1. AMY WELSH WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY GENETIC CONSIDERATIONS IN ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

2. GENETIC GOAL OF RESTORATION Avoid inbreeding in the short term Maintain long-term evolutionary potential HIGH GENETIC DIVERSITY

3. SOURCES OF GENETIC CHANGE Migration Selection Drift Mutation

4. MIGRATION Natural Colonization Natural migration pattern Few genetic consequences Translocation Source population???? Considerations: Adapted to new environment? Founder effect Effects on source population Outbreeding depression

5. EXAMPLE: LAKE STURGEON Identification of Genetic Stocking Units (GSUs)

6. SELECTION Founding individuals/populations Adaptation to captivity

7. GENETIC DRIFT Founder effect Inbreeding

8. EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE Size of an ideal population that loses genetic diversity at the same rate as the actual population Ideal population: Equal sex ratios Equal family sizes Constant population size

9. RECOMMENDATIONS Natural colonization (when possible) Select source population from similar environment & genetically similar Large number of founders Minimize time in captivity Natural captive environment Avoid inbreeding Maximize effective population size

10. CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS Avoid inbreeding in the short term Maintain long-term evolutionary potential HIGH GENETIC DIVERSITY MONITORING