Reproductive Strategies for Addressing Genetic Diversity in Canadian Cattle and Bison

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A loss of genetic diversity may be a major problem facing domestic breeds of livestock, such as Canadian Holstein cattle, and wild indigenous species such as wood bison. In domestic livestock, the emphasis on a few breeds or genetic lines within breeds, to satisfy the demands of the market, intensifies the problem. In Canada's threatened wood bison, a lack of genetic diversity is a consequence of historical over-harvesting and endemic diseases transmitted from cattle. This workshop will bring together experts from industry, government, and academia to determine if inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity really are a cause for concern. It will also identify risks associated with a loss of diversity and create strategies and guidelines to initiate the maintenance of diversity among species such as Canada's Holstein and wood bison. Lastly, participants will identify technologies that may be required to monitor and prevent loss of diversity, and create new research partnerships on reproductive strategies to address this situation.