Apply molecular genetics to ecology, conservation, and evolutionary questions Advances in genetic technology continue to reshape how ecologists study local adaptation, dispersal, phylogeography, behavioural ecology, and conservation biology. Now in its Fourth Edition, Molecular Ecology by Joanna R. Freeland provides an updated account of how molecular biology and population genetics illuminate ecological and evolutionary processes across virtually all taxonomic groups. This edition incorporates recent references and research developments to reflect the current state of the discipline. Coverage spans environmental change and genetic diversity, landscape genetics, taxonomic classification of communities and prey items, the evolutionary processes associated with invasive species and hybrids, and the evolution of mating systems. Examples and case studies have been selected specifically to engage upper-level undergraduate students with relevant, accessible applications of molecular data. Readers will also find: Updated coverage reflecting the latest breakthroughs in molecular ecology research methods and analytical approaches across diverse taxonomic groupsTargeted case studies and examples selected to connect molecular genetic concepts with real-world ecological and conservation questionsApplications of population genetics principles for understanding dispersal, gene flow, and connectivity among natural populationsDiscussions of how environmental change influences genetic diversity within and among populations of plants and animalsAccessible presentations of phylogeography, behavioural ecology, and the genetic underpinnings of biological invasions and adaptationMolecular Ecology serves advanced undergraduate students in molecular ecology and ecological genetics courses, as well as postgraduate students seeking foundational background reading. By connecting molecular genetic data directly to ecological and evolutionary questions, this text prepares readers to interpret and apply genetic approaches in research and conservation practice.
Joanna R. Freeland is a researcher at Trent University, Ontario, Canada, whose past and ongoing research programs use molecular genetic data to address questions related to the conservation genetics of endemic taxa, the evolutionary ecology of invasive taxa, and the maintenance of hybrid zones.
Preface xiAbout the Companion Website xiii1 Genomes and Molecular Markers 11.1 Introduction 11.2 DNA, RNA, and Proteins 21.3 Genomes 41.4 Organellar Genomes 71.5 Nuclear Genomes 181.6 Novel Genotypes: Mutation and Recombination 201.7 Epigenetic Marks 221.8 RNA and Transcriptomes 261.9 Proteins and Proteomics 261.10 Commonly Used Methods in Molecular Ecology 281.11 Turning PCR into Data 351.12 Overview of Genetic Data 442 Species and Hybrids 532.1 What is a Species? 532.2 DNA Barcoding 552.3 Metabarcoding 622.4 Metagenomics 632.5 Environmental DNA (eDNA) 652.6 Environmental RNA 732.7 Hybrids and Hybrid Zones 743 Genetic Analysis of Single Populations 953.1 What is a Population? 953.2 Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium 973.3 Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding 1013.4 Census Population Size, Effective Population Size, and Number of Breeders 1093.5 Natural Selection 1193.6 Reproduction 1233.7 Life History 1264 Genetic Differentiation Among Populations 1334.1 Introduction 1334.2 Dispersal and Gene Flow 1334.3 Calculating Genetic Differentiation Among Predefined Populations 1374.4 What Causes Genetic Differentiation Among Populations 1404.5 Non-a Priori Estimates of Genetic Differentiation 1424.6 Assignment Tests 1454.7 Relatedness and Parentage Analysis 1474.8 Landscape Genetics 1504.9 Landscape Genomics 1534.10 Landscape Transcriptomics 1584.11 Gene Flow, Adaptation, and Population Differentiation 1595 Phylogenetics, Phylogeography, and Biological Invasions 1675.1 Phylogenetics 167\5.2 Phylogeography 1775.3 Biological Invasions 1916 Conservation Genetics 2076.1 Species at Risk 2076.2 Genetic Diversity in Conservation 2146.3 Inbreeding 2266.4 Genetic Data and Conservation Management 2346.5 Conservation Genetics and Conservation Policy 2457 Behavioral Ecology 2577.1 Introduction 2577.2 Dispersal 2577.3 Migration 2627.4 Foraging Ecology 2697.5 Reproductive Behavior 281References 296Glossary 303Index 319