McLennan, E. A. (2020). To move or not to move? A genetic toolkit for monitoring assisted colonisations. University of Sydney.

Worldwide there are over one million species threatened with extinction. Assisted colonisations are becoming increasingly relevant as in situ threat mitigation fails to keep pace with population declines. Human-mediated movement of species to habitats beyond their native range has been used to protect species against prevailing disease threats, invasive species and climate change. To be successful, scientifically derived principles for planning and implementation of assisted colonisations are needed. Recent technological advancements have increased our capacity to monitor wildlife. With genetic methods we can assess a myriad of population processes such as diet, interindividual relationships, shifts in genetic diversity profiles and ultimately a population’s capacity to adapt to new challenges. Here I demonstrate that a “toolkit” of genetic monitoring techniques can be used to critically examine an assisted colonisation and inform adaptive management. Through the compilation of large genetic datasets, my work has helped identify a toolkit of genetic monitoring protocols most appropriate for monitoring an assisted colonisation and performing adaptive management. I recommend careful monitoring of the inter- and intraspecific interactions that occur following an assisted colonisation with the most appropriate sampling regime and marker type for a given question. Doing so will enable appropriate remedial management such as protection of vulnerable native species at the release site or identification of genetically overrepresented individuals. The work presented here provides a genetic toolkit for global conservation managers who are using assisted colonisation to prevent the extinction of threatened species.

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