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258 results for “metapopulation”
Data from: Long-term demographic surveys reveal a consistent relationship between average occupancy and abundance within local populations of a butterfly metapopulation
<p>Species distribution models are the tool of choice for large-scale population monitoring, environmental association studies, and predictions of range shifts under future environmental conditions. Available data and familiarity of the tools rather than the underlying population dynamics often dictate the choice of specific method — especially for the case of presence–absence data. Yet, for predictive purposes, the relationship between occupancy and abundance embodied in the models should reflect the actual population dynamics of the modelled species. To understand the relationship of occupancy and abundance in a heterogeneous landscape at the scale of local populations, we built a spatio-temporal regression model of populations of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in a Baltic Sea archipelago. Our data comprised nineteen years of habitat surveys and snapshot data of land use in the region. We used variance partitioning to quantify relative contributions of land use, habitat quality, and metapopulation covariates. The model revealed a consistent and positive, but noisy relationship between average occupancy and mean abundance in local populations. Patterns of abundance were highly variable across years, with large uncorrelated random variation and strong local population stochasticity. In contrast, the spatio-temporal random effect, habitat quality, population connectivity, and patch size explained variation in occupancy, vindicating metapopulation theory as the basis for modelling occupancy patterns in fragmented landscapes. Previous abundance was an important predictor in the occupancy model, which points to a spillover of abundance into occupancy dynamics. While occupancy models can successfully model large-scale population structure and average occupancy, extinction probability estimates for local populations derived from occupancy-only models are overconfident, as extinction risk is dependent on actual, not average, abundance.</p>
Data from: Scaling up the effects of inbreeding depression from individuals to metapopulations
1. Inbreeding is common in nature, and many laboratory studies have documented that inbreeding depression can reduce the fitness of individuals. Demonstrating the consequences of inbreeding depression on the growth and persistence of populations is more challenging because populations are often regulated by density- or frequency-dependent selection and influenced by demographic and environmental stochasticity. A few empirical studies have shown that inbreeding depression can increase extinction risk of local populations. The importance of inbreeding depression at the metapopulation level has been conjectured based on population-level studies but has not been evaluated. 2. We quantified the impact of inbreeding depression affecting the fitness of individuals on metapopulation persistence in heterogeneous habitat networks of different sizes and habitat configuration in a context of natural butterfly metapopulations. 3. We developed a spatial individual-based simulation model of metapopulations with explicit genetics. We used Approximate Bayesian Computation to fit the model to extensive demographic, genetic, and life-history data available for the well-studied Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) metapopulations in the Åland islands in SW Finland. We compared 18 semi-independent habitat networks differing in size and fragmentation. 4. The results show that inbreeding is more frequent in small habitat networks, and consequently, inbreeding depression elevates extinction risks in small metapopulations. Metapopulation persistence and neutral genetic diversity maintained in the metapopulations increase with the total habitat amount in and mean patch size of habitat networks. Dispersal and mating behavior interact with landscape structure to determine how likely it is to encounter kin while looking for mates. 5. Inbreeding depression can decrease the viability of small metapopulations even when they are strongly influenced by stochastic extinction-colonization dynamics and density-dependent selection. The findings from this study support that genetic factors, in addition to demographic factors, can contribute to extinctions of small local populations and also of metapopulations.
Data from: The Metapopulation Microcosm Plate: a modified 96-well plate for use in microbial metapopulation experiments
1. Researchers in many sub-fields of ecology and evolutionary biology test hypotheses relating to metapopulation dynamics and landscape spatial structure. Key aspects of these hypotheses are often (a) large numbers of subpopulations and dispersal corridors and (b) their positions relative to each other. Testing such spatial hypotheses using traditional lab equipment and methods can be impractical, unwieldy, expensive, or impossible. 2. The Metapopulation Microcosm Plate (MMP) overcomes these difficulties. This device resembles a 96-well microtiter plate, but contains dispersal corridors between wells that can be modified in their spatial position to create various artificial landscapes, each with up to 96 habitat patches and hundreds of non-intersecting dispersal corridors of varying lengths. The device can be filled with nutrient broth and used to culture microbial metapopulations. 3. Here I describe how MMPs are designed, assembled, sterilized, and filled and demonstrate that MMPs can remain water tight and sterile with minimal evaporation for 5-7 days. 4. MMPs can be used to test many spatial hypotheses that have previously been prohibitively difficult to test. Further, by incorporating individual behavioral responses to within-patch conditions, MMPs can incorporate greater realism than do directed pipetting or other artificial dispersal methods.
