Sample interview questions: How would you approach studying the impacts of human disturbance on wildlife population connectivity and gene flow?
Sample answer:
Approaching the Study of Human Disturbance Impacts on Wildlife PopulationConnectivity and Gene Flow
1. Identify and Quantify Disturbance:
- Conduct surveys to assess the nature, intensity, and spatial extent of human activities (e.g., infrastructure, urbanization, agriculture).
- Utilize remote sensing and GIS to map affected habitats and landscape connectivity.
- Quantify disturbance metrics such as noise levels, light pollution, and traffic volume.
2. Gather Baseline Data on Population Genetics and Structure:
- Collect genetic samples (e.g., DNA from scat, hair, or tissue) from individuals within the affected populations.
- Conduct genetic analyses to estimate population size, genetic diversity, and gene flow patterns (e.g., using microsatellites or SNPs).
- Establish baseline data on connectivity and gene flow to compare against post-disturbance conditions.
3. Monitor Changes in Population Genetics and Structure:
- Track genetic changes over time using long-term monitoring programs.
- Assess changes in population size, genetic diversity, and gene flow in response to human disturbance.
- Identify genetic signatures of bottlenecks, fragme… Read full answer