scholarly journals Population connectivity in voles (Microtus sp.) as a gauge for tall grass prairie restoration in midwestern North America

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260344
Author(s):  
Marlis R. Douglas ◽  
Steven M. Mussmann ◽  
Tyler K. Chafin ◽  
Whitney J. B. Anthonysamy ◽  
Mark A. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
North America ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Meadow Vole ◽  
Prairie Restoration ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Tall Grass Prairie ◽  
Agricultural Matrix ◽  
High Dispersal

Ecological restoration can promote biodiversity conservation in anthropogenically fragmented habitats, but effectiveness of these management efforts need to be statistically validated to determine ’success.’ One such approach is to gauge the extent of recolonization as a measure of landscape permeability and, in turn, population connectivity. In this context, we estimated dispersal and population connectivity in prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster; N = 231) and meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus; N = 83) within five tall-grass prairie restoration sites embedded within the agricultural matrix of midwestern North America. We predicted that vole dispersal would be constrained by the extent of agricultural land surrounding restored habitat patches, spatially isolating vole populations and resulting in significant genetic structure. We first employed genetic assignment tests based on 15 microsatellite DNA loci to validate field-derived species-designations, then tested reclassified samples with multivariate and Bayesian clustering to assay for spatial and temporal genetic structure. Population connectivity was further evaluated by calculating pairwise FST, then potential demographic effects explored by computing migration rates, effective population size (Ne), and average relatedness (r). Genetic species assignments reclassified 25% of initial field identifications (N = 11 M. ochrogaster; N = 67 M. pennsylvanicus). In M. ochrogaster population connectivity was high across the study area, reflected in little to no spatial or temporal genetic structure. In M. pennsylvanicus genetic structure was detected, but relatedness estimates identified it as kin-clustering instead, underscoring social behavior among populations rather than spatial isolation as the cause. Estimates of Ne and r were stable across years, reflecting high dispersal and demographic resilience. Combined, these metrics suggest the agricultural matrix is highly permeable for voles and does not impede dispersal. High connectivity observed confirms that the restored landscape is productive and permeable for specific management targets such as voles and also demonstrates population genetic assays as a tool to statistically evaluate effectiveness of conservation initiatives.

scholarly journals Metapopulation connectivity in Voles (Microtus sp.) as a gauge for tallgrass prairie restoration in midwestern North America

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlis R. Douglas ◽  
Whitney J.B. Anthonysamy ◽  
Mark A. Davis ◽  
Matthew P. Mulligan ◽  
Robert L. Schooley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Molecular Taxonomy ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Prairie Vole ◽  
Meadow Vole ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Prairie Restoration ◽  
Migration Rates

AbstractApplying quantifiable metrics to validate the success of restoration efforts is crucial for ongoing management programs in anthropogenically fragmented habitats. Estimates of dispersal can provide such baseline data because they measure not only the extent to which restored patches are colonized and interconnected, but also their metapopulation source/sink dynamics. In this context, we estimated dispersal and population connectivity among prairie (Microtus ochrogaster; N=231) and meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus; N=83), sampled from eight restored plots at five tallgrass prairie sites embedded within the agricultural matrix of midwestern North America. Our expectation was that extensive distances separating these restored habitats (i.e., 48–246 km) would spatially isolate vole metapopulations, resulting in significant genetic differentiation. We first used molecular taxonomy to validate the field-identifications of all sampled individuals, then used pairwise FST derived from 15 microsatellite DNA loci to estimate genetic connectivity among the species-delimited study populations. Metapopulation stability was gauged by assessing migration rates and deriving effective population sizes (Ne). We also calculated relatedness values (r) as a potential surrogate for contact in prairie vole, a primary vector for Lyme disease. Molecular species-assignments contravened field-identifications in 25% of samples (11 prairie/67 meadow) and identified two instances of species-hybridization (0.6%). Local effects (i.e., population crash/drought) were manifested at two sites, as documented by significant temporal declines in Ne and r. Overall, high migration rates and non-significant (10/15) pairwise FST values underscored elevated metapopulation connectivity. A single site that recorded five significant FST values also displayed significant r-values indicating the inadvertent sampling of closely related individuals. This highlights the close social groupings among cooperatively-breeding prairie vole that can exacerbate Lyme disease transmission. Thus, while elevated population connectivity aligns with prairie restoration goals, it also reinforces a need in adaptive management to evaluate environmental matrices for their permeability to vector-borne diseases.

scholarly journals Stirred but not shaken: population and recruitment genetics of the scallop (Pecten fumatus) in Bass Strait, Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 2333-2341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Ovenden ◽  
Bree J. Tillett ◽  
Michael Macbeth ◽  
Damien Broderick ◽  
Fiona Filardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Allelic Variation ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Scale Population

Abstract We report population genetic structure and fine-scale recruitment processes for the scallop beds (Pecten fumatus) in Bass Strait and the eastern coastline of Tasmania in southern Australia. Conventional population pairwise FST analyses are compared with novel discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) to assess population genetic structure using allelic variation in 11 microsatellite loci. Fine-scale population connectivity was compared with oceanic features of the sampled area. Disjunct scallop beds were genetically distinct, but there was little population genetic structure between beds connected by tides and oceanic currents. To identify recruitment patterns among and within beds, pedigree analyses determined the distribution of parent–offspring and sibling relationships in the sampled populations. Beds in northeastern Bass Strait were genetically distinct to adjacent beds (FST 0.003–0.005) and may not contribute to wider recruitment based on biophysical models of larval movement. Unfortunately, pedigree analyses lacked power to further dissect fine-scale recruitment processes including self-recruitment. Our results support the management of disjunct populations as separate stocks and the protection of source populations among open water beds. The application of DAPC and parentage analyses in the current study provided valuable insight into their potential power to determine population connectivity in marine species with larval dispersal.

A case study review of wood ash land application programs in North America

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-120
Author(s):  
ILICH LAMA ◽  
DEREK SAIN
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Wood Ash ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Agricultural Application ◽  
Application Programs

Several regulatory agencies and universities have published guidelines addressing the use of wood ash as liming material for agricultural land and as a soil amendment and fertilizer. This paper summarizes the experiences collected from several forest products facility-sponsored agricultural application programs across North America. These case studies are characterized in terms of the quality of the wood ash involved in the agricultural application, approval requirements, recommended management practices, agricultural benefits of wood ash, and challenges confronted by ash generators and farmers during storage, handling, and land application of wood ash. Reported benefits associated with land-applying wood ash include increasing the pH of acidic soils, improving soil quality, and increasing crop yields. Farmers apply wood ash on their land because in addition to its liming value, it has been shown to effectively fertilize the soil while maintaining soil pH at a level that is optimal for plant growth. Given the content of calcium, potassium, and magnesium that wood ash supplies to the soil, wood ash also improves soil tilth. Wood ash has also proven to be a cost-effective alternative to agricultural lime, especially in rural areas where access to commercial agricultural lime is limited. Some of the challenges identified in the review of case studies include lengthy application approvals in some jurisdictions; weather-related issues associated with delivery, storage, and application of wood ash; maintaining consistent ash quality; inaccurate assessment of required ash testing; potential increased equipment maintenance; and misconceptions on the part of some farmers and government agencies regarding the effect and efficacy of wood ash on soil quality and crop productivity.

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