Data from: A model for non-equilibrium metapopulation dynamics utilizing data on species occupancy, patch ages and landscape history
1. The distribution pattern of many species reflects the past rather than the current structure of landscapes. Consequently, species are most often not in equilibrium with the current landscape structure. Yet this is a well-known fact, there is no appropriate approach to estimate the colonization rate of non-equilibrium species based on only data on the species occurrence pattern in the landscape. 2. We present an approach to estimate the colonization rate of non-equilibrium metapopulations. The approach requires only data on species presence/absence among its patches (occurrence pattern), data on patch ages and data on the historic distribution of the patches in the landscape. By estimating the past occurrence patterns and colonization events leading to the current pattern of occupied and non-occupied patches, we estimate the colonization rate, including the dispersal kernel. We also show how to estimate effects of local patch conditions and how to include an independent estimate of the local extinction rate based on other data. We use nine epiphytic lichen species confined to beech trees to illustrate the method. 3. Five species had restricted dispersal range, between 200 and 4700 m, and their colonization rate decreased with increasing fragmentation. Species colonization rates were related to niche width. Among the demographic parameters, the force of colonization was more important than the dispersal range in explaining the colonization rates. Local patch conditions did not explain the colonization probability of any species. In metapopulation projections that did not account for restricted dispersal range, higher future metapopulation sizes were projected. 4. Synthesis. The presented approach uses data on only species occurrence, patch age and landscape history to estimate the species colonization rate and dispersal kernel. It can also utilize independent data on local extinction rate. Rather than identifying factors explaining the occurrence pattern, the model estimates the rate of change in the occurrence pattern. This dynamic modelling allows testing general and applied questions on the dynamics or viability of metapopulations of sessile species. The approach is applicable for species whose distribution pattern reflects the past rather than the current landscape structure, e.g. certain epiphytes and ground-floor plants.
Data from: Inferring contemporary dispersal processes in plant metapopulations: comparison of direct and indirect estimates of dispersal for the annual species Crepis sancta
Analyzing population dynamics in changing habitats is a prerequisite for population dynamics forecasting. The recent development of metapopulation modeling allows the estimation of dispersal kernels based on the colonization pattern but the accuracy of these estimates compared with direct estimates of the seed dispersal kernel has rarely been assessed. In this study, we used recent genetic methods based on parentage analysis (spatially explicit mating models) to estimate seed and pollen dispersal kernels as well as seed and pollen immigration in fragmented urban populations of the plant species Crepis sancta with contrasting patch dynamics. Using two independent networks, we documented substantial seed immigration and a highly restricted dispersal kernel. Moreover, immigration heterogeneity among networks was consistent with previously reported metapopulation dynamics, showing that colonization was mainly due to external colonization in the first network (propagule rain) and local colonization in the second network. We concluded that the differences in urban patch dynamics are mainly due to seed immigration heterogeneity, highlighting the importance of external population source in the spatio-temporal dynamics of plants in a fragmented landscape. The results show that indirect and direct methods were qualitatively consistent, providing a proper interpretation of indirect estimates. This study provides attempts to link genetic and demographic methods and show that patch occupancy models may provide simple methods for analyzing population dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes in the context of global change.
