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49 results for “spatial connectivity”

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dryad32/100

Data from: Tracking climate change in a dispersal-limited species: reduced spatial and genetic connectivity in a montane salamander

Tropical montane taxa are often locally adapted to very specific climatic conditions, contributing to their lower dispersal potential across complex landscapes. Climate and landscape features in montane regions affect population genetic structure in predictable ways, yet few empirical studies quantify the effects of both factors in shaping genetic structure of montane-adapted taxa. Here, we considered temporal and spatial variability in climate to explain contemporary genetic differentiation between populations of the montane salamander, Pseudoeurycea leprosa. Specifically, we used ecological niche modelling (ENM) and measured spatial connectivity and gene flow (using both mtDNA and microsatellite markers) across extant populations of P. leprosa in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TVB). Our results indicate significant spatial and genetic isolation among populations, but we cannot distinguish between isolation by distance over time or current landscape barriers as mechanisms shaping population genetic divergences. Combining ecological niche modelling, spatial connectivity analyses, and historical and contemporary genetic signatures from different classes of genetic markers allows for inference of historical evolutionary processes and predictions of the impacts future climate change will have on the genetic diversity of montane taxa with low dispersal rates. Pseudoeurycea leprosa is one montane species among many endemic to this region and thus is a case study for the continued persistence of spatially and genetically isolated populations in the highly biodiverse TVB of central Mexico.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

dryad32/100

Spatiotemporal connectivity dynamics in spatially structured populations

Connectivity is a fundamental concept linking dispersal to the emergent dynamics and persistence of spatially structured populations. Functional measures of connectivity typically seek to integrate aspects of landscape structure and animal movement to describe ecologically meaningful connectedness at the landscape and population scale. Despite this focus on function, traditional measures of landscape connectivity assume it is a static property of the landscape, hence abstracting out the underlying spatiotemporal population dynamics. Connectivity is, arguably, a dynamic property of landscapes, and is inherently related to the spatial distribution of individuals and populations across the landscape. Static representations of connectivity potentially overlook this variation and therefore adopting a dynamic approach should offer improved insights about connectivity and associated ecological processes. Using a large scale, long-term time-series of occupancy data from a metapopulation of water voles (Arvicola amphibius), we tested competing hypotheses about how considering the dynamic nature of connectivity improves the ability of spatially-explicit occupancy models to recover population dynamics. Iteratively relaxing standing assumptions of connectivity metrics, these models ranged from spatially and temporally fixed connectivity metrics that are widely applied, to the more flexible, but lesser used model that allowed temporally-varying connectivity measures that incorporate spatiotemporally dynamic patch occupancy states. Our results provide empirical evidence that demographic-weighting using patch occupancy dynamics and temporal variability in connectivity measures are important for describing metapopulation dynamics. We highlight the implications of commonly held assumption in connectivity modeling and demonstrate how they result in different and highly variable predictions of metapopulation capacity. Thus, we argue that the concept of connectivity and its potential applications would benefit from recognizing inherent spatiotemporal variation in connectivity that is explicitly linked to underlying ecological state variables.

opencc-zeroJul 2022View details →

zenodo32/100

Knowledge-intensive firms, connectivity and spatial restructuring: dynamics and differences in Germany and Switzerland

This dataset is based on the interlocking network model developed by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group (GaWC) at Loughborough University (Taylor 2004). It provides one specific way to address the question how inter‐city relations can be empirically measured despite the chronic lack of data on inter‐city information flows. The model uses a proxy – intra‐firm networks of multi‐branch, multi‐location enterprises – to estimate potential flows of knowledge‐creating information between cities and towns. The method was originally developed to measure the connectivity between global cities based on multi‐branch advanced producer services (APS) firms as they organize business activities across their offices worldwide. In this dataset, the model is adapted to measure relations between functional urban areas (FUAs) within and beyond the German and Swiss space economy, for both APS and High-Tech firms. In contrast to the original methodology, in this dataset the company locations were localized by the exact, georeferenced address, not only on the level of FUAs. The present dataset is created as part of the SNF research project “Knowledge-intensive firms, connectivity and spatial restructuring: dynamics and differences in Germany and Switzerland”.

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2021View details →

dryad32/100

Raw data: Local habitat factors and spatial connectivity jointly shape an urban insect community

As the world becomes more and more urbanized, it is increasingly important to understand the impacts of urban landscapes on biodiversity. Urbanization can change local habitat factors and decrease connectivity among local habitats, with major impacts on the structure of natural food webs. However, most studies have focused on single species, or compared rural to urban habitats, which do not inform us on how to design and manage cities to optimize biodiversity. To understand the local and spatial drivers of ecological communities within urban landscapes, we assessed the relative impact of local habitat factors (sunlight exposure and leaf litter) and spatial connectivity on an oak-associated herbivore community within an urban landscape. From the local habitat factors, leaf litter but not sunlight exposure was related to herbivore species richness, with leaf litter contributing to the maintenance of high species richness on isolated trees. Guilds and species differed strongly in their response to local habitat factors and connectivity, resulting in predictable variation in insect community composition among urban oaks. Taken together, our study shows an interactive effect of local and spatial factors on species richness and species composition within an urban context, with guild- and species-specific life histories determining the response of insects to urban landscapes. To maintain biodiversity in the urban landscape, preserving a dense network of local habitats is essential. Moreover, allowing leaf litter to accumulate can be a simple, cost-effective conservation management practice.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

dryad32/100

Urbanization reduces genetic connectivity in bobcats (Lynx rufus) at both intra- and inter-population spatial scales

Urbanization is a major factor driving habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss in wildlife. However, the impacts of urbanization on connectivity can vary among species and even populations due to differences in local landscape characteristics, and our ability to detect these relationships may depend on the spatial scale at which they are measured. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are relatively sensitive to urbanization and the status of bobcat populations is an important indicator of connectivity in urban coastal southern California. We genotyped 271 bobcats at 13,520 SNP loci to conduct a replicated landscape resistance analysis in five genetically distinct populations. We tested urban and natural factors potentially influencing individual connectivity in each population separately, as well as study-wide. Overall, landscape genomic effects were most frequently detected at the study-wide spatial scale, with urban land cover (measured as impervious surface) having negative effects and topographic roughness having positive effects on gene flow. The negative effect of urban land cover on connectivity was also evident when populations were analyzed separately despite varying substantially in spatial area and the proportion of urban development, confirming a pervasive impact of urbanization largely independent of spatial scale. The effect of urban development was strongest in one population where stream habitat had been lost to development, suggesting that riparian corridors may help mitigate reduced connectivity in urbanizing areas. Our results demonstrate the importance of replicating landscape genetic analyses across populations and considering how landscape genetic effects may vary with spatial scale and local landscape structure.

opencc-zeroOct 2019View details →

dryad32/100