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Kovach AI, Cheeseman AE, Cohen JB, Rittenhouse CD, Whipps CM. Separating Proactive Conservation from Species Listing Decisions. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 70:710-729. [PMID: 36100759 PMCID: PMC9470069 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01713-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Proactive Conservation is a paradigm of natural resource management in the United States that encourages voluntary, collaborative efforts to restore species before they need to be protected through government regulations. This paradigm is widely used to conserve at-risk species today, and when used in conjunction with the Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts (PECE), it allows for successful conservation actions to preclude listing of species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Despite the popularity of this paradigm, and recent flagship examples of its use (e.g., greater sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus), critical assessments of the outcomes of Proactive Conservation are lacking from the standpoint of species status and recovery metrics. Here, we provide such an evaluation, using the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis), heralded as a success of Proactive Conservation efforts in the northeastern United States, as a case study. We review the history and current status of the species, based on the state of the science, in the context of the Conservation Initiative, and the 2015 PECE decision not to the list the species under the ESA. In addition to the impacts of the PECE decision on the New England cottontail conservation specifically, our review also evaluates the benefits and limits of the Proactive Conservation paradigm more broadly, and we make recommendations for its role in relation to ESA implementation for the future of at-risk species management. We find that the status and assurances for recovery under the PECE policy, presented at the time of the New England cottontail listing decision, were overly optimistic, and the status of the species has worsened in subsequent years. We suggest that use of PECE to avoid listing may occur because of the perception of the ESA as a punitive law and a misconception that it is a failure, although very few listed species have gone extinct. Redefining recovery to decouple it from delisting and instead link it to probability of persistence under recommended conservation measures would remove some of the stigma of listing, and it would strengthen the role of Species Status Assessments in endangered species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne I Kovach
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
| | - Amanda E Cheeseman
- South Dakota State University, Natural Resource Management, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Jonathan B Cohen
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Chadwick D Rittenhouse
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Christopher M Whipps
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
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2
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Carnivore occupancy within the early successional habitat of New England cottontails. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.3996/jfwm-21-049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Predation pressure from carnivores can shape ecological communities and have significant consequences for prey species that are declining or recovering from historical declines. New England cottontails Sylvilagus transitionalis are a species of Greatest Conservation Need in Connecticut (USA) and are experiencing continued declines associated with habitat loss. Restoration of early successional habitat is underway to address the most significant threat to their populations. However, one of the largest documented sources of mortality is associated with several key predators and remains a threat to recovery efforts. Our objectives were to develop species-specific occupancy estimates of carnivores in early successional habitat and relate our findings to the potential recovery of New England cottontails. We conducted camera surveys at 34 sites in early successional habitat in or near New England cottontail Focus Areas throughout Connecticut and used the program MARK to estimate occupancy and detectability from detection data. Key predators were found in early successional habitat, but their detectability was generally low. Occupancy was highest for coyotes Canis latrans and regional occupancy differed only for bobcats Lynx rufus. Covariates that influenced parameter estimates in our models included high road densities and the intensity of cottontail Sylvilagus detections. Expanding carnivores, particularly coyote and bobcat, may place additional pressure on New England cottontail recovery in the state, but restoration efforts that promote contiguous habitat and reduce isolated patches, where predation risk is higher, will improve their chances of a long-term recovery.
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3
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Distribution patterns of the native Eurasian and the non-native North American beaver in Finland—possible factors affecting the slow range expansion of the native species. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00148-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDistribution patterns of species are affected by resource availability, dispersal, disturbance and population dynamics. The smaller population size and range of the native Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) compared to the non-native North American beaver (Castor canadensis) in Finland raise questions on reasons for the slower range expansion of the native species. We compared the population growth rates and the spread of both species from their release sites. We also studied the factors possibly affecting the spread of the Eurasian beaver in South western Finland in more detail. We found that the North American beaver has spread longer distances than the Eurasian beaver, but we did not find evidence for movement barriers constraining the expansion rate of the native species. Lack of high-quality habitats does not seem to constrain the expansion to nearby areas either. Despite this, the Eurasian beaver population has grown to a high density close to its reintroduction site, and it has started to spread to novel areas only recently. We conclude that the expansion of the native beaver in Finland seems to be controlled by factors other than those related to barriers for movement: movement behavior and population dynamics, which require further investigation.