Data from: Metapopulation patterns of additive and nonadditive genetic variance in the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)
Describing and explaining the geographic within-species variation in phenotypes ("phenogeography") in the sea over a species distribution range is central to our understanding of a variety of eco-evolutionary topics. However, phenogeographic studies that have a large potential to investigate adaptive variation are overcome by phylogeographic studies, still mainly focusing on neutral markers. How genotypic and phenotypic data could covary over large geographic scales remains poorly understood in marine species. We crossed 75 noninbred sires (five origins) and 26 dams (two origins; each side of a hybrid zone) in a factorial diallel cross in order to investigate geographic variation for early survival and sex ratio in the metapopulation of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a highly prized marine fish species. Full-sib families (N = 1,950) were produced and reared in a common environment. Parentage assignment of 7,200 individuals was performed with seven microsatellite markers. Generalized linear models showed significant additive effects for both traits and pleiotropy between traits. A significant nonadditive genetic effect was detected. Different expression of traits and distinct relative performances were found for reciprocal crosses involving populations located on each side of the main hybrid zone located at the Almeria-Oran front, illustrating asymmetric reproductive isolation. The poor fitness performance observed for the Western Mediterranean population of sea bass is discussed as it represents the main source of seed hatchery production, but also because it potentially illustrates nonadaptive introgression and maladaptation.
Data from: Metapopulation dynamics of the mistletoe and its host in savanna areas with different fire occurrence
Mistletoes are aerial hemiparasitic plants which occupy patches of favorable habitat (host trees) surrounded by unfavorable habitat and may be possibly modeled as a metapopulation. A metapopulation is defined as a subdivided population that persists due to the balance between colonization and extinction in discrete habitat patches. Our aim was to evaluate the dynamics of the mistletoe Psittacanthus robustus and its host Vochysia thyrsoidea in three Brazilian savanna areas using a metapopulation approach. We also evaluated how the differences in terms of fire occurrence affected the dynamic of those populations (two areas burned during the study and one was fire protected). We monitored the populations at six-month intervals. P. robustus population structure and dynamics met the expected criteria for a metapopulation: i) the suitable habitats for the mistletoe occur in discrete patches; (ii) local populations went extinct during the study and (iii) colonization of previously non-occupied patches occurred. The ratio of occupied patches decreased in all areas with time. Local mistletoe populations went extinct due to two different causes: patch extinction in area with no fire and fire killing in the burned areas. In a burned area, the largest decrease of occupied patch ratios occurred due to a fire event that killed the parasites without, however, killing the host trees. The greatest mortality of V. thyrsoidea occurred in the area without fire. In this area, all the dead trees supported mistletoe individuals and no mortality was observed for parasite-free trees. Because P. robustus is a fire sensitive species and V. thyrsoidea is fire tolerant, P. robustus seems to increase host mortality, but its effect is lessened by periodic burning that reduces the parasite loads.
Data from: Phenotype-environment mismatch in metapopulations - implications for the maintenance of maladaptation at the regional scale
Maladaptation is widespread in natural populations. However, maladaptation has most often been associated with absolute population decline in local habitats rather than on a spectrum of relative fitness variation that can assist natural populations in their persistence at larger regional scales. We report results from a field experiment that tested for relative maladaptation between pond habitats with spatial heterogeneity and (a)symmetric selection in pH. In the experiment, we quantified relative maladaptation in a copepod metapopulation as a mismatch between the mean population phenotype and the optimal trait value that would maximize mean population fitness under either stable or fluctuating pH environmental conditions. To complement the field experiment, we constructed a metapopulation model that addressed both relative (distance from the optimum) and absolute (negative population growth) maladaptation, with the aim of forecasting maladaptation to pH at the regional scale in relation to spatial structure (environmental heterogeneity and connectivity) and temporal environmental fluctuations. The results from our experiment indicated that maladaptation to pH at the regional scale depended on the asymmetry of the fitness surface at the local level. The results from our metapopulation model revealed how dispersal and (a)symmetric selection can operate on the fitness surface to maintain maladaptive phenotype-environment mismatch at local and regional scales in a metapopulation. Environmental stochasticity resulted in the maintenance of maladaptation that was robust to dispersal, but also revealed an interaction between the asymmetry in selection and environmental correlation. Our findings emphasize the importance of maladaptation for planning conservation strategies that can support adaptive potential in fragmented and changing landscapes.
