Research–management partnerships: An opportunity to integrate genetics in conservation actions

Abstract

Preserving genetic diversity is a central goal in conservation biology, but there is a mismatch between the availability of genetic data and its use in conservation policy. In this study, we surveyed conservation practitioners from academic and government institutions to identify barriers preventing the use of genetic data for conservation practice and policy. Our survey data indicates that the majority of respondents are interested in using genetic tools, and many have used them in the past. Most of these genetic studies were facilitated by partnerships with academic and private organizations, which was the preferred method for integrating genetic research in practice by managers. Although much progress has been made to incorporate genetic study in conservation practice, differences in research goals, the cost of analyses and lack of specialized personnel continue to be barriers to incorporating genetic study in evaluating management actions and informing legislation. We recommend increasing the number of collaborative partnerships between genetic researchers and conservation managers to support management strategies of wild populations.

Global Commitments to Conserving and Monitoring Genetic Diversity Are Now Necessary and Feasible

“…Genetic diversity assessment capacity is also emerging in lower-income, high-biodiversity regions (Torres-Florez et al 2018 ), including through international collaborations (Blanco et al 2020 ). Efforts are also being made to identify barriers preventing practitioners from using genetic data (Taylor et al 2017 ), synthesize the evidence base to guide decision-making (Cook and Sgrò 2017 ), determine how frequently genetic research findings are used by nature management agencies (Bowman et al 2016 ), improve dissemination and accessibility of genetic findings (Hoban et al 2013 ), and increase the relevance of research to practice and policy (Taft et al 2020 ).…”

Combining current knowledge of Cypripedium calceolus with a new analysis of genetic variation in Italian populations to provide guidelines for conservation actions

“…On the other side are practitioners (including local managers to policy makers), who often perceive the few accessible research findings as impractical or unnecessary in the short-term, especially considering time and financial constraints (e.g., Holderegger et al, 2019, but see Cook & Sgrò, 2019a;Taylor, Dussex, & van Heezik, 2017). However, as the failure to incorporate scientific findings into practical conservation guidelines essentially depends on miscommunication and lack of collaboration between researchers and practitioners (Dubois, Gomez, Carlson, & Russell, 2020;Taft et al, 2020), it can be mitigated by providing clear indicators for policy (Hoban et al, 2020), and by combining efforts and expertise on a case-by-case basis (Britt et al, 2018;Cook & Sgrò, 2019b;Hoban, Hauffe, et al, 2013).…”

Charting a course for genetic diversity in the UN Decade of Ocean Science

“…More direct and continuous knowledge transfer between researchers, policymakers, and local environmental management groups will be vital for the effective long‐term inclusion of genetic diversity in marine management and planning (Hoban et al, 2013; Hughes et al, 2020; Pérez‐Espona & ConGRESS Consortium 2017; Sandström et al, 2019; Taft et al, 2020). In particular, the inclusion of genetic diversity in the planning of MPAs to protect areas of high or unique genetic diversity should be made in partnership between researchers, policymakers, managers, and local stakeholders (Blasiak et al, 2020; Brooks et al, 2015; Roberts et al, 2017; Xuereb et al, 2020).…”