ABSTRACT
Harnessing the power of new technologies is a vital component to achieving the global imperative to restore degraded ecosystems. We explored the potential of genomics as one such tool. We aimed to understand the barriers hindering the uptake of genomics, and how to overcome them, via exploratory interviews with leading scholars in both restoration and its sister discipline of conservation – a discipline that has successfully leveraged genomics. We also conducted a systematic mapping review to explore publication trends that have used genomics to address restoration and conservation questions. Our qualitative findings revealed multiple tensions in harnessing genomics. For example, scholars without genomics experience felt pushed to use genomics prematurely. In contrast, scholars with genomics experience emphatically emphasized the need to proceed cautiously. Both genomics-experienced and less-experienced scholars called for case studies to demonstrate the benefits of genomics in restoration. However, our qualitative data contrasted with our systematic mapping review findings, which revealed 70 restoration genomics studies in total, particularly studies using environmental DNA as a monitoring tool. We provide a roadmap to facilitate a more rapid uptake of genomics into restoration, which should help the restoration sector meet the monumental task of restoring huge areas to biodiverse and functional ecosystems.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.