4.5 Article

Spatial differences in genetic diversity and northward migration suggest genetic erosion along the boreal caribou southern range limit and continued range retraction

期刊

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
卷 9, 期 12, 页码 7030-7046

出版社

WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5269

关键词

boreal caribou; boreal forest; genetic erosion; habitat fragmentation; microsatellite DNA; range retraction; Rangifer tarandus

资金

  1. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [CRDPJ 449509-13, CRDPJ 471003-14]
  2. NSERC Strategic
  3. NSERC Canadian Research Chair Programs
  4. Parks Canada
  5. Manitoba Sustainable Development
  6. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
  7. Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment
  8. Manitoba Hydro
  9. SaskPower Inc.
  10. Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd.

向作者/读者索取更多资源

With increasing human activities and associated landscape changes, distributions of terrestrial mammals become fragmented. These changes in distribution are often associated with reduced population sizes and loss of genetic connectivity and diversity (i.e., genetic erosion) which may further diminish a species' ability to respond to changing environmental conditions and lead to local population extinctions. We studied threatened boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations across their distribution in Ontario/Manitoba (Canada) to assess changes in genetic diversity and connectivity in areas of high and low anthropogenic activity. Using data from >1,000 caribou and nine microsatellite loci, we assessed population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and recent migration rates using a combination of network and population genetic analyses. We used Bayesian clustering analyses to identify population genetic structure and explored spatial and temporal variation in those patterns by assembling networks based on R-ST and F-ST as historical and contemporary genetic edge distances, respectively. The Bayesian clustering analyses identified broad-scale patterns of genetic structure and closely aligned with the R-ST network. The F-ST network revealed substantial contemporary genetic differentiation, particularly in areas presenting contemporary anthropogenic disturbances and habitat fragmentation. In general, relatively lower genetic diversity and greater genetic differentiation were detected along the southern range limit, differing from areas in the northern parts of the distribution. Moreover, estimation of migration rates suggested a northward movement of animals away from the southern range limit. The patterns of genetic erosion revealed in our study suggest ongoing range retraction of boreal caribou in central Canada.

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