L2-GEN-DIV ESSENTIAL PRESERVATION Level 2 · software

Genetic Diversity Management

Population Genetics and Diversity Management System

The Population Genetics and Diversity Management System is a modeling and planning architecture within the Lunar Ark that determines the minimum sample quotas required for viable species recovery. To preserve adaptive allelic diversity, the system establishes baseline effective population sizes exceeding 50 individuals for short-term viability and 500 for long-term founding potential. Applying these genetic models across a target of 6.7 million species over a 100-year operational lifetime presents severe storage volume constraints, preventing complete population coverage for all taxa. Consequently, the subsystem balances repository capacity by allocating higher sample volumes to genetically complex mammals and birds while reducing sample footprints for simpler asexual organisms.

Population genetics modeling and minimum viable population planning per species

Purpose

Ensure stored genetic material has sufficient diversity for viable population founding

Context

Component of L1-GEN within the Lunar Ark system

Principles

▸Minimum Viable Population (MVP) genetics defines minimum samples for species recovery
▸Effective population size (Ne) must exceed 50 for short-term, 500 for long-term viability
▸Maximizing allelic diversity preserves adaptive potential for future environments
▸Sampling strategy must capture geographic and ecological variation within species

Typical implementations

▸IUCN Red List species assessment and prioritization framework
▸Conservation genetics sampling protocols for zoo breeding programs
▸Frozen Zoo pedigree and genetic diversity tracking databases
▸Population viability analysis (PVA) software tools (Vortex, AlleleRetain)

Lunar considerations

▸6.7M species target requires prioritization - cannot achieve MVP for all species
▸More samples per species needed for genetically complex organisms (mammals, birds)
▸Simpler organisms (bacteria, fungi) can be preserved with fewer samples due to asexual reproduction
▸Diversity management must balance storage space constraints against genetic coverage goals

Specifications

Functional

primary function

Ensure stored genetic material has sufficient diversity for viable population founding

Operational

thermal range c	-173, 127
lifetime years	100

Interfaces

Provides

→Seed Vaultdataessential
Sampling targets and species prioritization for seed collection
→Embryo and Gamete Storagedataessential
MVP requirements for embryo/gamete collection per species