Isolated on sky islands: genetic diversity and population structure of an endangered mountain lizard

Hartley, R.; Clemann, Nick; Atkins, Zak S.; Scheele, Benjamin C.; Lindenmayer, David B.; Amor, Michael D.

doi:10.1007/s10592-022-01495-x

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Although not tested, occupied sites tended to be geographically grouped, suggesting populations are localized. This is congruent with the high degree of genetic differentiation and limited admixture observed between populations on Kosciuszko Plateau (Hartley et al, 2023). Such population structuring, along with the small effective population sizes and high inbreeding previously reported, suggest that habitat disturbance could degrade genetic fitness and diversity, leading to population declines (Hartley et al, 2023).…”

Section: Cyclodomorphus Praealtus Occupancysupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Our results extend the species' known distribution, with new populations detected to the north, east and south, as far as 15 km from previously known populations. Recent research has revealed that these newly documented northern and eastern populations are genetically distinct (Hartley et al, 2023), and in combination with being on the edge of their range, are likely to represent important units for conservation management. Despite these new discoveries, we note that the species remains within a highly restricted habitat type that is predicted to contract under a warming climate (Camac et al, 2015; Venn et al, 2019; Verrall & Pickering, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rare but not lost: Endemic mountain lizard occupancy following megafire and grazing disturbances

Hartley,

Blanchard,

Clemann

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

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Wildfire and grazing by invasive herbivores can influence habitat suitability for ground‐dwelling fauna, such as reptiles. Australia has a large and diverse reptile fauna, with the Australian Alps bioregion in the southeast of the continent supporting a disproportionately high number of threatened species. In this bioregion, many species are threatened by fire, habitat loss or modification, and invasive species. The range of one such threatened endemic lizard, Cyclodomorphus praealtus (family Scincidae), was impacted by the 2019–20 megafires and is also subject to widespread grazing by invasive species. We investigated the relationship between C. praealtus site occupancy and fire and grazing. We completed 2045 surveys across 120 sites over 4 years, detecting the species at 43% of sites and increasing the species' known geographic range. Using single season detection occupancy models, we found C. praealtus occupancy was not associated with elevation, vegetation height or whether the site was burnt, but was positively associated with grazing activity. Our results indicate that C. praealtus has the capacity to persist following a single fire in some cases, and that habitats with high occupancy probabilities are subject to high grazing pressure. However, our results do not rule out more nuanced impacts associated with these disturbances, which affect a large proportion of C. praealtus' habitat. Our cumulative detection probability calculations revealed that considerable survey effort is often required to determine C. praealtus site occupancy. We therefore recommend that impact assessments assume species presence within areas of suitable habitat within the species' range. Our study improves our understanding of disturbance impacts on C. praealtus' occupancy, while demonstrating the need for sufficiently resourced impact assessments for cryptic and threatened species.

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Section: Cyclodomorphus Praealtus Occupancysupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rare but not lost: Endemic mountain lizard occupancy following megafire and grazing disturbances

Hartley,

Blanchard,

Clemann

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

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“…The existence of these isolated populations poses a conservation challenge for managers. These isolated populations have most likely differentiated, as those of numerous vertebrates inhabiting sky islands systems ( Barrowclough et al, 2006 ; Browne & Ferree, 2007 ; Hartley et al, 2023 ; Love et al, 2023 ). The degree to which isolated Montezuma quail populations have differentiated deserves investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic variability and population structure of the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) in the northern limit of its distribution

Sánchez-Murrieta,

Macías-Duarte,

Castillo-Gámez

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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Restricted movement among populations decreases genetic variation, which may be the case for the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), a small game bird that rarely flies long distances. In the northern limit of its distribution, it inhabits oak-juniper-pine savannas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Understanding genetic structure can provide information about the demographic history of populations that is also important for conservation and management. The objective of this study was to determine patterns of genetic variation in Montezuma quail populations using nine DNA microsatellite loci. We genotyped 119 individuals from four study populations: Arizona, Western New Mexico, Central New Mexico, and West Texas. Compared to other quail, heterozygosity was low (${\bar H_0}$ = 0.22 ± 0.04) and there were fewer alleles per locus (Ā = 2.41 ± 0.27). The global population genetic differentiation index RST = 0.045 suggests little genetic structure, even though a Bayesian allocation analysis suggested three genetic clusters (K = 3). This analysis also suggested admixture between clusters. Nevertheless, an isolation-by-distance analysis indicates a strong correlation (r = 0.937) and moderate evidence (P = 0.032) of non-independence between geographical and genetic distances. Climate change projections indicate an increase in aridity for this region, especially in temperate ecosystems where the species occurs. In this scenario, corridors between the populations may disappear, thus causing their complete isolation.

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Life on the edge: Considering ecotonal habitat for the conservation of alpine reptile metacommunities

Madani,

Hartley,

Schulz

et al. 2024

Journal for Nature Conservation

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Isolated on sky islands: genetic diversity and population structure of an endangered mountain lizard

Cited by 4 publications

References 84 publications

Rare but not lost: Endemic mountain lizard occupancy following megafire and grazing disturbances

Rare but not lost: Endemic mountain lizard occupancy following megafire and grazing disturbances

Genetic variability and population structure of the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) in the northern limit of its distribution

Life on the edge: Considering ecotonal habitat for the conservation of alpine reptile metacommunities

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