Koa (Acacia koa) is a dominant tree species that is endemic to Hawaii. Because of its economic value, as well as human development, this species has declined considerably and is now the target of restoration and management efforts to ensure its future. In collaboration with Jessica Wright and Christina Liang at the US Forest Service, we are using genomic tools to assess population structure and local adaptation in koa. Results from our work will help inform seed planting guidelines and potential vulnerabilities to future environmental change (Gugger et al. 2018 Evol. Appl.; Dudley et al. 2017).

Bats are threatened by wind turbine development and an invasive fungus leading to white nose syndrome. In collaboration with Dave Nelson, Ed Gates, and Juliet Nagel, we are assessing resulting changes in genetic diversity and inferring migration routes to better understand the resilience of bat populations and guide management decisions. Funding is provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.