Speaker

Dr. Maybellene Gamboa
Colorado College

Abstract

The question of whether and how populations respond to environmental fluctuations is increasingly appreciated in conservation, as adaptive shifts may buffer populations from future climate extremes. Specifically, identifying populations that have the potential to exhibit adaptive phenotypes based on projected climate shifts may help managers set conservation priorities. Here, I’ll discuss how we can apply an integrative framework to understand local adaptation in natural populations to conserve Channel Island Song Sparrows on the northern California Channel Islands and Flammulated Owls in Colorado. Using a combination of population and landscape genomics, animal physiology, and animal behavior, we can generate a more holistic understanding of organismal responses to climate projections and, ultimately, improve how we manage natural systems.