Jerry and MDOSPREY,
    You raise valid questions that I feel should be addressed. In a perfect 
world, we would preserve all of a species' habitat in which case studies of 
genetic diversity would do little to aid the conservation or management of 
the species. But we don't live in a perfect world and increasing development 
combined with limited conservation resources mean we have to pick some areas 
to preserve at the expense of others. This is where studies such as mine 
come in. They can help correctly guide habitat preservation by uncovering 
areas or populations of unique genetic diversity, which is ultimately 
biodiversity. Let me explain. Say you had three birds in danger of 
extinction: a sparrow and two warblers. There were, however, only enough 
conservation resources to attempt to preserve two of these, which would you 
chose? To preserve the most diversity you might make the hard decision of 
choosing the sparrow and one of the warblers instead of both warblers since, 
although saving two warblers would be nice, in saving the sparrow and a 
warbler you would preserve two avian families instead of one. Now, this same 
concept on a finer scale, within species, summarizes the type of thing that 
studies such as mine are trying to do. It is trickier, however, on these 
finer scales because you can't always know (like you know that a sparrow is 
different than a warbler) which populations are most distinct and thus 
targets for management, so you must perform some sort of genetic test. Then 
you can determine to what extent populations such as the unique Delmarva 
populations of Yellow-throated Warbler in Maryland are different, and you 
can place them on a hierarchy of conservation priority. Unfortunately, 
ultimately we will be unable to save everything, but, hopefully, we can make 
the preserves we do save as potent and as packed with diversity as possible, 
so we will have as much as possible to hand down to our children.

For the birds,
Bailey McKay
Auburn University

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gerald & Laura Tarbell" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] YTWA & science


> Specifically the comments of Dave Kidwell & Mark Hoffman --- well said.
>>
>> This is a 'species' that somewhere along the lines of either one
>> species splitting into two or is already further along that path.
>> Studies like this will further our knowledge of Sycamore and
>> Yellow-throated Warblers and enable us to work to both.  I had an
>> electronic conversation with Bailey McKay yesterday, discussing his
>> work and work in 'a long time ago in a galaxy far away' past at
>> William & Mary.  This is important work and cannot wait to read the
>> papers that will come out of this.  I am sure everyone on Osprey will
>> be also anxious to read them also.
>
> All,
>    Mr. Mckay also said:
>    This research is also important in a conservation
>> context because it will help us uncover genetically distinct
>> populations of this bird which is essential for managing its
>> genetic diversity.
>
> I know this may sound a bit dumb, but I've never shied away from being, 
> how
> should we say, deliberately naive. I would like McKay or someone else to
> explain just how studying genetic diversity helps us to know anything but
> what the species is. I have always thought that we benefit species by
> preserving habitat. The bird either has a place to live or it doesn't.
>    On the heels of an apparent success near Blackwater of stemming the 
> tide
> of development, it seems to me that habitat preservation is still the key
> and will always be the key to preserving species. Studying their genes in
> labs tells us little about preserving habitat. It only tells us that this
> species could be split or lumped. Naming species seems entirely a separate
> thing from knowing what its habitat requirements are and how to fight off
> development to preserve it.
>    Could some of you brilliant scientists enlighten the rest of us to how
> taking blood from this turnip and "removing" some of the breeding males 
> will
> tell us how to preserve it?
>    Jerry
> Carroll County
> 
>