Grant: Canada Research Chairs

It is being increasingly recognized that evolutionary principles can provide profound insights into the conservation of biodiversity. The objective of the Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Applied Evolutionary Ecology is to contribute to this emerging research area by using evolutionary perspectives to understand the effects of anthropogenic activities on biodiversity, and where appropriate, to offer strategies to mitigate conservation challenges. The CRC is focused on two themes. First, captive populations are subject to unique ecological and evolutionary pressures that can have impacts on biodiversity. Whether in the context of domesticated populations that have impacts on their wild relatives, or populations kept for future reintroductions, selection in the captive environment is altered relative to the the natural environment. Second, anthropogenic activities including urbanization and forestry alter ecological contexts, leading to changes in patterns of selection that can have evolutionary consequences.