Sara Souther

I am interested in how the genetic background of native plant populations affects demographic and evolutionary response to anthropogenic change, with the ultimate goal of using this information to inform conservation strategies that successfully preserve biodiversity in a changing world.

Climate change is occurring rapidly, and warming is expected to continue even if measures are enacted to curb carbon emissions. The unprecedented pace of contemporary climate change, in conjunction with highly fragmented landscapes, may render many species unable to respond spatially and genetically to climate change. For those species threatened with extinction, whether due to narrow range breadth or adaptations to local climatic conditions, persistence may be contingent on human assistance. Managed relocation is a proposed method to transport species, populations, or propagules to higher latitudes or elevations to track the climatic conditions to which they are adapted.

While managed relocation is a frequently cited conservation measure for preserving biodiversity as global temperatures rise, few tests of managed relocation have been conducted, and relatively little is known about the efficacy and replicability of this technique. Scientific evaluation of managed relocation must occur quickly, or we may face additional extinctions due to poorly executed relocations. For my current research, I am performing managed relocation of American ginseng plants, seeds, and pollen to examine two fundamental questions: 1) Does genetic specialization of populations affect the success of managed relocation? 2) Does genetic mixing between individuals introduced by managed relocation and individuals of extant populations affect the fitness of subsequent generations?