JP Fontenelle

Multiyear Genotypes of a SBW Outbreak in Canada @ Ecology

Our datapaper of genomic data of eastern Spruce Budworm is finally out at Ecology!

We published a dataset of almost 2000 genotyped individuals of eastern Spruce Budworm (SBW) (Choristoneura fumiferana) sampled during the development of a population outbreak that is inferred to have started in Quebéc/Canada in 2006.

This study comprises the great work of collagues and collaborators led by Dr. Patrick James. We provide genotyped data of sampling efforts across temporal and spatial scales close to the epicentre of a SBW outbreak. The eastern Spruce Budworm is a native lepidopteran (a moth!) from boreal and sub-boreal forests in North America that present natural irruptive outbreak cycles throughout their natural range.

The magnitude of these outbreaks is impressive, and result in multi-million dollar initiatives to mitigate and manage the socioeconomic impacts related to the defoliation that result from these outbreaks. Read more here and here.

In this paper, we provide characterized genotypes for individuals from different locations across the outbreak, in different sampling years. This is a fundamental contribution to conservation biology, management and ecological studies as it provides diversity standard that can aid the future studies and initiatives based on genomic information.

Documenting and investigating genetic variability in systems like this is important due to their complicated demographic variation patterns, that can quickly shuffle genetic diversity and structure from one generation to the other, across and between localities.

I am excited to share this research and contribute to the use of genetic information towards understanding these fascinating systems!

You can find the PDF and data for download here!