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Seaborn T, Andrews KR, Applestein CV, Breech TM, Garrett MJ, Zaiats A, Caughlin TT. Integrating genomics in population models to forecast translocation success. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Travis Seaborn
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | - Kimberly R. Andrews
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | | | - Tyler M. Breech
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello ID U.S.A
| | - Molly J. Garrett
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | - Andrii Zaiats
- Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID U.S.A
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O’Reilly C, Turner P, O’Mahony DT, Twining JP, Tosh DG, Smal C, McAney K, Powell C, Power J, O’Meara DB. Not out of the woods yet: genetic insights related to the recovery of the pine marten (Martes martes) in Ireland. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In this study, the history of the pine marten (Martes martes) in Ireland is reviewed, revealing that the population has undergone several retractions and expansions over the last few hundred years. Here, we consider the genetic legacy of this flux in fortunes and its likely impacts upon the conservation and future recovery of the species. Using nuclear DNA markers (microsatellites), we found that the genetic diversity present in Ireland today is like that of other Irish carnivores, but there is evidence of a genetic bottleneck and low effective population size that might result in further reductions of diversity in the future. There is a lack of genetic structure, showing that the population has not been fragmented genetically, despite the low percentage of woodland in Ireland. We also reviewed the mitochondrial DNA diversity present in the Irish population and showed that there is only one contemporary and one extinct haplotype present; a reduced diversity relative to other Irish carnivores. The Irish haplotypes, both extant and extinct, are shared or are genetically similar to haplotypes commonly present in southern Europe today. We discuss the possibility of reinforcing the Irish population with animals from these sources to help supplement and maintain genetic diversity for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine O’Reilly
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Peter Turner
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | | | - Joshua P Twining
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - David G Tosh
- National Museums Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Christopher Smal
- Ecological Solutions, Rathdown Upper, Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland
| | - Kate McAney
- Vincent Wildlife Trust, Donaghpatrick, Headford, County Galway, Ireland
| | - Ciara Powell
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | - John Power
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Denise B O’Meara
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
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Multiscale landscape genetics of American marten at their southern range periphery. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 124:550-561. [PMID: 31992842 PMCID: PMC7080830 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-020-0295-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
American marten (Martes americana) are a conservation priority in many forested regions of North America. Populations are fragmented at the southern edge of their distribution due to suboptimal habitat conditions. Facilitating gene flow may improve population resilience through genetic and demographic rescue. We used a multiscale approach to estimate the relationship between genetic connectivity and landscape characteristics among individuals at three scales in the northeastern United States: regional, subregional, and local. We integrated multiple modeling techniques and identified top models based on consensus. Top models were used to parameterize resistance surfaces at each scale, and circuit theory was used to identify potential movement corridors. Regional gene flow was affected by forest cover, elevation, developed land cover, and slope. At subregional and local scales, the effects were site specific and included subsets of temperature, elevation, developed land cover, and slope. Developed land cover significantly affected gene flow at each scale. At finer scales, lack of variance in forest cover may have limited the ability to detect a relationship with gene flow. The effect of slope on gene flow was positive or negative, depending on the site examined. Occupancy probability was a relatively poor predictor, and we caution its use as a proxy for landscape resistance. Our results underscore the importance of replication and multiscale approaches in landscape genetics. Climate warming and landscape conversion may reduce the genetic connectivity of marten populations in the northeastern United States, and represent the primary challenges to marten conservation at the southern periphery of their range.
