BIGFOOT - BIodiversity decline's Genomic FOOTprint

Global biodiversity crisis of unprecedented proportions

We are facing a global biodiversity crisis of unprecedented proportions with devastating consequences for the viability of the ecosystem. In addition to anthropogenic habitat destruction, fragmentation and climate change, genomics can determine the fate of a population, but can also be used to assess its health. However, genomic patterns of species decline have only been identified for a few emblematic mammal species. Populations of some declining species are mostly assessed by classical census monitoring (e.g. Red Lists, EU Habitats Directive), rarely accompanied by genetic data and, in the case of insects, limited to a few families or by bulk sampling without quantitative resolution.

Conservation genomics - looking beyond the boundaries of genetic diversity - can help assess the health of species and populations on a global scale. However, it is unclear what the genomic impact of decline is Isolation occurs in much of non-mammalian biodiversity, particularly invertebrates with their enormous diversity of life histories. We will utilise a taxonomically broad range of species with rapidly declining and isolated populations in Germany.

We will

i) generate reference genomes and apply population genomics to contemporary and historical samples,

ii) compare the genomic footprints of population collapse and isolation to understand species-specific impacts,

iii) integrate ecological modelling to predict resilience to future niche changes in light of genetics constitution; and

iv) derive predictions for large parts of biodiversity.