3 results
The establishment of DOHaD working groups in Australia and New Zealand
- Part of
- S. L. Prescott, K. Allen, K. Armstrong, C. Collins, H. Dickinson, K. Gardiner, F. Jacka, C. Jasoni, T. Moore, K. M. Moritz, B. Muhlhausler, W. Siero, K. Sim, R. Nanan, R. Saffery, G. Singh, M. H Vickers, J. M. Craig
-
- Journal:
- Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease / Volume 7 / Issue 5 / October 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 April 2016, pp. 433-439
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
The evidence underpinning the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is overwhelming. As the emphasis shifts more towards interventions and the translational strategies for disease prevention, it is important to capitalize on collaboration and knowledge sharing to maximize opportunities for discovery and replication. DOHaD meetings are facilitating this interaction. However, strategies to perpetuate focussed discussions and collaborations around and between conferences are more likely to facilitate the development of DOHaD research. For this reason, the DOHaD Society of Australia and New Zealand (DOHaD ANZ) has initiated themed Working Groups, which convened at the 2014–2015 conferences. This report introduces the DOHaD ANZ Working Groups and summarizes their plans and activities. One of the first Working Groups to form was the ActEarly birth cohort group, which is moving towards more translational goals. Reflecting growing emphasis on the impact of early life biodiversity – even before birth – we also have a Working Group titled Infection, inflammation and the microbiome. We have several Working Groups exploring other major non-cancerous disease outcomes over the lifespan, including Brain, behaviour and development and Obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic health. The Epigenetics and Animal Models Working Groups cut across all these areas and seeks to ensure interaction between researchers. Finally, we have a group focussed on ‘Translation, policy and communication’ which focusses on how we can best take the evidence we produce into the community to effect change. By coordinating and perpetuating DOHaD discussions in this way we aim to enhance DOHaD research in our region.
11 - Historical biogeography, diversity and conservation of Australia's tropical rainforest herpetofauna
-
- By Craig Moritz, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA, Conrad Hoskin, Department of Zoology and Entomology, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia, Catherine H. Graham, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA, Andrew Hugall, Department of Zoology and Entomology, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia, Adnan Moussalli, Department of Zoology and Entomology, The University of Queensland, QLD 2072, Australia
- Edited by Andrew Purvis, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, John L. Gittleman, University of Virginia, Thomas Brooks, Conservation International, Washington DC
-
- Book:
- Phylogeny and Conservation
- Published online:
- 04 December 2009
- Print publication:
- 22 September 2005, pp 243-264
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Faced with a combination of increasing degradation of habitats and sparse knowledge of species and their distributions, biologists are struggling to find ways of predicting spatial patterns of diversity and then to devise effective strategies for conservation. Area-based conservation planning typically applies complementarity algorithms to identify one or more combinations of areas that effectively represent the known pattern of species diversity (Margules & Pressey 2000). Usually, high-quality distribution data are available for only a limited number of taxonomic groups (e.g. trees, birds, butterflies), so geographic patterns of diversity in these groups must act as a ‘surrogate’ for those of other taxa. Even this level of knowledge may be lacking for some areas, or at finer spatial scales, leading to the use of environmental (e.g. climate, soil, etc.) data in addition to, or in place of, species' occurrence information (Ferrier 2002; see also Faith et al. 2001). The efficiency of such surrogates appears to vary, especially at the finer spatial scales relevant to most conservation planning efforts (see, for example, van Jaarsveld et al. 1998; Moritz et al. 2001; Lund & Rahbeck 2002).
Even where the geographic pattern of species diversity is known or can be predicted from other taxa, species-based conservation plans may be ineffective at capturing genetic diversity within and across species (Crozier 1997; Moritz 2002). In this context, attention has been given to using evolutionary trees to estimate the phylogenetic diversity (PD) (Faith 1992) represented by a given set of species or areas.
2 - Managing and monitoring genetic erosion
- Edited by Andrew G. Young, Division of Plant Industry CSIRO, Canberra, Geoffrey M. Clarke, Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Canberra
-
- Book:
- Genetics, Demography and Viability of Fragmented Populations
- Published online:
- 29 January 2010
- Print publication:
- 12 October 2000, pp 9-34
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
ABSTRACT
Fragmentation, decline or perturbation of a species can lead to genetic changes. Often these changes can have adverse implications for the conservation of the species, but there is a diversity of responses by different species. Therefore, managers must use a variety of methods to detect, avert or remedy genetic changes which actually affect population viability. The objective should be to maintain optimal fitness in changing conditions, rather than to maintain specific arrays of phenotypes. This effort should be accompanied by monitoring of genetic contributions to fitness, to confirm the effectiveness of the conservation genetic strategy. This approach presumes we have the ability to directly or indirectly manipulate and measure adaptive genetic variants, such as many multilocus (quantitative) traits, or a representative array of single-locus traits associated with fitness. Such analyses are challenging, but are becoming more accessible. It is also important to examine the association between adaptive diversity and surrogates which may be more amenable to monitoring or manipulation, such as neutral DNA variants, size or number of populations, or the range of ecological conditions in which populations of the species are found. In evaluating different types of genetic variation and their surrogates, two important points are the replaceability of the variation (that is, how long it would take for the variation to be replaced) and its utility (likely contribution to adaptation).
INTRODUCTION
Biodiversity conservation targets three interdependent levels: ecosystems, species and genes. This chapter will highlight genetic variation within species, an area which is currently experiencing a wealth of new field, laboratory and statistical methods.