Genetic Tools for Wildlife Conservation: Towards Science Based Management

Section: Zoology

Responsible staff: Alain Frantz, Alexander Weigand

Research strategy: Understanding and Preserving Nature, Society and Natural History

Conservation genetics provides powerful tools to support the science‑based management of wild animal populations. Analysing genetic diversity, population structure and hybridisation makes it possible to assess the conservation status of species, identify populations at risk and detect genetic threats such as inbreeding or introgression from non‑native taxa.

Using genetic and genomic approaches, this work helps define conservation priorities, guide reintroduction and translocation efforts, and inform policy and management decisions. The demographic history of populations is also explored to better understand their current status and resilience. This research directly contributes to the development of targeted and effective conservation actions grounded in scientific evidence.

Recent publications :

Tapolczai, K., Chonova, T., Fidlerová, D., Makovinská, J., Mora, D., Weigand, A., & Zimmermann, J. (2024). Molecular metrics to monitor ecological status of large rivers: Implementation of diatom DNA metabarcoding in the Joint Danube Survey 4. Ecological Indicators, 160, 111883.

Leese, F., Woppowa, L., Bálint, M., Höss, S., Krehenwinkel, H., Lötters, S., ... & Züghart, W. (2023). DNA-basierte Biodiversitätsanalysen im Natur-und Umweltschutz: Welche Optionen haben wir für eine Standardisierung?: eine Handlungsempfehlung aus Forschung und Praxis.

Leese, F., Woppowa, L., Bálint, M., Höss, S., Krehenwinkel, H., Lötters, S., Meissner, K., Nowak, C., Rausch, P., Rduch, V., Rulik, B., Weigand, A. M., Zimmermann, J., Koschorreck, J., Züghart, W., & Naturschutz, B. F. (2025). DNA-based biodiversity analyses in nature conservation and environmental protection: What options do we have for standardisation? https://doi.org/10.19217/skr755

Pont, D., Meulenbroek, P., Bammer, V., Dejean, T., Erős, T., Jean, P., ... & Valentini, A. (2023). Quantitative monitoring of diverse fish communities on a large scale combining eDNA metabarcoding and qPCR. Molecular Ecology Resources, 23(2), 396-409.

Schleimer, A., Frantz, A. C., Richart, L., Mehnert, J., Semiadi, G., Wirdateti, ... & Drygala, F. (2023). Conservation prioritisation through genomic reconstruction of demographic histories applied to two endangered suids in the Malay Archipelago. Diversity and Distributions, 29(6), 713-726.

Blancher, P., Lefrançois, E., Rimet, F., Vasselon, V., Argillier, C., Arle, J., ... & Bouchez, A. (2022). A strategy for successful integration of DNA-based methods in aquatic monitoring. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, 6, 215-226.

Herrera-Mesías, F., Bause, C., Ogan, S., Burger, H., Ayasse, M., Weigand, A. M., & Eltz, T. (2022). Double-blind validation of alternative wild bee identification techniques: DNA metabarcoding and in vivo determination in the field. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 93, 189-214.

Herrera-Mesías, F., Jarboui, I. K. E., & Weigand, A. M. (2022). A metabarcoding framework for wild bee assessment in Luxembourg. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 94, 215-246.

Pawlowski, J., Bruce, K., Panksep, K., Aguirre, F. I., Amalfitano, S., Apothéloz-Perret-Gentil, L., ... & Fazi, S. (2022). Environmental DNA metabarcoding for benthic monitoring: A review of sediment sampling and DNA extraction methods. Science of the Total Environment, 818, 151783.

Schleimer, A., Richart, L., Drygala, F., Casabianca, F., Maestrini, O., Weigand, H., ... & Frantz, A. C. (2022). Introgressive hybridisation between domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and endemic Corsican wild boars (S. s. meridionalis): effects of human-mediated interventions. Heredity, 128(4), 279-290.

Weigand, H., Cross Lopez de Llergo, J., & Frantz, A. C. (2022). Genomic basis for an informed conservation management of Pelophylax water frogs in Luxembourg. Ecology and Evolution, 12(4), e8810.

Frantz, A. C., Viglino, A., Wilwert, E., Cruz, A. P., Wittische, J., Weigand, A. M., ... & Pir, J. B. (2022). Conservation by trans-border cooperation: population genetic structure and diversity of Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus) at its north-western European range edge. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31(3), 925-948.

Blackman, R. C., Altermatt, F., Foulquier, A., Lefébure, T., Gauthier, M., Bouchez, A., ... & Datry, T. (2021). Unlocking our understanding of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams with genomic tools. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 19(10), 574-583.

Weigand, A. M., Desquiotz, N., Weigand, H., & Szucsich, N. (2021). Application of propylene glycol in DNA-based studies of invertebrates. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, 5, e57278.

Drygala, F., Rode-Margono, J., Semiadi, G., Wirdateti, & Frantz, A. C. (2020). Evidence of hybridisation between the common Indonesian banded pig (Sus scrofa vitattus) and the endangered Java warty pig (Sus verrucosus). Conservation Genetics, 21, 1073-1078.