High Connectivity and Minimal Genetic Structure Among North American Boreal Owl (Aegolius Funereus) Populations, Regardless of Habitat Matrix

Koopman, Marni E.; Hayward, Gregory D.; McDonald, David B.

doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2007)124[690:hcamgs]2.0.co;2

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 69 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…Habitats highly connected by dispersal may give rise to simple patterns of isolation by distance (e.g. Koopman et al. 2007), strong barriers may impose a discrete subpopulation structure (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inferring landscape effects on gene flow: a new model selection framework

et al. 2010

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Populations in fragmented landscapes experience reduced gene flow, lose genetic diversity over time and ultimately face greater extinction risk. Improving connectivity in fragmented landscapes is now a major focus of conservation biology. Designing effective wildlife corridors for this purpose, however, requires an accurate understanding of how landscapes shape gene flow. The preponderance of landscape resistance models generated to date, however, is subjectively parameterized based on expert opinion or proxy measures of gene flow. While the relatively few studies that use genetic data are more rigorous, frameworks they employ frequently yield models only weakly related to the observed patterns of genetic isolation. Here, we describe a new framework that uses expert opinion as a starting point. By systematically varying each model parameter, we sought to either validate the assumptions of expert opinion, or identify a peak of support for a new model more highly related to genetic isolation. This approach also accounts for interactions between variables, allows for nonlinear responses and excludes variables that reduce model performance. We demonstrate its utility on a population of mountain goats inhabiting a fragmented landscape in the Cascade Range, Washington.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inferring landscape effects on gene flow: a new model selection framework

et al. 2010

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“…Similarly, despite habitat specialization and fragmentation, both the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (steppe specialist) and the North American Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus (mature boreal forest specialist) also show minimal genetic structure and isolation‐by‐distance patterns (Koopman et al . , Alcaide et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene flow connects coastal populations of a habitat specialist, the Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans

Coster

Welsh

Costanzo

et al. 2018

Ibis

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Examining population genetic structure can reveal patterns of reproductive isolation or population mixing and inform conservation management. Some avian species are predicted to exhibit minimal genetic differentiation among populations as a result of the species high mobility, with habitat specialists tending to show greater fine-scale genetic structure. To explore the relationship between habitat specialization and gene flow, we investigated the genetic structure of a saltmarsh specialist with high potential mobility across a wide geographical range of fragmented habitat. Little variation among mitochondrial sequences (620 bp from ND2) was observed among 149 individual Clapper Rails Rallus crepitans sampled along the Atlantic coast of the USA, with the majority of individuals at all sampling sites sharing a single haplotype. Genotyping of nine microsatellite loci across 136 individuals revealed moderate genetic diversity, no evidence of bottlenecks and a weak pattern of genetic differentiation that increased with geographical distance. Multivariate analyses, Bayesian clustering and an AMOVA all suggested a lack of genetic structuring across the Atlantic coast of the USA, with all individuals grouped into a single interbreeding population. Spatial autocorrelation analyses showed evidence of weak female philopatry and a lack of male philopatry. We conclude that high gene flow connecting populations of this habitat specialist may result from the interaction of ecological and behavioural factors that promote dispersal and limit natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity. As climate change threatens saltmarshes, the genetic diversity and population connectivity of Clapper Rails may promote resilience of their populations. This finding helps inform about potential fates of other similarly behaving saltmarsh specialists on the Atlantic coast.

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“…Aggregated distributions can also occur in systems where individuals are highly mobile but show some sort of aggregative behaviour in favoured patches (Sutcliffe et al . 1997; Koopman et al . 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patchy population structure in a short‐distance migrant: evidence from genetic and demographic data

2009

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Species often occur in subdivided populations as a consequence of spatial heterogeneity of the habitat. To describe the spatial organization of ubpopulations, existing theory proposes three main population models: patchy population, metapopulation and isolated populations. These models differ in their predicted levels of connectivity among subpopulations, and in the risk that a subpopulation will go extinct. However, spatially discrete subpopulations are commonly considered to be organized as metapopulations, even though explicit tests of metapopulation assumptions are rare. Here, we test predictions of the three models on the basis of demographic and genetic data, a combined approach so far surprisingly little used in mobile organisms. From 2002 to 2005, we studied nine subpopulations of the wetland-restricted reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) in the southeastern part of the Canton Zurich (Switzerland), from which local declines of this species have been reported. Here, wetlands are as small as 2.7 ha and separated through intensively used agricultural landscapes. Demographic data consisted of dispersal of colour-banded individuals among subpopulations, immigration rates and extinction-/recolonization dynamics. Genetic data were based on the distribution of genetic variability and gene flow among subpopulations derived from the analysis of nine microsatellite loci. Both demographic and genetic data revealed that the patchy population model best described the spatial organization of reed bunting subpopulations. High levels of dispersal among subpopulations, high immigration into the patchy population, and genetic admixture suggested little risk of extinction of both subpopulations and the entire patchy population. This study exemplifies the idea that spatially discrete subpopulations may be organized in ways other than a metapopulation, and hence has implications for the conservation of subpopulations and species. AbstractSpecies often occur in subdivided populations as a consequence of spatial heterogeneity of the habitat. To describe the spatial organization of subpopulations, existing theory proposes three main population models, which predict different levels of connectivity among and extinction risks of subpopulations: patchy population, metapopulation and isolated populations. However, spatially discrete subpopulations are commonly considered to be organized as metapopulations, although explicit tests of metapopulation assumptions are rare.Here, we test predictions of the three models on the basis of demographic and genetic data, a combined approach so far surprisingly little used in mobile organisms. This study exemplifies that spatially discrete subpopulations may be organized in ways other than a metapopulation, which has implications for the conservation of subpopulations and species.Patchy population structure in Reed buntings 3

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High Connectivity and Minimal Genetic Structure Among North American Boreal Owl (Aegolius Funereus) Populations, Regardless of Habitat Matrix

Cited by 16 publications

References 69 publications

Inferring landscape effects on gene flow: a new model selection framework

Inferring landscape effects on gene flow: a new model selection framework

Gene flow connects coastal populations of a habitat specialist, the Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans

Patchy population structure in a short‐distance migrant: evidence from genetic and demographic data

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