnessing genomics for delineating conservation units. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 2012;27(9):489-496. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2012.05.012
Genetic Monitoring - Data Analysis
1. Schwartz MK, Luikart G, Waples RS. Genetic monitoring as a promising tool for conservation and management. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 2007;22(1):25-33. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2006.08.009
2. Milligan BG, Archer FI, Ferchaud A, Hand BK, Kierepka EM, Waples RS. Disentangling genetic structure for genetic monitoring of complex populations. Evolutionary Applications. 2018;11(7):1149-1161. doi:10.1111/eva.12622
3. Laurent Excoffier, Gerald Heckel. Computer programs for population genetics data analysis: a survival guide. Nature Reviews Genetics. 2006;7(10):745-758. doi:10.1038/nrg1904
4. Dures SG, Carbone C, Loveridge AJ, et al. A century of decline: Loss of genetic diversity in a southern African lion¿conservation stronghold. Diversity and Distributions. 2019;25(6):870-879. doi:10.1111/ddi.12905
5. Simon Dures. Ecology rather than people restrict gene flow in Okavango-Kalahari lions. Animal Conservation. Published online 2020. https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acv.12562
6. L. D. Bertola, H. Jongbloed, K. J. Van Der Gaag, et al. Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo). Scientific Reports. 2016;6(1):30807. doi:10.1038/srep30807
Challenges in Ex-situ
1. Frankham R. Introduction to Conservation Genetics. (Ballou JD, Briscoe DA, eds.). Cambridge University Press; 2002.
2. Moreno Rivas M, Rodríguez Teijeiro JD, Abelló MT. Genetic and demographic analysis of European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and Species Survival Plan (SSP) Western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla populations. International Zoo Yearbook. 2018;52(1):194-211. doi:10.1111/izy.12199
3. Ogden R. GM. Genetic assessments for antelope reintroduction planning in four European breeding programmes. https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/359
4. Ochoa A, Wells S, West G, et al. Can captive populations function as sources of genetic variation for reintroductions into the wild? A case study of the Arabian oryx from the Phoenix Zoo and the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, Jordan. Conservation Genetics. 2016;17(5):1145-1155. doi:10.1007/s10592-016-0850-5
5. Ivy JA, Lacy RC. A Comparison of Strategies for Selecting Breeding Pairs to Maximize Genetic Diversity Retention in Managed Populations. Journal of Heredity. 2012;103(2):186-196. doi:10.1093/jhered/esr129
Genetic Management of Conservation Breeding Programmes
1. Frankham R. Introduction to Conservation Genetics. (Ballou JD, Briscoe DA, eds.). Cambridge University Press; 2002.
2. Ruivo EB, Stevenson MF. EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for Callitrichidae ¿ 3.1 Edition. Beauval Zoo; 2017. https://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/CCC/2017-Callitrichidae-EAZA-Best-Practice-Guidelines-Approved.pdf
3. Van Coillie S, Galbusera P, Roeder AD, et al. Molecular paternity determination in captive bonobos and the impact of inbreeding on infant mortality. Animal Conservation. 2008;11(4):306-312. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00186.x
4. Bowles ML, Whelan CJ, eds. Restoration of Endangered Species¿: Conceptual Issues, Planning and Implementation. Cambridge University Press; 1994.
5. Lacy* RC. Achieving True Sustainability of Zoo Populations. Zoo Biology. 2013;32(1):19-26. doi:10.1002/zoo.21029
6. Powell DM, Faust LJ, Dorsey CL, Norman AJ, Putnam AS, Ivy JA. Use of molecular data in zoo and aquarium collection management: Benefits, challenges, and best practices. Zoo Biology. 2019;38(1):106-118. doi:10.1002/zoo.21451
7. Fienieg ES, Galbusera P. The use and integration of molecular DNA information in conservation breeding programmes: a review. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/31
Hybridization and Introgression
1. Frankham R. Introduction to Conservation Genetics. (Ballou JD, Briscoe DA, eds.). Cambridge University Press; 2002.
2. Allendorf FW, Leary RF, Spruell P, Wenburg JK. The problems with hybrids: setting conservation guidelines. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 2001;16(11):613-622. doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(01)02290-X
3. Genovart M. Natural hybridization and conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2009;18(6):1435-1439. doi:10.1007/s10531-008-9550-x
4. Martínez-Abraín A, Oro D. Preventing the development of dogmatic approaches in conservation biology: A review. Biological Conservation. 2013;159(C):539-547. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.10.020
5. Rhymer JM, Simberloff D. EXTINCTION BY HYBRIDIZATION AND INTROGRESSION. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 1996;27(1):83-109. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.27.1.83
6. Alejandro Martínez-Abraín DO. Preventing the development of dogmatic approaches in conservation biology: A review. Preventing the development of dogmatic approaches in conservation biology: A review. Published online March 9201. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.10.020
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and skills will include:
A. Research and Enquiry
Graduates of the University will be able to create new knowledge and opportunities for learning through the process of research and enquiry. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- be able to identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to solve them
- be able to exercise critical judgment in creating new understanding
- be ready to ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry
- be able to critically assess existing understanding and the limitations of their own knowledge and recognise the need to regularly challenge all knowledge
- search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding
- have an informed respect for the principles, methods, standards, values and boundaries of their discipline(s) and the capacity to question these
- understand economic, legal, ethical, social, cultural and environmental issues in the use of information.
B. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
Graduates of the University will be able to work independently and sustainably, in a way that is informed by openness, curiosity and a desire to meet new challenges. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement
- be able to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought, taking into account ethical and professional issues
- be able to use collaboration and debate effectively to test, modify and strengthen their own views
- be intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest
- be able to respond effectively to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts
C. Communication
Graduates of the University will recognise and value communication as the tool for negotiating and creating new understanding, collaborating with others, and furthering their own learning. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and communicate understanding
- use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others
- further their own learning through effective use of the full range of communication approaches
- seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness
- recognise the benefits of communicating with those beyond their immediate environments
- use effective communication to articulate their skills as identified through self-reflection
D. Personal Effectiveness
Graduates of the University will be able to effect change and be responsive to the situations and environments in which they operate. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- appreciate and use talents constructively, demonstrating self-discipline, motivation, adaptability, persistence and professionalism
- be able to manage risk while initiating and managing change
- be able to flexibly transfer their knowledge, learning, skills and abilities from one context to another
- understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities and issues
- be able to work effectively with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills.
|
| Keywords | Conservation genetics,population management,genetic units,genetic monitoring,genetic diversity |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Rob Ogden
Tel: (0131 6)51 7428
Email: rogden@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Michael Winpenny
Tel: (0131 6)50 8825
Email: Michael.Winpenny@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage