Study of more than 600 animal and plant species finds genetic diversity has declined globally | Environment

The genetic diversity in animals and plants has decreased in the world during the past three decades, and has been found an analysis of more than 600 species.

Search, published in the magazine natureI found declines in two -thirds of the population who studied, but noted that urgent conservation efforts may stop or even reflect the losses of genetic diversity.

Dozens of scientists at the international level reviewed 882 studies that have changed the genetic diversity between 1985 and 2019 in 628 species of animals, plants, fungi and chrome (a type of organism), and constituted what they called the “most comprehensive investigation” of changes in genetic diversity within species so far .

The lead researcher for the study, Professor Catherine Gruber of Sydney University, said that diversity within species-in a sign of contrast between individuals of the same type-enabled the population to better adapt to changes in his environment.

She said: “If a new disease comes, or there is a thermal wave, there may be some individuals in the population who have certain characteristics that enable them to bear these new cases.”

“These properties will be transferred to the next generation, and the population will continue instead of extinction.”

The form of genetic diversity in wild and domesticated species is a major component of one of the targets adopted in COP15 biological diversity conference In 2022.

“Many of the main causes of the loss of genetic diversity were the same as guilty of the declines in the population,” things such as habitat loss, climate change, gas species, and new diseases. “

Researchers found environmental disorders in 65 % of the population who studied, including human harvesting or harassment and changes in land use. But they pointed out that the loss of genetic diversity occurred even when no disorders were reported, indicating “the level of the background of the loss of genetic diversity across species.”

“We believe that this represents the most general biodiversity crisis faced by the planet, and broader effects of environmental disorders [such as] “Climate change,” said Gropuber.

However, many cases have highlighted the designed memorization strategies to improve genetic diversity.

This included a project to create new groups of Bandicoots golden – Threatened species – in western Australia. “By understanding the place where they were choosing animals from … and monitoring these residents using genetic studies, they were able to show that they could maintain the genetic diversity of these population across multiple generations,” said Gropuber.

In the United States, Preserving biologists They managed to maintain the genetic contrast in black tail wild dogs by dust with insecticides, and prevent fleas from spreading plague during the outbreak of the disease. “The population was able to flourish, and by moving more in the scene, they managed to overlap with other wild dogs,” said Gruber.

In Scandinavia, Arctic Fox The population has decreased due to the fur trade and is now facing intense competition with the red foxes of the prey, but additional nutrition and the removal of red foxes led to an increase in genetic diversity there.

“It is important to preserve the genetic diversity in our natural systems,” said Gropuber. “We have ways to make it work.”

The incompatible analysis included species of 141 countries, with more than 500 species of animals.