Highways block gene flow and cause a rapid decline in genetic diversity of desert bighorn sheep

Epps, C. W.; Palsboll, PJ; Wehausen, John D.; Roderick, George; Ramey, Rob Roy; McCullough,

doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00804.x

Cited by 435 publications

(409 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Human disturbances of the habitats of terrestrial animals have also been found to be a cause of low genetic variation of populations (e.g. Ernest et al, 2003;Epps et al, 2005;Riley et al, 2006).…”

Section: Population Genetic Differentiation and Mismatch Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic erosion in the snailLittoraria subvittata(Reid, 1986) due to mangrove deforestation

2016

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In tropical coastal ecosystems mangrove forests are important as feeding, spawning, breeding and nursery grounds for many marine species. High human population pressure in coastal areas has led to the loss and deterioration of mangrove habitats. Solar salt production can affect these habitats along the East African coast. Littorinid snails live on mangrove trees, forming an important component of the mangrove ecosystem and have been used as bioindicators of environmental health and community stress. Littoraria subvittata is the most abundant littorinid species in mangroves along the East African coast. Partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences of 298 individuals were used to assess the impact of mangrove deforestation at salt ponds on the genetic diversity and structuring of L. subvittata populations, as well as to infer the demographic history of the species. Nucleotide and haplotype diversities were found to be lower in samples from mangroves at salt ponds than in samples from natural mangroves. The mean nucleotide diversity was 0.049 ± 0.036% and 0.115 ± 0.068% in mangroves at salt ponds and natural mangroves, respectively. The mean haplotype diversity was 0.23 ± 0.14 and 0.50 ± 0.14 in mangroves at salt ponds and natural mangroves, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) detected a significant population structure (Ф st = 0.049; P < 0.0001) for the combined populations. Hierarchical AMOVA detected a significant population genetic structure only between populations from mangroves at salt ponds and natural mangroves (Φ ct = 0.022; P < 0.05), but not between any other groupings. Populations from natural mangrove sites showed a significant genetic structure (Ф st = 0.054, P < 0.0001), while populations from sites at salt ponds could not be differentiated (Ф st = −0.0026, P = 0.64). Reduced effective population size was observed in most samples from mangrove sites at salt ponds compared with natural mangrove. The direction of migrants was mostly from salt ponds to natural mangroves. These results show that salt ponds have a negative impact on the genetic diversity of L. subvittata populations and modify the population's genetic structure.

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Section: Population Genetic Differentiation and Mismatch Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic erosion in the snailLittoraria subvittata(Reid, 1986) due to mangrove deforestation

2016

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“…Loss of genetic connectivity across landscapes can depress genetic diversity and potentially increase extinction risks (Epps et al, 2005;Dixo et al, 2009;Clark et al, 2010;Ernest et al, 2014), so landscape genetics can provide information to help understand and potentially mitigate the effects of land cover change in natural populations (for example, fragmentation, habitat loss, anthropogenic disturbance; Segelbacher et al, 2010). To understand how landscape heterogeneity may impact genetic connectivity within a focal species, researchers typically utilize field studies (for example, habitat selection or occupancy) to develop landscape resistance models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-scale landscape genetics of the American badger (Taxidea taxus): disentangling landscape effects and sampling artifacts in a poorly understood species

Kierepka

Latch

2015

Heredity

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Landscape genetics is a powerful tool for conservation because it identifies landscape features that are important for maintaining genetic connectivity between populations within heterogeneous landscapes. However, using landscape genetics in poorly understood species presents a number of challenges, namely, limited life history information for the focal population and spatially biased sampling. Both obstacles can reduce power in statistics, particularly in individual-based studies. In this study, we genotyped 233 American badgers in Wisconsin at 12 microsatellite loci to identify alternative statistical approaches that can be applied to poorly understood species in an individual-based framework. Badgers are protected in Wisconsin owing to an overall lack in life history information, so our study utilized partial redundancy analysis (RDA) and spatially lagged regressions to quantify how three landscape factors (Wisconsin River, Ecoregions and land cover) impacted gene flow. We also performed simulations to quantify errors created by spatially biased sampling. Statistical analyses first found that geographic distance was an important influence on gene flow, mainly driven by fine-scale positive spatial autocorrelations. After controlling for geographic distance, both RDA and regressions found that Wisconsin River and Agriculture were correlated with genetic differentiation. However, only Agriculture had an acceptable type I error rate (3-5%) to be considered biologically relevant. Collectively, this study highlights the benefits of combining robust statistics and error assessment via simulations and provides a method for hypothesis testing in individual-based landscape genetics.

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“…The extent of desert tortoise suitable habitat outside tortoise conservation areas in higher conservation value lands that would be lost varies considerably based on slope angle, from 90,103 ha (,1%) to over 1 M ha (,5%). The location of many of the areas at risk are in flat valleys which often connect existing conservation lands for wide-ranging species like desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) [38].…”

Section: Ecoregional Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Approach to Enhance the Conservation-Compatibility of Solar Energy Development

Cameron¹,

Cohen²,

Morrison³

2014

Solar Energy

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The rapid pace of climate change poses a major threat to biodiversity. Utility-scale renewable energy development (.1 MW capacity) is a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but development of those facilities also can have adverse effects on biodiversity. Here, we examine the synergy between renewable energy generation goals and those for biodiversity conservation in the 13 M ha Mojave Desert of the southwestern USA. We integrated spatial data on biodiversity conservation value, solar energy potential, and land surface slope angle (a key determinant of development feasibility) and found there to be sufficient area to meet renewable energy goals without developing on lands of relatively high conservation value. Indeed, we found nearly 200,000 ha of lower conservation value land below the most restrictive slope angle (,1%); that area could meet the state of California's current 33% renewable energy goal 1.8 times over. We found over 740,000 ha below the highest slope angle (,5%) -an area that can meet California's renewable energy goal seven times over. Our analysis also suggests that the supply of high quality habitat on private land may be insufficient to mitigate impacts from future solar projects, so enhancing public land management may need to be considered among the options to offset such impacts. Using the approach presented here, planners could reduce development impacts on areas of higher conservation value, and so reduce trade-offs between converting to a green energy economy and conserving biodiversity.

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Highways block gene flow and cause a rapid decline in genetic diversity of desert bighorn sheep

Cited by 435 publications

References 56 publications

Genetic erosion in the snailLittoraria subvittata(Reid, 1986) due to mangrove deforestation

Genetic erosion in the snailLittoraria subvittata(Reid, 1986) due to mangrove deforestation

Fine-scale landscape genetics of the American badger (Taxidea taxus): disentangling landscape effects and sampling artifacts in a poorly understood species

An Approach to Enhance the Conservation-Compatibility of Solar Energy Development

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