Data from: Water level fluctuations and metapopulation dynamics as drivers of genetic diversity in populations of three Tanganyikan cichlid fish species
Understanding how genetic variation is generated and maintained in natural populations, and how this process unfolds in a changing environment, remains a central issue in biological research. In this work, we analyzed patterns of genetic diversity from several populations of three cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika in parallel, using the mitochondrial DNA control region. We sampled populations inhabiting the littoral rocky habitats in both very deep, and very shallow areas of the lake. We hypothesized that the former would constitute relatively older, more stable and genetically more diverse populations, because they should have been less severely affected by the well-documented episodes of dramatic water level fluctuations. In agreement with our predictions, populations of all three species sampled in very shallow shorelines showed traces of stronger population growth than populations of the same species inhabiting deep shorelines. However, contrary to our working hypothesis, we found a significant trend towards increased genetic diversity in the younger, demographically less stable populations inhabiting shallow areas, in comparison to the older and more stable populations inhabiting the deep shorelines. We interpret this finding as the result of the establishment of metapopulation dynamics in the former shorelines, by the frequent perturbation and reshuffling of individuals between populations due to the lake level fluctuations. The repeated succession of periods of allopatric separation and secondary contact is likely to have further increased the rapid pace of speciation in lacustrine cichlids.
Data from: Increasing frequency of low summer precipitation synchronizes dynamics and compromises metapopulation stability in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
Climate change is known to shift species' geographical ranges, phenologies and abundances, but less is known about other population dynamic consequences. Here, we analyse spatio-temporal dynamics of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in a network of 4000 dry meadows during 21 years. The results demonstrate two strong, related patterns: the amplitude of year-to-year fluctuations in the size of the metapopulation as a whole has increased, though there is no long-term trend in average abundance; and there is a highly significant increase in the level of spatial synchrony in population dynamics. The increased synchrony cannot be explained by increasing within-year spatial correlation in precipitation, the key environmental driver of population change, or in per capita growth rate. On the other hand, the frequency of drought during a critical life-history stage (early larval instars) has increased over the years, which is sufficient to explain the increasing amplitude and the expanding spatial synchrony in metapopulation dynamics. Increased spatial synchrony has the general effect of reducing long-term metapopulation viability even if there is no change in average metapopulation size. This study demonstrates how temporal changes in weather conditions can lead to striking changes in spatio-temporal population dynamics.
Data from: Conservation of a domestic metapopulation structured into related and partly admixed strains
Preservation of genetic diversity is one of the most pressing challenges in the planetary boundaries concept. Within this context, we focused on genetic diversity in a native, unselected and highly admixed domesticated metapopulation. A set of 1828 individuals from 60 different cattle breeds was analysed using a medium density SNP chip. Among these breeds, 14 Buša strains formed a metapopulation represented by 350 individuals, while the remaining 46 breeds represented the global cattle population. Genetic analyses showed that the scarcely selected and less differentiated Buša metapopulation contributed a substantial proportion (52.6%) of the neutral allelic diversity to this global taurine population. Consequently, there is an urgent need for synchronised maintenance of this highly fragmented domestic metapopulation, which is distributed over several countries without sophisticated infrastructure and highly endangered by continuous replacement crossing as part of the global genetic homogenisation process. This study collected and evaluated samples, data and genome-wide information and developed genome-assisted cross-border conservation concepts. To detect and maintain genetic integrity of the metapopulation strains, we designed and applied a composite test that combines six metrics based on additive genetic relationships, a nearest neighbour graph and the distribution of semi-private alleles. Each metric provides distinct information components about past admixture events and offers an objective and powerful tool for the detection of admixed outliers. The here developed conservation methods and presented experiences could easily be adapted to comparable conservation programmes of domesticated or other metapopulations bred and kept in captivity or under some other sort of human control.
