Building a Portuguese coalition for biodiversity genomics

Le résumé fourni par la source

The remarkable diversity of life on Earth is essential for maintaining ecosystem stability, fostering ecological interactions among species, regulating the climate, and providing fundamental resources that sustain human well-being and promote the development of society. Today, Earth’s biodiversity, ecological and evolutionary heritage, and the ecosystem services they provide are under intense and extensive strain as a result of many direct and indirect anthropogenic activities. These major activities include habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by agricultural expansion and other forms of land conversion, overexploitation of natural resources, overharvesting, illegal killing and trading of wild species, climate changes, environmental pollution, and global spread of exotic species 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . These pressures not only result in the decline and extinction of populations, species, and ecosystems, but also have cascading effects on various dimensions of biodiversity, including genetic, functional, or phenological diversity and the interactions within biodiversity networks. These impacts harm the health of natural populations and their survival and reduce their potential to adapt to environmental challenges 6 . Characterising and understanding in detail the genetic variation underlying biodiversity at all levels provides essential modern tools to delineate sound and efficient strategies to mitigate the impacts of human activities, design management plans for conservation and restoration, and support data-driven biodiversity policy development 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . Genomics, anchored on high-quality reference genomes, offers unparalleled precision in identifying genetic diversity, population structure, and adaptive potential, which are critical for predicting species’ responses to environmental changes, enhancing breeding programmes, and ensuring the genetic health of populations 11 , 12 . Regional biodiversity genomics initiatives that promote research and applications under the umbrella of international coalitions, can leverage shared resources and expertise, facilitating the development of robust, scalable solutions to global conservation challenges.

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