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Berkman LK, Frair JL, Marquardt PE, Donner DM, Kilgo JC, Whipps CM. Spatial genetic analysis of coyotes in New York State. WILDLIFE SOC B 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah K. Berkman
- The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry1 Forestry DriveSyracuseNY13210USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry1 Forestry DriveSyracuseNY13210USA
| | - Paula E. Marquardt
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest ServiceNorthern Research Station5985 Highway KRhinelanderWI54501USA
| | - Deahn M. Donner
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest ServiceNorthern Research Station5985 Highway KRhinelanderWI54501USA
| | - John C. Kilgo
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationP.O. Box 700New EllentonSC29809USA
| | - Christopher M. Whipps
- The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry1 Forestry DriveSyracuseNY13210USA
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A carnivores’ oasis? An isolated fisher (Pekania pennanti) population provides insight on persistence of a metapopulation. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01160-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Aylward CM, Murdoch JD, Kilpatrick CW. Genetic legacies of translocation and relictual populations of American marten at the southeastern margin of their distribution. CONSERV GENET 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-018-1130-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Greenhorn JE, Bowman J, Wilson PJ. Genetic monitoring suggests increasing structure following recolonization by fishers. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janet E. Greenhorn
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program; Trent University; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - Paul J. Wilson
- Department of Biology; Trent University; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
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11
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Hapeman P, Latch EK, Rhodes OE, Swanson B, Kilpatrick CW. Genetic population structure of fishers (Pekania pennanti) in the Great Lakes region: remnants and reintroductions. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reintroduction programs have been pivotal in augmenting populations of fishers (Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777)) and re-establishing them to their former range in North America. The majority of reintroduction efforts in fishers have been considered demographically successful, but reintroductions can alter genetic population structure and success has rarely been evaluated in fishers from a genetic standpoint. We used microsatellite data (n = 169) to examine genetic population structure of fishers in the Great Lakes region and comment on the success of past reintroductions at two different spatial scales. We found significant genetic population structure among source and reintroduced populations within the Great Lakes region and large-scale genetic structure between fisher populations located in two geographically distant regions (Great Lakes and Northeast) in the eastern United States. Reintroductions associated with the Great Lakes produced results that were largely consistent with other studies of fisher reintroductions in the Northeast. However, our data are the first to support a measurable impact on genetic population structure in Pekania pennanti pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) from a reintroduction using geographically distant source and reintroduced populations. When feasible, we strongly recommend that reintroduction programs include an investigation of the underlying genetic structure to better define intended goals and supplement measures of demographic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Hapeman
- Department of Biology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA
| | - Emily K. Latch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 3209 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211-3102, USA
| | - Olin E. Rhodes
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - Brad Swanson
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 05405-0086, USA
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12
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Tucker JM, Allendorf FW, Truex RL, Schwartz MK. Sex‐biased dispersal and spatial heterogeneity affect landscape resistance to gene flow in fisher. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jody M. Tucker
- Sequoia National Forest U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region 1839 S. Newcomb Street Porterville California 93257 USA
| | - Fred W. Allendorf
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana 32 Campus Drive Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Richard L. Truex
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region 1617 Cole Boulevard Lakewood Colorado 80401 USA
| | - Michael K. Schwartz
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station 800 East Beckwith Avenue Missoula Montana 59801 USA
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13
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Reed GC, Litvaitis JA, Callahan C, Carroll RP, Litvaitis MK, Broman DJA. Modeling landscape connectivity for bobcats using expert‐opinion and empirically derived models: how well do they work? Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G. C. Reed
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - J. A. Litvaitis
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - C. Callahan
- New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Concord NH USA
| | - R. P. Carroll
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - M. K. Litvaitis
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
| | - D. J. A. Broman
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
