ESPM 154: Landscape Genetics

Landscape genetics is an interdisciplinary field that integrates principles from population genetics and landscape ecology to investigate how environmental factors influence genetic variation. This course will examine how landscape heterogeneity affects microevolutionary processes, including gene flow, drift, and selection. We will also explore how landscape genetics can be applied to conservation and land management and the role of genetic diversity in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. Lab exercises will focus on applying spatial analysis to genomic data to quantify the impacts of landscape features on population dynamics and to gain a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between genetics and the environment.