Conservation genetics uses a combination of ecology, molecular biology, population genetics, mathematical modeling, and evolutionary taxonomy (the study of family relationships). It is both a basic and an applied science. First, scientists must understand the genetic relationships among the organisms they're studying. Then wildlife managers use techniques to preserve biological diversity in these species.
The organisms that conservation geneticists study usually belong to endangered or threatened populations. To develop ways to help these populations, scientists ask two questions: What has brought these populations to the brink of extinction, and what steps can we take to reverse this trend? Information about the genetic diversity of the organisms under study helps scientists and managers form strategies to preserve and protect the diversity of plants and animals worldwide.
Past conservation efforts have addressed populations from a mathematical, evolutionary, or taxonomic point of view. Modern efforts include genetic studies, giving conservation scientists and ecological managers much more information about the diversity among the individuals in a population. Without genetics, we may conserve the wrong population or waste valuable resources on a population that isn't endangered!