Copenhagen Zoo, Copenhagen, Denmark

Partners of the project:

• Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Genetic Diversity, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
• Stockholm University, Division of Population Genetic, Department of Zoology, Stockholm, Sweden
• University Freiburg, Wildlife Ecology and Management, Freiburg, Germany
• Nord University, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Bodø, Norway
• Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NINAGEN Centre for Biodiversity Genetics, Trondheim, Norway
• National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the
• Environment (INRAE), Biogeco, Cestas, France
• Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp, Belgium
• The Edmund Mach Foundation, Forest Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
• Luleå University of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, Luleå, Sweden
• The Morton Arboretum, Center for Tree Science, Lisle, USA (Self- financed partner)

(Fondi EU Nazionali - Biodiversa+) Testare l'uso di un nuovo gruppo di indicatori della diversità genetica nell'ambito di specie prioritarie della Direttiva Habitat

Attività FEM:
Raccolta di dati di diversità genetica su specie italiane secondo le modalità condivise del progetto

Context

Genetic diversity is the foundation of biodiversity and essential for the long-term survival, adaptation, and resilience of populations, species, and entire ecosystems. While genetic diversity has long been neglected in biodiversity policy and management, the current Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) now includes genetic diversity monitoring, including for wild species. Tools and indicators to assess and monitor genetic diversity are available, but are rarely applied due to the gap in knowledge transfer between conservation science and application.

GINAMO assesses and delivers science-based and co-designed best practices and guidelines for the use of genetic diversity indicators. This will enable the routine integration of genetic criteria and indicators into biodiversity monitoring and assessments, from policy at regional, national, and EU levels, to global conventions and obligations. A key component of GINAMO is the use of facilitated group decision-making processes to partner and co-decide from the outset with the stakeholder community, so that all resources produced meet their concerns, reporting duties, and monitoring needs, and are more likely to be adopted. Easy-to-apply, standardised and automated workflows will be co-created for assessing genetic indicators at various transboundary geographical scales.

Main objectives

GINAMO uses existing open access genetic and non-genetic data (including Earth observation data) to best determine accurate estimates of the two genetic diversity indicators of the GBF: 1) the proportion of populations within species with an effective population size Ne greater than 500, and 2) the proportion of populations of a species maintained. To maximise the implementation and reporting of these indicators, GINAMO designs, facilitates, and scientifically evaluates co-creation processes in which GINAMO scientists and country stakeholders collaboratively develop methodologies and workflows that are scientifically sound, appropriate, and achievable for nature management and policy.

Main activities

GINAMO focuses on generating best practices for assessing effective population size from genetic data and evaluating genetic indicators based on non-genetic data from multiple sources. Additionally, GINAMO evaluates how satellite earth observation data can be used to generate proxies to monitor genetic diversity. Workflows for existing and newly generated information will be standardised to provide easily accessible data for researchers, nature managers and policy makers. GINAMO activities follow a co-creation approach under professional guidance and scientific evaluation, so that methods and products are produced together by policy makers, nature managers and practitioners, and scientists.