Next generation restoration genetics: Applications and opportunities

Abstract

Restoration ecology is a young scientific discipline underpinning improvements in the rapid global expansion of ecological restoration. The application of molecular tools over the past 20 years has made an important contribution to understanding genetic factors influencing ecological restoration success. Here we illustrate how recent advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) methods are revolutionising the practical contribution of genetics to restoration. Novel applications include a dramatically enhanced capacity to measure adaptive variation for optimal seed sourcing, high-throughput assessment and monitoring of natural and restored biological communities aboveground and belowground, and gene expression analysis as a measure of genetic resilience of restored populations. Challenges remain in data generation, handling and analysis, and how best to apply NGS for practical outcomes in restoration.