Data from: Temporal genetic analysis of the endangered tidewater goby: metapopulation dynamics or drift in isolation?
Extinction and colonization dynamics are critical to understanding the evolution and conservation of metapopulations. However, traditional field studies of extinction–colonization are potentially fraught with detection bias and have rarely been validated. Here, we provide a comparison of molecular and field-based approaches for assessment of the extinction–colonization dynamics of tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi) in northern California. Our analysis of temporal genetic variation across 14 northern California tidewater goby populations failed to recover genetic change expected with extinction–colonization cycles. Similarly, analysis of site occupancy data from field studies (94 sites) indicated that extinction and colonization are very infrequent for our study populations. Comparison of the approaches indicated field data were subject to imperfect detection, and falsely implied extinction–colonization cycles in several instances. For northern California populations of tidewater goby, we interpret the strong genetic differentiation between populations and high degree of within-site temporal stability as consistent with a model of drift in the absence of migration, at least over the past 20–30 years. Our findings show that tidewater goby exhibit different population structures across their geographic range (extinction–colonization dynamics in the south vs. drift in isolation in the north). For northern populations, natural dispersal is too infrequent to be considered a viable approach for recolonizing extirpated populations, suggesting that species recovery will likely depend on artificial translocation in this region. More broadly, this work illustrates that temporal genetic analysis can be used in combination with field data to strengthen inference of extinction–colonization dynamics or as a stand-alone tool when field data are lacking.
Data from: Initial genetic diversity enhances population establishment and alters genetic structuring of a newly established Daphnia metapopulation
When newly created habitats are initially colonized by genotypes with rapid population growth rates, later arriving colonists may be prevented from establishing. Although these priority effects have been documented in multiple systems, their duration may be influenced by the diversity of the founding population. We conducted a large-scale field manipulation to investigate how initial clonal diversity influences temporal and landscape patterns of genetic structure in a developing metapopulation. Six genotypes of obligately asexual Daphnia pulex were stocked alone (no clonal diversity) or in combination ('high' clonal diversity) into newly created experimental woodland ponds. We also measured the population growth rate of all clones in the laboratory when raised on higher-quality and lower-quality resources. Our predictions were that in the 3 years following stocking, clonally diverse populations would be more likely to persist than nonclonally diverse populations and exhibit evidence for persistent founder effects. We expected that faster growing clones would be found in more pools and comprise a greater proportion of individuals genotyped from the landscape. Genetic composition, both locally and regionally, changed significantly following stocking. Six of 27 populations exhibited evidence for persistent founder effects, and populations stocked with 'high' clonal diversity were more likely to exhibit these effects than nonclonally diverse populations. Performance in the laboratory was not predictive of clonal persistence or overall dominance in the field. Hence, we conclude that although laboratory estimates of fitness did not fully explain metapopulation genetic structure, initial clonal diversity did enhance D. pulex population establishment and persistence in this system.
Data from: Fenced and fragmented: conservation value of managed metapopulations
Population fragmentation is threatening biodiversity worldwide. Species that once roamed vast areas are increasingly being conserved in small, isolated areas. Modern management approaches must adapt to ensure the continued survival and conservation value of these populations. In South Africa, a managed metapopulation approach has been adopted for several large carnivore species, all protected in isolated, relatively small, reserves that are fenced. As far as possible these approaches are based on natural metapopulation structures. In this network, over the past 25 years, African lions (Panthera leo) were reintroduced into 44 fenced reserves with little attention given to maintaining genetic diversity. To examine the situation, we investigated the current genetic provenance and diversity of these lions. We found that overall genetic diversity was similar to that in a large national park, and included a mixture of four different southern African evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). This mixing of ESUs, while not ideal, provides a unique opportunity to study the impact of mixing ESUs over the long term. We propose a strategic managed metapopulation plan to ensure the maintenance of genetic diversity and improve the long-term conservation value of these lions. This managed metapopulation approach could be applied to other species under similar ecological constraints around the globe.
