Integrating plasticity into conservation practice: Harnessing genetic estimates of epigenetic potential to study phenotypic plasticity in wild populations

The delineation of conservation units is essential for policy makers to target distinct groups of organisms for bespoke management. Genomic data have revolutionised the delineation of conservation units by enabling the detection of adaptive genetic variation and population structure. However, to date, genomic data have not been harnessed for their potential to identify (and thus preserve) variation in phenotypic plasticity—a major mechanism enabling organisms to tolerate and exploit environmental change. An organism's capacity to express phenotypic plasticity via epigenetic modifications of its genome is termed ‘epigenetic potential’. Here, we outline how variation in specific genomic elements could be used to estimate epigenetic potential and perhaps the capacity for wild animals to express phenotypic plasticity. We highlight case studies suggesting that epigenetic potential is selectively advantageous in environments demanding high phenotypic plasticity. We then outline avenues for future research to validate and leverage epigenetic potential data as a conservation tool to study phenotypic plasticity in wild populations. Policy implications: The development of practical tools to estimate phenotypic plasticity is necessary to foster a more integrative field of conservation science—one that acknowledges the evolutionary significance of genotype, epigenotype, and environment interactions.