Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/J017388/1
Ecological and genomic research to optimize the conservation of dwarf birch in Scotland
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor RA Nichols, Queen Mary University of London, Sch of Biological and Chemical Sciences
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- In preventing species extinction, the latest scientific advances need to inform practical conservation effort. This project will answer questions that have arisen as a direct consequence of conservation work by CASE partners. Using new genomic approaches combined with ecologically relevant studies, this studentship will inform current conservation effort providing a case study of best practise. The project combines the expertise of population geneticists and ecologists at Queen Mary University of London with the conservation activities of CASE partners Trees for Life and Highland Birchwoods to train a student in the conservation biology of the nationally scarce woody plant Betula nana (dwarf birch). This will leverage genomic resources developed in co-supervisor Richard Buggs' NERC Fellowship, and use the extensive facilities and expertise of the CASE partners, who have recently been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to support their work. The project will answer three major questions using the latest methods. (1) What is the structure of genetic diversity in Scottish B. nana populations and which populations should be used as sourced for plantations? (2) How does hybridisation with congeneric species impact the conservation of B. nana? (3) What are the preferred site conditions of B. nana, and of the rare insect species that are specalists for B. nana? The student will survey the majority of known B. nana populations in the UK. RAD-sequencing, a method co-developed by scientists at the NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, and being applied to Betula by Richard Buggs, will be used to genotype thousands of markers in these populations at low cost. The student will precisely characterise the genetic structure of the B. nana populations and scan for signatures of selection and local adaptation using statistical methods developed by the PI Richard Nichols. The rate of hybridisation between B. nana and congeners will be measured in the wild, and the student will look for genomic patterns of introgression confirming this. Plant growth and occurrence of specialist insect species will be correlated with measurements of many environmental factors at these sites. The project will have an immediate and direct impact on current work in conserving B. nana. It will generate a comprehensive analysis of the status of dwarf birch populations in Scotland, in terms of demography and genetics. It will inform on which existing populations should be used as source populations for plantation and the possible benefits of crossing between populations. It will inform on risks from hybridization between species, allowing these to be minimised. It will help the CASE partners to choose the most suitable sites for plantation of B. nana, and also help them choose existing sites for exclosure of deer. It will help them to understand how to conserve the even rarer insect species that are specialists to B. nana. Other organisations whom the CASE partners advise will also benefit from these findings, and the project will provide a textbook example of how genomic research can enhance the practical conservation of a rare woody species. The student's thesis will provide materials for publications in academic journals. The graduate will be trained in population genomics and applying theory to real-world conservation.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/J017388/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Open CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £79,866
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs | Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|---|
| £370 | £13,812 | £10,400 | £55,285 |
If you need further help, please read the user guide.