Conserving and monitoring genetic diversity will benefit nature and society
The loss of genetic diversity is a crisis tied to mass species extinctions and climate change; it could be just as serious to human society as it is to ecosystems; however, there are ways to help combat this understudied issue
A hidden planetary crisis has long been neglected that is as serious as the disappearance of species and degradation of habitats. Genetic diversity, which reflects the variation in DNA within species and populations and is the key to their capacity to adapt in times of change, is being lost at an alarming rate. According to an article by 28 authors representing 16 countries, the loss of genetic diversity can affect resiliency in the face of environmental change and result in the loss of important services provided to society. Once gone, genetic diversity can take millennia to return.
"We know that genetic diversity is eroding, that it is happening fast, and that as a consequence nature is losing its resilience at a time when we need it most," said lead author Sean Hoban, of The Morton Arboretum, USA. "Genetic diversity isn't visible to the eye, and in many cases, it decreases before impacts are evident in a species' population".
As shown in the new article published May 26 in BioScience, scientists can now document changes in genetic diversity and devise actions to help. The use of museum specimens and genetic datasets collected over decades are showing that genetic diversity erodes long before species disappear. The authors also use findings from the END