Extending from the North-Eastern Atlantic coast of Brazil to Southern Paraguay and Northern Argentina, the Atlantic Forest is one of the top priority areas for conservation of the world’s biodiversity. This biome consists of many phytophysiognomies that harbor an impressive diversity of species, many of which are endemic and threatened with extinction. Its landscape is currently highly fragmented and, because it is in a region of high human population density, this biome still undergoes intense anthropic pressures leading to the replacement of its natural environments. Due to the degradation of their natural habitats, urgent efforts are needed to better characterize its remaining biodiversity and to support the conservation of the biome. In this context, the scientific community may contribute with actions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest in many ways. As genetic diversity is the raw material for the evolution of populations, the knowledge about the genetics of animal and plant species is valuable to promote practical efforts to its conservation and to restore their natural habitats.
Molecular genetic studies greatly contribute to many fields in Life Sciences and practical applications, such as breeding and conservation, and their contribution has been boosted by modern sequencing technologies (Next-generation sequencing, NGS). NGS now provides large amounts of DNA sequences to be investigated, benefiting the classic population genetics, phylogeographic and phylogenetic studies that may now assess the genome-wide diversity of species. These population genomics approaches are often associated with the study of local adaptations, which may be valuable in the context of conserving species and landscapes in a changing world. We propose this Research Topic as a space for genetic studies based on classic or NGS techniques.
Studies in this Research Topic should ideally integrate genetic results with information regarding the ecological, demographic and landscape factors that interact with their study system (animal or plant species), with the aim to highlight how it can contribute to the conservation of the Atlantic Forest and their species. We welcome studies covering, but not limited to, the following themes, based on the use of classic and/or NGS-identified molecular markers:
• Population genetics
• Conservation genetics
• Landscape genetics
• Ecological genetics
• Phylogeography and phylogenetics
Extending from the North-Eastern Atlantic coast of Brazil to Southern Paraguay and Northern Argentina, the Atlantic Forest is one of the top priority areas for conservation of the world’s biodiversity. This biome consists of many phytophysiognomies that harbor an impressive diversity of species, many of which are endemic and threatened with extinction. Its landscape is currently highly fragmented and, because it is in a region of high human population density, this biome still undergoes intense anthropic pressures leading to the replacement of its natural environments. Due to the degradation of their natural habitats, urgent efforts are needed to better characterize its remaining biodiversity and to support the conservation of the biome. In this context, the scientific community may contribute with actions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest in many ways. As genetic diversity is the raw material for the evolution of populations, the knowledge about the genetics of animal and plant species is valuable to promote practical efforts to its conservation and to restore their natural habitats.
Molecular genetic studies greatly contribute to many fields in Life Sciences and practical applications, such as breeding and conservation, and their contribution has been boosted by modern sequencing technologies (Next-generation sequencing, NGS). NGS now provides large amounts of DNA sequences to be investigated, benefiting the classic population genetics, phylogeographic and phylogenetic studies that may now assess the genome-wide diversity of species. These population genomics approaches are often associated with the study of local adaptations, which may be valuable in the context of conserving species and landscapes in a changing world. We propose this Research Topic as a space for genetic studies based on classic or NGS techniques.
Studies in this Research Topic should ideally integrate genetic results with information regarding the ecological, demographic and landscape factors that interact with their study system (animal or plant species), with the aim to highlight how it can contribute to the conservation of the Atlantic Forest and their species. We welcome studies covering, but not limited to, the following themes, based on the use of classic and/or NGS-identified molecular markers:
• Population genetics
• Conservation genetics
• Landscape genetics
• Ecological genetics
• Phylogeography and phylogenetics
