Genetic diversity is insufficiently monitored, according to a study
Published: Monday, Jan 15th 2024, 12:20
Updated At: Tuesday, Jan 16th 2024, 00:59
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The genetic diversity of animals and plants is not fully monitored in Europe, according to a new study. More efforts are needed to protect biodiversity, the international research team wrote in the study in the journal "Nature Ecology & Evolution".
"Without better monitoring of genetic diversity in Europe, we run the risk of losing important genetic variants for the future because we don't know them yet," Peter Pearman, lead author of the study and former employee of the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), was quoted as saying in a statement from the two research institutes.
According to Pearman, better monitoring would make it possible to identify areas that are suitable for these variants in the future and to protect the corresponding habitats. This would help to preserve genetic diversity.
For the study published on Monday, the researchers investigated in which European countries and for how many species genetic diversity has been monitored to date. The study involved 52 researchers from 60 universities and research institutes in 31 countries. From Switzerland, researchers from the University of Lausanne, the WSL and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) were involved. The study covered all monitoring programs in Europe in which genetic diversity is surveyed repeatedly over the long term.
Wolf is well monitored
According to the universities, this has shown that greater efforts are needed, particularly in south-eastern Europe. This applies in particular to Turkey and the Balkans. These areas are underrepresented, but at the same time are particularly affected by climate change.
The researchers also showed in the study that the existing monitoring programs are also unevenly distributed among species. For example, they found various studies on the genetic diversity of predators such as the wolf or the brown bear, but only a few on amphibians or certain tree species.
The researchers propose a more balanced monitoring strategy and the systematic inclusion of marginal ecological areas and regions with particularly high biodiversity.
©Keystone/SDA
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