Project: Inference, fragmentation, genomics and conservation

Acronym	INFRAGECO (Reference Number: 138)
Duration	31/12/2016 - 30/12/2019
Project Topic	The global biodiversity crisis that is affecting ecosystems worldwide is a major subject of concern and is expected to worsen with ongoing global changes. Climate change together with other anthropogenic factors will lead to the displacement of many favorable environments in the next decades owing to fast altitudinal and latitudinal shifts, with greatest predicted impacts in "biodiversity hotspots". These shifts will lead to an increase in Habitat Loss and Fragmentation (HL&F), the main threats to Biodiversity worldwide. There is therefore a need to understand the consequences of HL&F, and to identify the barriers to gene flow at various spatial and temporal scales. We will study HL&F in the context of past and future environmental changes, across taxa and regions. I particular, we will (i) identify ancient and recent barriers to gene flow based on genomic datasets, (ii) develop freely available software to study (quantify and date) HL&F events in the recent and ancient past, and (iii) simulate management scenarios of reconnection that increase genetic diversity. We use Madagascar as a model region and (iv) will use comparative genomic analyses to infer generalizable critical features of ecological networks (e.g. invasive Rattus versus endemic Eliurus rodents; small nocturnal Microcebus versus large diurnal Propithecus, humid North-East versus dry Northwest habitats, etc.). We divide the project in six WP which correspond to a) sampling, b) genetic/genomic analyses, c) spatial analysis across habitats with various features, d) spatial simulations and modelling, e) stochastic modelling and inference, and f) dissemination.
Network	BiodivERsA3
Call	BiodivERsA3 Joint Call 2015

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian	Coordinator	Portugal
2	Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse	Partner	France
3	UMR5174 Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique	Partner	France
4	University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover	Partner	Germany