Group projects provide the opportunity for students from different institutions to work as a group, under the guidance of one or more faculty leaders, on addressing a significant research question in landscape genetics. The ultimate aim is to produce a manuscript that can be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Group projects are a two-term commitment. First term will be focused on completing initial analysis, report, and presenting these results to the class. Synthesis meeting and second term will focus on completing the research and turning the report into a publishable manuscript. NOTE: Post-docs and professionals taking the course are welcome and encouraged to apply to group projects, but graduate students will be given priority if we get more applicants than projects can accommodate.
Group projects are a two-term commitment. The first term will be focused on completing initial analysis (‘pilot project’), summary report, and presenting these results to the class. Starting with the synthesis meeting in May, the second term will focus on completing the research and turning the report into a publishable manuscript.
Group projects responsibilities in term 1 are:
1) Regular meetings as a group, required attendance at weekly meeting at set time (times are listed with the group project). Groups should have their first meeting by February 6.
2) Regular meetings and communication with faculty mentor(s) on research status, student needs, and overall progress.
3) RESEARCH PLAN (due February 25). The research plan will include a) overall scientific question(s), b) research to be completed by end of term, and c) clear identification of individual responsibilities in the project. Please consult this example of a research plan from the 2016 DGS. Submit to Bill Peterman (Peterman.73@osu.edu)
4) PROGRESS REPORT (complete introduction, methods, results thus far and plan for completion). Due April 1.
5) PRESENTATION. Presentation of research results by the group on April 29 in class.
6) REPORT. Written report in manuscript style (introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion). Due May 6. Submit your report to Bill Peterman (Peterman.73@osu.edu)
7) You may have additional requirements for grading at your local institution. Please talk with your local instructors, who are also responsible for grading.
All group project participants are asked to complete this contract and send it to your group leader.
Synthesis Meeting
Depending on availability of funding, approximately two students from each project will be invited to the synthesis meeting. To be considered for the synthesis meeting, students must apply. Applications are due March 11 (more details to come). Selection will be based on: 1) contribution to the group project, 2) commitment to completing a manuscript based on the group project, and 3) potential impact on the student’s career. Please submit your application HERE.
[FORTHCOMING]
Links to descriptions of the projects for DGS 2026, including the group meeting times and lists of relevant background references, will be provided below.
If you have questions about overall group projects (assignments, deadlines, synthesis meeting application, etc) please contact Bill Peterman (peterman.73@osu.edu). Questions about your specific group project, please email the primary contact for that project.
*** LINK TO PROJECT INTEREST SURVEY ***
Project 1 — Herbivore & Climate effect on Viola cheiranthifolia [Thursday: 7am PT; 10am EST]
Project 2 — Genomics of mallard ducks [Tuesday: 12:30pm PT; 3:30pm EST]
Project 3 — Species richness and genetic diversity [TBD]
Project 4 — Spatially-explicit effective population size of Black brant [Wednesday: 11am PT; 2pm EST]
Project 5 — Evolutionary rescue in salmonid fishes [Wednesday: 12pm PT; 3pm EST]
Project 6 — Freshwater fish macrogenetics [Thursday: 9am PT; 12pm EST]
Project 7 — Multiscale resistance surface estimation [Thursday: 8am PT; 11am EST]
Each group will have a total of 10 minutes, ~8 for presentation, ~2 for questions. Presentations will start at 8:30 PDT after a very brief introduction.
Group presentations will run ~90 minutes. There will be no local group discussion and we will move directly into 30 minutes for the plenary discussion.
Please prepare a conference style presentation with background, your overall questions or objectives, methods, current results, current discussion, and future steps. Powerpoint is the preferred platform for group presentations. Please minimize / avoid animations.
We recommend multiple practice sessions, including one with your mentors, before class to help things run smoothly.
Pick one speaker per group with at least 1 back-up to take over (2 if possible).
Make sure speaker and back up(s) test their tech in advance, have a good mic, are in a quiet place and have a stable internet connection.
Send in slides by 11:59pm EST on April 28 to peterman.73@osu.edu; Slides will be advanced remotely.
As part of the synthesis meeting, we will be conducting Peer Review of project reports. Upload your reports for peer review HERE by TBD.
The publications below are the outcome of group projects from previous years:
Alshwairikh YA, Kroeze SL, Olsson J, Stephens‐Cardenas SA, Swain WL, Waits L P, Horn RL, Narum SR, Seaborn T. (2021). Influence of environmental conditions at spawning sites and migration routes on adaptive variation and population connectivity in Chinook salmon. Ecology and Evolution. 11:16890–16908.
Parsley MB, Torres ML, Banerjee SM, Tobias ZJC, Goldberg CS, Murphy MA, Mims MC. (2020). Multiple lines of genetic inquiry reveal effects of local and landscape factors on an amphibian metapopulation. Landscape Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00948-y
Nathan LR, Mamoozadeh N, Tumas HR, Gunselman S, Klass K, Metcalfe A, Edge C, Waits LP, Spruell P, Lowery E, Connor E, Bearlin AR, Fortin M-J, Landguth E (2019) A spatially-explicit, individual-based demogenetic simulation framework for evaluating hybridization dynamics. Ecological Modelling 401: 40-51.