Data from: Spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal in a coral-reef fish metapopulation: evidence of variable reproductive success
Many marine organisms can be transported hundreds of kilometers during their pelagic larval stage, yet little is known about spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal. Although traditional population-genetic tools can be applied to infer movement of larvae on an evolutionary time scale, large effective population sizes and high rates of gene-flow present serious challenges to documenting dispersal patterns over shorter, ecologically-relevant, time scales. Here, we address these challenges by combining direct parentage analysis and indirect genetic analyses over a four-year period to document spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal in a common coral-reef fish: the bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus). At four island locations surrounding Exuma Sound, Bahamas, including a long-established marine reserve, we collected 3,278 individuals and genotyped them at 10 microsatellite loci. Using Bayesian parentage analysis, we identified eight parent-offspring pairs, thereby directly documenting dispersal distances ranging from 0 km (i.e., self-recruitment) to 129 km (i.e., larval connectivity). Despite documenting substantial dispersal and gene-flow between islands, we observed more self-recruitment events than expected if the larvae were drawn from a common, well-mixed pool (i.e., a completely open population). Additionally, we detected both spatial and temporal variation in signatures of sweepstakes and Wahlund effects. The high variance in reproductive success (i.e., "sweepstakes") we observed may be influenced by seasonal mesoscale gyres present in the Exuma Sound, which play a prominent role in shaping local oceanographic patterns. This study documents the complex nature of larval dispersal in a coral-reef fish, and highlights the importance of sampling multiple cohorts and coupling both direct and indirect genetic methods in order disentangle patterns of dispersal, gene-flow, and variable reproductive success.
Data from: Twentieth-century changes in the genetic composition of Swedish field pea metapopulations
Landrace crops are formed by local adaptation, genetic drift and gene flow through seed exchange. In reverse, the study of genetic structure between landrace populations can reveal the effects of these forces over time. We present here the analysis of genetic diversity in 40 Swedish field pea (Pisum sativum L.) populations, either available as historical seed samples from the late nineteenth century or as extant gene bank accessions assembled in the late twentieth century. The historical material shows constant high levels of within-population diversity, whereas the extant accessions show varying, and overall lower, levels of within-population diversity. Structure and principal component analysis cluster most accessions, both extant and historical, in groups after geographical origin. County-wise analyses of the accessions show that the genetic diversity of the historical accessions is largely overlapping. In contrast, most extant accessions show signs of genetic drift. They harbor a subset of the alleles found in the historical accessions and are more differentiated from each other. These results reflect how, historically present metapopulations have been preserved during the twentieth century, although as genetically isolated populations.
