An introduction to conservation genetics & the wildlife management genetics of invasive lizards in Florida

Conservation genetics is an applied science that uses theories and techniques from evolutionary genetics to yield insights about how to conserve and restore biodiversity. Questions asked by practitioners of this discipline address a variety of issues, including: what is the best course of action for helping threatened populations persist? Is a particular group of organisms genetically distinct enough to warrant special protection? What is the optimal breeding program for captive populations of highly endangered species? And, what are the effects of habitat fragmentation and degradation on population genetic processes, such as gene flow? In this talk, I introduce the field of conservation genetics by drawing on milestone examples from the discipline. I then discuss ongoing research that I am conducting in this area that seeks to inform policy decisions about how best to manage large, invasive lizard species in Florida