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Basto MP, Santos-Reis M, Simões L, Grilo C, Cardoso L, Cortes H, Bruford MW, Fernandes C. Assessing Genetic Structure in Common but Ecologically Distinct Carnivores: The Stone Marten and Red Fox. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145165. [PMID: 26727497 PMCID: PMC4699814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of populations and spatial genetic patterns is important for ecological and conservation research, and spatially explicit individual-based methods have been recognised as powerful tools in this context. Mammalian carnivores are intrinsically vulnerable to habitat fragmentation but not much is known about the genetic consequences of fragmentation in common species. Stone martens (Martes foina) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) share a widespread Palearctic distribution and are considered habitat generalists, but in the Iberian Peninsula stone martens tend to occur in higher quality habitats. We compared their genetic structure in Portugal to see if they are consistent with their differences in ecological plasticity, and also to illustrate an approach to explicitly delineate the spatial boundaries of consistently identified genetic units. We analysed microsatellite data using spatial Bayesian clustering methods (implemented in the software BAPS, GENELAND and TESS), a progressive partitioning approach and a multivariate technique (Spatial Principal Components Analysis-sPCA). Three consensus Bayesian clusters were identified for the stone marten. No consensus was achieved for the red fox, but one cluster was the most probable clustering solution. Progressive partitioning and sPCA suggested additional clusters in the stone marten but they were not consistent among methods and were geographically incoherent. The contrasting results between the two species are consistent with the literature reporting stricter ecological requirements of the stone marten in the Iberian Peninsula. The observed genetic structure in the stone marten may have been influenced by landscape features, particularly rivers, and fragmentation. We suggest that an approach based on a consensus clustering solution of multiple different algorithms may provide an objective and effective means to delineate potential boundaries of inferred subpopulations. sPCA and progressive partitioning offer further verification of possible population structure and may be useful for revealing cryptic spatial genetic patterns worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda P. Basto
- Ce3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Margarida Santos-Reis
- Ce3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luciana Simões
- Ce3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Clara Grilo
- Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas/Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Luís Cardoso
- Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Helder Cortes
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Victor Caeiro, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Michael W. Bruford
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- Ce3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Vergara M, Basto MP, Madeira MJ, Gómez-Moliner BJ, Santos-Reis M, Fernandes C, Ruiz-González A. Inferring Population Genetic Structure in Widely and Continuously Distributed Carnivores: The Stone Marten (Martes foina) as a Case Study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134257. [PMID: 26222680 PMCID: PMC4519273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The stone marten is a widely distributed mustelid in the Palaearctic region that exhibits variable habitat preferences in different parts of its range. The species is a Holocene immigrant from southwest Asia which, according to fossil remains, followed the expansion of the Neolithic farming cultures into Europe and possibly colonized the Iberian Peninsula during the Early Neolithic (ca. 7,000 years BP). However, the population genetic structure and historical biogeography of this generalist carnivore remains essentially unknown. In this study we have combined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing (621 bp) and microsatellite genotyping (23 polymorphic markers) to infer the population genetic structure of the stone marten within the Iberian Peninsula. The mtDNA data revealed low haplotype and nucleotide diversities and a lack of phylogeographic structure, most likely due to a recent colonization of the Iberian Peninsula by a few mtDNA lineages during the Early Neolithic. The microsatellite data set was analysed with a) spatial and non-spatial Bayesian individual-based clustering (IBC) approaches (STRUCTURE, TESS, BAPS and GENELAND), and b) multivariate methods [discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and spatial principal component analysis (sPCA)]. Additionally, because isolation by distance (IBD) is a common spatial genetic pattern in mobile and continuously distributed species and it may represent a challenge to the performance of the above methods, the microsatellite data set was tested for its presence. Overall, the genetic structure of the stone marten in the Iberian Peninsula was characterized by a NE-SW spatial pattern of IBD, and this may explain the observed disagreement between clustering solutions obtained by the different IBC methods. However, there was significant indication for contemporary genetic structuring, albeit weak, into at least three different subpopulations. The detected subdivision could be attributed to the influence of the rivers Ebro, Tagus and Guadiana, suggesting that main watercourses in the Iberian Peninsula may act as semi-permeable barriers to gene flow in stone martens. To our knowledge, this is the first phylogeographic and population genetic study of the species at a broad regional scale. We also wanted to make the case for the importance and benefits of using and comparing multiple different clustering and multivariate methods in spatial genetic analyses of mobile and continuously distributed species.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Vergara
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Zoology Laboratory, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Systematics, Biogeography and Population Dynamics Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Mafalda P. Basto
- CE3C—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - María José Madeira
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Zoology Laboratory, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Systematics, Biogeography and Population Dynamics Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Benjamín J. Gómez-Moliner
