Apply molecular genetics to ecology, conservation, and evolutionary questions
Advances in genetic technology continue to reshape how ecologists study local adaptation, dispersal, phylogeography, behavioural ecology, and conservation biology. Now in its Fourth Edition, Molecular Ecology by Joanna R. Freeland provides an updated account of how molecular biology and population genetics illuminate ecological and evolutionary processes across virtually all taxonomic groups.
This edition incorporates recent references and research developments to reflect the current state of the discipline. Coverage spans environmental change and genetic diversity, landscape genetics, taxonomic classification of communities and prey items, the evolutionary processes associated with invasive species and hybrids, and the evolution of mating systems. Examples and case studies have been selected specifically to engage upper-level undergraduate students with relevant, accessible applications of molecular data.
Readers will also find:
Updated coverage reflecting the latest breakthroughs in molecular ecology research methods and analytical approaches across diverse taxonomic groups Targeted case studies and examples selected to connect molecular genetic concepts with real-world ecological and conservation questions Applications of population genetics principles for understanding dispersal, gene flow, and connectivity among natural populations
Discussions of how environmental change influences genetic diversity within and among populations of plants and animals Accessible presentations of phylogeography, behavioural ecology, and the genetic underpinnings of biological invasions and adaptation
Molecular Ecology serves advanced undergraduate students in molecular ecology and ecological genetics courses, as well as postgraduate students seeking foundational background reading. By connecting molecular genetic data directly to ecological and evolutionary questions, this text prepares readers to interpret and apply genetic approaches in research and conservation practice.
By:
Joanna R. Freeland (Open University UK)
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: 4th edition
ISBN: 9781394410040
ISBN 10: 1394410042
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 15 June 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Preface xi About the Companion Website xiii 1 Genomes and Molecular Markers 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 DNA, RNA, and Proteins 2 1.3 Genomes 4 1.4 Organellar Genomes 7 1.5 Nuclear Genomes 18 1.6 Novel Genotypes: Mutation and Recombination 20 1.7 Epigenetic Marks 22 1.8 RNA and Transcriptomes 26 1.9 Proteins and Proteomics 26 1.10 Commonly Used Methods in Molecular Ecology 28 1.11 Turning PCR into Data 35 1.12 Overview of Genetic Data 44 2 Species and Hybrids 53 2.1 What is a Species? 53 2.2 DNA Barcoding 55 2.3 Metabarcoding 62 2.4 Metagenomics 63 2.5 Environmental DNA (eDNA) 65 2.6 Environmental RNA 73 2.7 Hybrids and Hybrid Zones 74 3 Genetic Analysis of Single Populations 95 3.1 What is a Population? 95 3.2 Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium 97 3.3 Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding 101 3.4 Census Population Size, Effective Population Size, and Number of Breeders 109 3.5 Natural Selection 119 3.6 Reproduction 123 3.7 Life History 126 4 Genetic Differentiation Among Populations 133 4.1 Introduction 133 4.2 Dispersal and Gene Flow 133 4.3 Calculating Genetic Differentiation Among Predefined Populations 137 4.4 What Causes Genetic Differentiation Among Populations 140 4.5 Non-a Priori Estimates of Genetic Differentiation 142 4.6 Assignment Tests 145 4.7 Relatedness and Parentage Analysis 147 4.8 Landscape Genetics 150 4.9 Landscape Genomics 153 4.10 Landscape Transcriptomics 158 4.11 Gene Flow, Adaptation, and Population Differentiation 159 5 Phylogenetics, Phylogeography, and Biological Invasions 167 5.1 Phylogenetics 167\ 5.2 Phylogeography 177 5.3 Biological Invasions 191 6 Conservation Genetics 207 6.1 Species at Risk 207 6.2 Genetic Diversity in Conservation 214 6.3 Inbreeding 226 6.4 Genetic Data and Conservation Management 234 6.5 Conservation Genetics and Conservation Policy 245 7 Behavioral Ecology 257 7.1 Introduction 257 7.2 Dispersal 257 7.3 Migration 262 7.4 Foraging Ecology 269 7.5 Reproductive Behavior 281 References 296 Glossary 303 Index 319
Joanna R. Freeland is a researcher at Trent University, Ontario, Canada, whose past and ongoing research programs use molecular genetic data to address questions related to the conservation genetics of endemic taxa, the evolutionary ecology of invasive taxa, and the maintenance of hybrid zones.
