Linking habitat quality with genetic diversity: a lesson from great bustards in Spain

Global changes in land use are threatening the diversity of many ecosystems on both the intra- and interspecific levels. Among these ecosystems are the species-rich hay meadows, which have drastically declined in quality and quantity, due to land use intensification or abandonment in recent decades. The remaining genetic resources of their plant species must therefore be protected. To determine the driving forces impacting genetic variation in common hay meadow species (Dactylis glomerata, Heracleum sphondylium, and Trifolium pratense), we used data on the land use history, historic and present landscape structure and habitat quality. Our results showed average genetic diversity within the study sites, with low differentiation levels and a high gene flow among grasslands. Land use history, landscape structure and habitat quality were found to be related to the distribution of genetic diversity in the studied species, highlighting the complex forces acting in these ecosystems and showing the specific impact of litter accumulation on genetic diversity. Both historic and current environmental variables influence genetic diversity, demonstrating the importance of the land use history of a habitat. The most important group of variables impacting genetic variation in all three species was the landscape structure (e.g., distance to the nearest-located urban area or grassland). Also important was the influence of litter cover on genetic diversity in D. glomerata, which provides an interesting starting point for further research.

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Analysis of genetic diversity in a peatland specialist butterfly suggests an important role for habitat quality and small habitat patches

Conservation Genetics ◽

10.1007/s10592-018-1082-7 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 1109-1121

Author(s):

Lindsay A. Crawford ◽

Nusha Keyghobadi

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Habitat Patches ◽

Specialist Butterfly

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Genetic diversity in clustered colonies of an Antarctic marine mesopredator: a role for habitat quality?

Antarctic Science ◽

10.1017/s0954102021000067 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Emiliano Mori ◽

Claudia Brunetti ◽

Antonio Carapelli ◽

Lucia Burrini ◽

Niccolò Fattorini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Ross Sea ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Assignment Test ◽

Pygoscelis Adeliae ◽

Seabird Species ◽

Low Genetic Diversity ◽

Key Species

Abstract Genetic structure may be highly variable across seabird species, and particularly among those that are distributed over large geographical areas. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a numerically dominant Antarctic seabird that is considered to be a key species in coastal ecosystems. Since the Last Glacial Maximum, penguin colonization of the Antarctic coastline occurred at varying geographical and temporal scales, contributing to an incomplete understanding of how modern colonies relate to each other at local or regional scales. We assessed the population genetic structure of Adélie penguins (n = 86 individuals) from three adjacent colonies along the Victoria Land coast using molecular genetic markers (i.e. seven microsatellite loci isolated through next-generation sequencing). Our results indicate meta-population dynamics and possibly relationships with habitat quality. A generally low genetic diversity (Nei's index: 0.322–0.667) was observed within each colony, in contrast to significant genetic heterogeneity among colonies (pairwise FST = 0.071–0.148), indicating that populations were genetically structured. Accordingly, an assignment test correctly placed individuals within the respective colonies from which they were sampled. The presence of inter-colony genetic differentiation contrasts with previous studies on this species that showed a lack of genetic structure, possibly due to higher juvenile or adult dispersal. Our sampled colonies were not panmictic and suggest a lower migration rate, which may reflect relatively stable environmental conditions in the Ross Sea compared to other regions of Antarctica, where the ocean climate is warming.

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Dispersal and Good Habitat Quality Promote Neutral Genetic Diversity in Metapopulations

Bulletin of Mathematical Biology ◽

10.1007/s11538-020-00853-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Jimmy Garnier ◽

Pierre Lafontaine

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Neutral Genetic Diversity

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Mangrove Health Assessment and Genetic Diversity of Associated Sesarmid Crab Parasesarma Persicum in Nayband National Park, Iran

10.21203/rs.3.rs-516864/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Dehghani ◽

Ahmad Shadi ◽

Yasaman Gandomi ◽

Ahmad Ghasemi

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Human Activities ◽

National Park ◽

Quality Index ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Habitat Alteration ◽

Mangrove Habitat ◽

Mangrove Crab

Abstract Mangrove forests as one of the most important coastal ecosystems provide important ecological and economic performance to the world, have been threatened by developmental human activities and subsequent land use changes. The present study aims to assess mangrove ecosystem health in Nayband Marine National Park, Iran using Mangrove Quality Index (MQI), in addition to analyse the effect of mangrove habitat quality on the genetic diversity of Parasesarma persicum the associated mangrove crab by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Four stations were studied for mangrove quality index analysis as well as genetic analysis. The results of MQI survey based on hydrology, water, soil, biota criteria indicated moderate to low habitat quality of mangroves in the study area. Station 4 in the southern Nayband gulf showed highest impact by human activities and MQI of 0.7, indicating serious habitat alteration in this area. Station 2 in the northern part of Nayband gulf showed a moderate mangrove quality (MQI = 0.5). Based on the results of the AFLP genetic assessment, the estimated heterozygosity(He) of crabs was between 0.29 to 0.32 with a mean of 0.30. The highest genetic diversity was found at station 2, however, no complete population differentiation was observed between 4 stations. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between mangrove habitat alteration and heterozygosity reduction (P<0.05). Based on the results of the present study, mangrove habitat destruction due to anthropogenic activities may directly reduce the genetic diversity of associated species of this ecosystem.

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Surrounding landscape structures, rather than habitat age, drive genetic variation of typical calcareous grassland plant species

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-020-01120-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (12) ◽

pp. 2881-2893

Author(s):

Theresa Anna Lehmair ◽

Ellen Pagel ◽

Peter Poschlod ◽

Christoph Reisch

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Land Use ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Population Size ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Calcareous Grassland ◽

Calcareous Grasslands ◽

Surrounding Landscape ◽

Swabian Alb

Abstract Context Land use change reduced calcareous grasslands throughout Europe during the last decades. Subsequent fragmentation and habitat deterioration led, moreover, to a massive biodiversity decline. To counteract this alarming development, a clear understanding of genetic variation patterns, as fundamental level of biodiversity, becomes inevitable. Objectives The aim of our study was to identify the drivers of genetic variation in common calcareous grassland plant species. More specifically, we tested whether genetic diversity or differentiation of Asperula cynanchica, Campanula rotundifolia, and Linum catharticum depend on habitat age, landscape structure, habitat quality, and/or population size. Methods We investigated 912 individuals, 304 per study species, from 19 calcareous grasslands across the Swabian Alb in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) using AFLP analyses. Results We observed no significant influence of habitat age on genetic diversity and differentiation. Habitat quality also had no impact on genetic diversity and population size only showed weak effects. However, genetic diversity strongly depended on landscape structure represented by distance to the nearest settlement, total area of surrounding calcareous grasslands, and their connectivity. Conclusions Migratory sheep herding is considered as main land use in calcareous grasslands on the Swabian Alb and thus, landscape structures in the study region may describe movement patterns of grazing livestock. In this study, genetic variation in calcareous grassland populations was strongly affected by surrounding landscape structures and subsequent grazing patterns. Therefore, we assume that moderate grazing intensities over the long term may increase levels of genetic diversity, whereas periods of overgrazing or abandonment could lower genetic diversity.

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