GINAMO workshop on genetic diversity indicators in France Paris, 7 February 2025 REPORT

GINAMO Genetic Indicators for Nature Monitoring uses existing open access genetic and non-genetic data (including Earth observation data) to best determine accurate estimates of the two genetic diversity indicators of the GBF: 1) the proportion of populations within species with an effective population size (Ne) greater than 500 (Ne 500 hereafter), and 2) the proportion of populations  maintained within species. To maximise the implementation and reporting of these indicators, GINAMO designs, facilitates, and scientifically evaluates co-creation processes between scientists and country stakeholders in France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Belgium. These processes aim to collaboratively develop workflows that are scientifically sound, appropriate, compliant with policy and easy-to-implement for nature management.

 

GINAMO focuses on generating best practices for assessing effective population size and evaluating genetic indicators from both DNA-based data and non-DNA (proxy) data from multiple sources. Additionally, GINAMO evaluates how satellite Earth observation data can be used to generate proxies to monitor genetic diversity. Workflows for existing and newly generated information will be standardised to provide easily accessible tools for researchers, nature managers and policy makers. GINAMO activities follow a co-creation approach under professional guidance by the European Regional Resource Center of the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group and with scientific evaluation by social scientists, so that methods and products are produced together by policy makers, nature managers, and scientists.

 

The workshops organised by GINAMO in collaboration with local country stakeholders serve to create input to the best practice guidelines that will be produced. In order to make these as user friendly and as relevant as possible, it is important to understand the realities in which various stakeholders operate, and to understand the challenges they experience from their perspective. The challenges identified during the workshops will inform the work of the various work packages within GINAMO, when developing the science and methods behind the use of genetic indicators.