Conservation Genomic Studies for Threatened Plants

Rather than a few genetic loci, with next generation sequencing (NGS) and/or whole genome sequencing (WGS) technological advances, population genomics can now not only address evolutionary processes at a genomic scale in natural populations with thousands of genetic markers, but also has fueled studies in conservation genomics. However, studies employing NGS and/or WGS to address conservation genomics and subsequent conservation strategies for threatened plants are still rare.

This Research Topic focuses on conservation questions and/or actions by analyzing data obtained from NGS to WGS. By sufficient SNPs obtained from either NGS and WGS, we are able to detect several aspects of population genetics of endangered plants using neutral and non-neutral SNPs respectively (if we can distinguish such markers easily), including genetic diversity, population structure and differentiation, as well as estimation of demography history, run of homozygosity (ROH), and accumulation of deleterious mutations, all of which will provide invaluable insights into conservation questions and actions for threatened plants.

Studies should at least in part deal with conservation issues and should mainly focus on plants. Data is encouraged to be obtained from NGS or WGS. Demography history analysis will be preferred as it can provide insight into changes of effective population sizes along time.