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Zoology Laboratory, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Systematics, Biogeography and Population Dynamics Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Margarida Santos-Reis
- CE3C—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- CE3C—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Aritz Ruiz-González
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Zoology Laboratory, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Systematics, Biogeography and Population Dynamics Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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16
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Hapeman P, Latch EK, Rhodes OE, Kilpatrick CW. When recent and evolutionary histories meet: deciphering temporal events from contemporary patterns of mtDNA from fishers (Martes pennanti
) in north-eastern North America. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Hapeman
- Department of Biology; Central Connecticut State University; New Britain CT USA
| | - Emily K. Latch
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Olin E. Rhodes
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; University of Georgia; P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
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17
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Brandt JR, Brandt AL, Ammer FK, Roca AL, Serfass TL. Impact of population expansion on genetic diversity and structure of river otters (Lontra canadensis) in Central North America. J Hered 2013; 105:39-47. [PMID: 24154534 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/est069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) declined throughout large portions of the continent during the early 1900s due to habitat degradation and unregulated trapping. River otters had been extirpated in North Dakota (ND), but the Red River Valley has since been recolonized, with potential source populations including the neighboring states of Minnesota or South Dakota, or the Canadian province of Manitoba (MB). We genotyped 9 microsatellite loci in 121 samples to determine the source population of river otters in the Red River Valley of ND, as well as to assess population structure and diversity of river otters in central North America. Overall, genetic diversity was high, with an average observed heterozygosity of 0.58. Genetic differentiation was low (F ST < 0.05) between river otters in ND and those of Minnesota, suggesting that eastern ND was recolonized by river otters from Minnesota. River otters from MB were genetically distinct from all other sampled populations. Low genetic differentiation (F ST = 0.044) between South Dakota and Louisiana (LA) suggested that reintroductions using LA stock were successful. The genetic distinctiveness of river otters from different geographic regions should be considered when deciding on source populations for future translocations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Brandt
- the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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Tucker JM, Schwartz MK, Truex RL, Wisely SM, Allendorf FW. Sampling affects the detection of genetic subdivision and conservation implications for fisher in the Sierra Nevada. CONSERV GENET 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-013-0525-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Garrido-Garduño T, Vázquez-Domínguez E. Métodos de análisis genéticos, espaciales y de conectividad en genética del paisaje. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2013. [DOI: 10.7550/rmb.32500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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Tucker JM, Schwartz MK, Truex RL, Pilgrim KL, Allendorf FW. Historical and contemporary DNA indicate fisher decline and isolation occurred prior to the European settlement of California. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52803. [PMID: 23300783 PMCID: PMC3530519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing if species contractions were the result of natural phenomena or human induced landscape changes is essential for managing natural populations. Fishers (Martes pennanti) in California occur in two geographically and genetically isolated populations in the northwestern mountains and southern Sierra Nevada. Their isolation is hypothesized to have resulted from a decline in abundance and distribution associated with European settlement in the 1800s. However, there is little evidence to establish that fisher occupied the area between the two extant populations at that time. We analyzed 10 microsatellite loci from 275 contemporary and 21 historical fisher samples (1880-1920) to evaluate the demographic history of fisher in California. We did not find any evidence of a recent (post-European) bottleneck in the northwestern population. In the southern Sierra Nevada, genetic subdivision within the population strongly influenced bottleneck tests. After accounting for genetic subdivision, we found a bottleneck signal only in the northern and central portions of the southern Sierra Nevada, indicating that the southernmost tip of these mountains may have acted as a refugium for fisher during the anthropogenic changes of the late 19(th) and early 20(th) centuries. Using a coalescent-based Bayesian analysis, we detected a 90% decline in effective population size and dated the time of decline to over a thousand years ago. We hypothesize that fisher distribution in California contracted to the two current population areas pre-European settlement, and that portions of the southern Sierra Nevada subsequently experienced another more recent bottleneck post-European settlement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody M Tucker
- Sequoia National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Porterville, California, United States of America.
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MUNSHI-SOUTH JASON. Urban landscape genetics: canopy cover predicts gene flow between white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) populations in New York City. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:1360-78. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05476.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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