We use genetic techniques to help unravel taxonomic relationships.
Conservation genetics can be used to identify species, subspecies, or hybridization. Taxonomic questions are often raised when defining populations with modern genetic techniques, because previously cryptic taxonomic relationships become apparent.
Identifying hybrid species can be an important tool for conservation.
When rainbow trout have been introduced to several cold-water streams outside of their native range, they have sometimes started to hybridize with native species they encounter. In the southwest, this can have dire consequences for native species like the Apache trout. The Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center has worked in conjunction with state agencies like the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the White Mountain Apache Tribe to conduct individual-based analyses for identification of hybrids in Apache Trout streams and quantify the extent of hybridization at a population level. Data from these studies are used to help guide management decisions for wild Apache Trout streams as part of a larger conservation strategy.
Accurate taxonomic identification is also crucial to enforcement of wildlife laws
Legal decisions in wildlife crimes are often tied to taxonomic identification, and wildlife protection laws can also vary depending on the species, hybrid, or subspecies identification. Accurate taxonomic identification helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enforce and prosecute wildlife trafficking laws under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Genetics Community of Practice
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Genetics Community of Practice is spread across six regional genetics labs and the staff at the Service’s National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab. For over a decade these facilities have been pioneering genetics research to benefit the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants.