This $413,621 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports research by the Regents of the University of California at Riverside (UC Riverside) to investigate the genomic diversity of brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in the lower 48 states over the last 200 years. The project aims to better understand the impacts of past population declines and conservation management actions on the genetic health of brown bear populations. Specifically, the researchers will develop new genetic tools to rapidly sequence and identify individual bears using non-invasive samples. They will analyze historical and contemporary population genomic data in conjunction with life history data collected by conservation partners to assess the effects of past translocations and population bottlenecks. This research is expected to yield insights into how small wildlife populations can persist and provide a genomics-based database to support future population monitoring and management efforts.
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