Population Genomics

Population genomics can be used to answer critical questions about the spread of the MPB epidemic. In particular, queries about beetle population structure and dispersal: Where did the MPB outbreak population originate? Was there a single immigration event into that region? How related are the MPB populations that are found in various ecoregions of western Canada?

These questions, in turn, raise other important concerns about the fungal associates that are vectored by MPB, and who are largely responsible for the mortality of MPB-infested pines: What fungal species are associated with MPB in new outbreak populations? What is their distribution? Are there genetic interactions between fungal strains and beetles and/or pine? Answers to these questions may provide important insights for predicting MPB spread across different regions of western Canada and potentially eastwards into Canada’s vast boreal forest.

We propose to use genomics and landscape genetic analyses to determine population structures for MPB, their fungal associates, and their pine hosts in British Columbia and Alberta. We hope to identify patterns of spatial genetic structure at each taxonomic level, and determine what genetic interactions exist between the partners in this complex relationship. This information is critical to informing any regionally-specific risk assessment strategy.