Seaborn T, Hauser SS, Konrade L, Waits LP, Goldberg CS (2019) Landscape genetic inferences vary with sampling scenario for a pond-breeding amphibian. Ecology and Evolution 9: 5063-5078.
Peterman WE, Winiarski KJ, Moore CE, et al. (2019) A comparison of popular approaches to optimize landscape resistance surfaces. Landscape Ecology 34: 2197–2208.
Billerman S, Jesmer J, Watts A, Schlichting P, Micheletti S, Bergamini R, Fortin M-J, Funk WC, Hapeman P, Muths E, Murphy (2019) Testing theoretical metapopulation conditions with genotypic data: an amphibian case study. Canadian Journal of Zoology 97:1042-1053.
Franckoviak RP, Panasci MP, Jarvis KJ, Acuña-Rodriguez IS, Landguth EL, Fortin M-J, Wagner HH (2017) Model selection with multiple regression on distance matrices leads to incorrect inferences. PLoS ONE 12: e0175194.
Zero V, Barocas A, Jochimsen D, Pelletier A, Giroux-Bougard X, Trumbo D, Castillo J, Evans Mack D, Linnell M, Pigg R, Hoisington-Lopez J, Spear S, Murphy M, Waits LP (2017) Complementary network-based approaches for exploring genetic structure and functional connectivity in two vulnerable, endemic ground squirrels. Frontiers in Genetics 8: 81.
Talbot B, Chen T-W, Zimmerman S, Joost S, Eckert AJ, Crow TM, Semizer-Cuming D, Seshadri C, Manel S (2017) Combining Genotype, Phenotype, and Environment to Infer Potential Candidate Genes. Journal of Heredity 108: 207-216.
Forester BR, Jones MR, Joost S, Landguth EL, Lasky JR (2016) Detecting spatial genetic signatures of local adaptation in heterogeneous landscapes. Molecular Ecology 25: 104-120.
Zeller KA, Creech TG K.L. Millette KL, Crowhurst RS, Long RA, Wagner HH, Balkenhol N, Landguth EL (2016) Using simulations to evaluate Mantel‐based methods for assessing landscape resistance to gene flow. Ecology and Evolution 6: 4115-4128.
Watts AG, Schlichting PE, Billerman SM, Jesmer BR, Micheletti S, Fortin M-J, Funk WC, Hapeman P, Muths E, Murphy MA (2015) How spatio-temporal habitat connectivity affects amphibian genetic structure. Frontiers in Genetics 6: 275.
DiLeo MF, Siu JC, Rhodes MK, López‐Villalobos A, Redwine A, Ksiazek K, Dyer RJ (2014) The gravity of pollination: integrating at‐site features into spatial analysis of contemporary pollen movement. Molecular Ecology 23: 3973-3982.
Caplins SA, Gilbert KJ, Ciotir C, Roland J, Matter SF, Keyghobadi N (2014) Landscape structure and the genetic effects of a population collapse. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 281: 20141798.
Bothwell H, Bisbing S, Therkildsen NO, Crawford L, Alvarez N, Manel S (2013) Identifying genetic signatures of selection in a non-model species, alpine gentian (Gentiana nivalis L.), using a landscape genetic approach. Conservation Genetics 14: 467-481.
Jones MR*, Forester BR*, Teufel AI, Adams RV, Anstett DN, Goodrich BA, Joost S, Manel S (2013) Integrating landscape genomics and spatially explicit approaches to detect loci under selection in clinal populations. Evolution 67: 3455-3468. *These authors contributed equally.
Naujokaitis-Lewis IR, Rico Y, Lovell J, Fortin MJ, Murphy MA (2013) Implications of incomplete networks on estimation of landscape genetic connectivity. Conservation Genetics 14: 287-298.
Blair C, Weigel DE, Balazik M, Keeley ATH, Walker FM, Balkenhol N, Landguth EL, Cushman SA, Murphy M, Waits LP (2012) A simulation-based evaluation of methods for inferring linear barriers to gene flow. Molecular Ecology Resources 12:822-833.
Graves TA, Wasserman T, Ribeiro MC, Landguth EL, Spear SF, Balkenhol N, Higgins CB, Fortin M-J, SA Cushman, LP Waits (2012) The influence of landscape characteristics and home-range size on the quantification of landscape-genetics relationships. Landscape Ecology 27: 253-266.
Landguth EL, Fedy BC, Oyler‐McCance S, Garey AL, Emel SL, Mumma M, Wagner HH, Fortin M-J, Cushman SA (2012) Effects of sample size, number of markers, and allelic richness on the detection of spatial genetic pattern. Molecular Ecology Resources 12: 276-284.