Facilitating evolutionary rescue from a wildlife health threat with cross-sectoral strategies: a case study on white-nose syndrome

Evolutionary rescue, the ability of a species to evolve under new selective pressures and rebound from threats, occurs within a social-ecological system. Evolutionary rescue may help wildlife populations persist in the face of extinction threats such as emerging infectious diseases, which are often caused or exacerbated by human activities and are inherently difficult to manage. Effective management of wildlife health often relies upon changing human behavior, and underlying values and social norms. Thus, managing wildlife health requires collaborative, diverse approaches that recognize the complex social-ecological context in which they occur and seek to optimize outcomes for wildlife and human health while improving resiliency of species and ecosystems (i.e., a One Health framework). We pull from our experience with white-nose syndrome, a highly lethal disease of multiple hibernating bat species in North America, to highlight cross-sectoral management strategies that could directly support evolutionary rescue of populations imperiled by disease. We explain how such strategies can buttress or enhance the natural trajectory of evolutionary rescue, providing alternatives to approaches that are reactive and crisis-oriented. Facilitation of evolutionary rescue represents a potential long-term conservation strategy, but the very nature of social-ecological systems means there are significant uncertainties and risks regarding feasibility and outcomes across different contexts. We suggest several proactive strategies to support evolutionary rescue where applicable, including communication and outreach to build public awareness and involvement, policies tailored for conservation and potential recovery, and basic ecological research to support conservation decisions. These highly active, “do more” strategies to promote wildlife health should not be conflated with a laissez-faire management response. Indeed, active management to support the recovery of imperiled bat populations is critical to ensuring their persistence, and the realistic and feasible options we summarize here can substantially reduce long-term extinction risk. We recommend greater cross-sectoral wildlife health investments to capitalize on the power of human-nature partnerships in facilitating evolutionary rescue as a key consideration in conservation of imperiled species.