Episode 5: Wolf genetics and ecology with Astrid Vik Stronen
In this episode of Raincoast Radio’s Of Wolves and Women, conservation biologist and genetics researcher Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen discusses her journey into wildlife research and conservation, beginning with her early passion for ecology and evolving into a focus on wildlife genetics and genomics.
From tracking wolves through the dense forests and rolling hills of Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba to analysing hundreds of wolf scats collected in the coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia, Astrid offers captivating insights and stories from both the field and the lab.
Delving into the fascinating world of conservation genetics, we explore an innovative and rapidly expanding field that enables researchers to track and understand wild animals, often with minimal disturbance. Astrid explains that by collecting hair, scats, and other genetic materials, we can create genetic profiles for individual animals, which allow us to assess relatedness among pack members, inbreeding levels, population structure, and even disease movement.
She also emphasizes the critical need to preserve genetic diversity and understand how wolves and other wildlife are adapting to the challenges posed by human disturbance and rapid environmental change.
“Some of the key work that we do in conservation genetics is looking at, for example, inbreeding levels — are they increasing? Are there population structures and what may explain such population structures? Is it that they, for example, are isolated because of a lot of human development or because of ecological factors? [When] animals get isolated because of human development, and you have small populations that are increasingly experiencing loss of genetic variation, they will be less able to evolve when new environmental challenges come, like climate change.”
Astrid Vik Stronen
Dr. Astrid Vik Stronen is a wildlife biologist and researcher in conservation genetics and ecology, primarily working on wolves and other larger carnivores. Recent research projects include genomic analyses of wild species and threatened domestic breeds in Europe and Canada, including wolves, golden jackals, bears, European bison, Mediterranean monk seals, and native cattle and dog breeds at risk.
Astrid is interested in contemporary evolution resulting from human activities, and how we can best preserve wild species and their habitats in the face of rapid environmental change. She also has a strong interest in applied conservation genetics, and in projects that integrate ecology, evolution, and conservation and connect these fields to human dimensions including ethics and human-wildlife interactions.
Since 2018, Astrid has been living and working in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as part of the “ekozivali” (animal ecology) group at the University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty, and she is also a co-founder and researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty’s spin-out company DivjaLabs. During the past years she has had the chance to participate in several research and conservation projects in Slovenia and beyond, and she appreciates the opportunities to continue to get to know this beautiful and biodiverse region.
Additional resources
- Astrid Vik Stronen’s research
- The relevance of genetic structure in ecotype designation and conservation management (2022)
- Population genetic structure of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in a marine archipelago suggests island-mainland differentiation consistent with dietary niche (2014)
- Canid hybridization: Contemporary evolution in human‐modified landscapes (2012)
- WOLFNESS – Biodiversa+
- Films featuring Gudrun Pflüger
- Learn more about our Wolf Conservation Program
Topics discussed
[00:35] – Astrid’s introduction
[01:20] – Earlier experiences that led to working with wildlife
[03:00] – Master’s degree with Stephen Herrero and Paul Paquet
[04:05] – Translocation of the Telkwa caribou herd
[05:10] – Interesting findings of caribou study
[06:30] – What led you to pursue the field of conservation genetics?
[07:45] – Genetic profiles of animals
[10:35] – Riding Mountain National Park
[12:10] – Understanding the extent of wolf movement and isolation
[14:05] – Why is it important to study disease and parasites in wildlife?
[16:10] – Remembering Gudrun Pflüger
[19:00] – Genetic structure of coastal wolves in British Columbia
[21:25] – Unique lifestyle of coastal wolves
[22:35] – Conservation implications and preserving wolf culture
[24:00] – Challenges of finding quality scat samples
[26:30] – Wolf ecotypes and ecotype designation
[31:00] – Wolf ecotypes present in British Columbia
[32:45] – Who are these wolves?
[33:20] – The link between climate change and ecotypes
[34:45] – Incorporating the ecotype concept into policy
[36:00] – Canid hybridization
[39:20] – Conservation strategies and preserving the ecological role
[41:25] – Bioacoustic detection of wolves
[45:45] – Hybridization between wolves and dogs
[46:50] – A Biodiversa project called Wolfness
[47:30] – Wolf population structure and movements within Europe
[48:45] – Gene flow of the golden jackal in Europe
[50:00] – Wolf recolonization in northern and western Europe
[52:50] – Wolves being seen with more ecological nuance
[53:55] – Bridging ecology and genetics
[54:50] – The importance of persistence
[55:25] – Advice to young women and girls
About Raincoast Radio
Raincoast Radio is created by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. It is produced by Sofia Osborne with additional audio editing by Oumar Salifou. Fact checking by the Raincoast team. The wolf photo in the podcast art is by Mark Williams. Music by Crypt-of-Insomnia and Luca Francini.
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