A multiscale analysis of gene flow for the New England cottontail, an imperiled habitat specialist in a fragmented landscape.

摘要: Landscape features of anthropogenic or natural origin can influence organisms' dispersal patterns and the connectivity populations. Understanding these relationships is broad interest in ecology evolutionary biology provides key insights for habitat conservation planning at landscape scale. This knowledge germane to restoration efforts New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis), an early successional specialist concern. We evaluated local population structure measures genetic diversity a geographically isolated cottontails northeastern United States. also conducted multiscale analysis, which we assessed discontinuities relative developed several resistance models test hypotheses about that promote inhibit within across Bayesian clustering identified four genetically distinct populations, with very little migration among them, additional substructure one those These populations had private alleles, low diversity, critically effective sizes (3.2-36.7), evidence recent bottlenecks. Major highways river were found limit separate The along roadsides, railroad beds, utility corridors, on other hand, was facilitate movement patches. importance barriers facilitators gene flow varied relation composition, demonstrating complexity context dependency factors influencing highlighting replication scale studies. Our findings provide information design landscapes highlight dual roads, as both fragmented landscape.