We would like to thank all of the attendees for a very successful workshop! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Thanks, Mitchell, Lisa, and Kaius

All workshop materials are available here.

Brief Course Description: Participants will gain a well-rounded understanding of the role of genetic data in plant conservation, and ecological and evolutionary research. We will cover all aspects of plant conservation genetics from project initiation to interpretation of final results. The emphasis will be on understanding the relevance of genetic data to effective conservation and the long-term persistence of plant species. The workshop is open to all, but is designed especially for land managers who review research permit requests and/or incorporate genetic information into management activities. (detailed course description is below)

Detailed Course Description

Genetic data has become an important component of biological conservation. Whether it is examining the level of diversity contained with a population, taxonomic uncertainty, or extinction via hybridization, genetic data can provide useful information that could not easily be obtained through other means. With technological advances the importance and prevalence of genetic data is likely to increase. Despite the widespread usage of genetic data, there frequently exists an information gap between academic biologists conducting genetic research, land managers approving requests for collection permits, land managers tasked with acting upon genetic based management recommendations, and interested individuals trying to make sense out of what this all means in both an evolutionary and conservation context.

In this workshop, we aim to bridge the gap between different skill sets and levels of training, so that all participants can gain a well-rounded understanding of the role of genetic data in plant conservation and evolutionary studies.  We will cover all aspects plant conservation genetics so that participants will gain an understanding the process from project initiation to interpretation of final results. The workshop is open to all interested individuals, with an emphasis on land managers who are reviewing research permit requests and/or incorporating genetic information into management activities.

Topics to be covered:

When and how is genetic data useful?

Basic genetics – DNA, cellular organization, genomes

Types of genetic data – DNA sequencing, microsatellites, allozymes, ISSRs, RAPDS, and new techniques

Analyses of genetic data

Measures of genetic diversity

Phylogenetics/taxonomic interpretations

Gene flow

Hybridization

Clonality

Species reintroductions

Ex-situ conservation

Evolutionary significant units (ESUs)

Sampling

Dissemination of results

Increasing the usefulness of future studies

Instructors

Mitchell McGlaughlin, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Northern Colorado, mitchell.mcglaughlin@unco.edu

Kaius Helenurm, PhD, Professor, University of South Dakota, kaius.helenurm@usd.edu

Lisa Wallace, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University, lisawallace@biology.msstate.edu