Data from: The relevance of gene flow in metapopulation dynamics of an oceanic island endemic, Olea europaea subsp guanchica
Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that geographical isolation and extinction-recolonization dynamics are two factors causing strong genetic structure in metapopulations. Here, we investigated the effect of population age structure and isolation by distance in the patterns of genetic diversity in a tree species (Olea europaea subsp. guanchica) sporadically affected by volcanic events across the Canarian archipelago. Genetic variation was assessed at six nuclear microsatellites (nDNA) and six chloroplast fragments (cpDNA) in nine subpopulations sampled on four oceanic islands. Subpopulations occurring on more recent substrates were more differentiated than those on older substrates, but within-subpopulation genetic diversity was not significantly different between age groups for any type of marker. Contrary to the general trend for island systems, between-island differentiation was extremely low, and lower than differentiation between subpopulations on the same island. The pollen-to-seed ratio was close to one, two orders of magnitude lower than the average estimated for other wind-pollinated, animal-dispersed plants. Our results showed that population turnover and geographical isolation increased genetic differentiation relative to an island model at equilibrium, but overall genetic structure was unexpectedly weak for a species distributed among islands. This empirical study shows that extensive gene flow, particularly mediated by seeds, can ameliorate population subdivision resulting from extinction-recolonization dynamics and isolation by distance
Data from: Recurrent mutualism breakdown events in a legume rhizobia metapopulation
<p><span>Bacterial mutualists generate major fitness benefits for eukaryotes, reshaping the host phenotype and its interactions with the environment. Yet microbial mutualist populations are predicted to generate mutants that defect from providing costly services to hosts while maintaining the capacity to exploit host resources. Here, we examined the mutualist service of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in a metapopulation of root-nodulating <i>Bradyrhizobium spp.</i> that associate with the native legume <i>Acmispon strigosus</i>. We quantified mutualism traits of 85 <i>Bradyrhizobium</i> isolates gathered from a 700km transect in California spanning ten sampled <i>A. strigosus</i> populations. We clonally inoculated each <i>Bradyrhizobium </i>isolate onto <i>Acmispon strigosus</i> hosts and quantified nodulation capacity and net effects of infection, including host growth and isotopic nitrogen concentration. Six <i>Bradyrhizobium</i> isolates from five populations were categorized as ineffective because they formed nodules but did not enhance host growth via nitrogen fixation. Six additional isolates from three populations failed to form root nodules. Phylogenetic reconstruction inferred two types of mutualism breakdown, including three to four independent losses of effectiveness and five losses of nodulation capacity on <i>Acmispon strigosus</i>. The evolutionary and genomic drivers of these mutualism breakdown events remain poorly understood. </span></p>
Data from: A portrait of a sucker using landscape genetics: how colonization and life history undermine the idealized dendritic metapopulation
Dendritic metapopulations have been attributed unique properties by in silico studies, including an elevated genetic diversity relative to a panmictic population of equal total size. These predictions have not been rigorously tested in nature, nor has there been full consideration of the interacting effects among contemporary landscape features, colonization history and life history traits of the target species. We tested for the effects of dendritic structure as well as the relative importance of life history, environmental barriers and historical colonization on the neutral genetic structure of a longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) metapopulation in the Kogaluk watershed of northern Labrador, Canada. Samples were collected from eight lakes, genotyped with 17 microsatellites, and aged using opercula. Lakes varied in differentiation, historical and contemporary connectivity, and life history traits. Isolation by distance was detected only by removing two highly genetically differentiated lakes, suggesting a lack of migration–drift equilibrium and the lingering influence of historical factors on genetic structure. Bayesian analyses supported colonization via the Kogaluk's headwaters. The historical concentration of genetic diversity in headwaters inferred by this result was supported by high historical and contemporary effective sizes of the headwater lake, T-Bone. Alternatively, reduced allelic richness in headwaters confirmed the dendritic structure's influence on gene flow, but this did not translate to an elevated metapopulation effective size. A lack of equilibrium and upstream migration may have dampened the effects of dendritic structure. We suggest that interacting historical and contemporary factors prevent the achievement of the idealized traits of a dendritic metapopulation in nature.
Data from: Applying the multistate capture-recapture robust design to characterize metapopulation structure
1. Population structure must be considered when developing mark-recapture (MR) study designs as the sampling of individuals from multiple populations (or subpopulations) may increase heterogeneity in individual capture probability. Conversely, the use of an appropriate MR study design which accommodates heterogeneity associated with capture-occasion varying covariates due to animals moving between 'states' (i.e. geographic sites) can provide insight into how animals are distributed in a particular environment and the status and connectivity of subpopulations. 2. The Multistate Closed Robust Design was chosen to investigate: 1) the demographic parameters of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) subpopulations in coastal and estuarine waters of Perth, Western Australia; and 2) how they are related to each other in a metapopulation. Using four years of year-round photo-identification surveys across three geographic sites, we accounted for heterogeneity of capture probability based on how individuals distributed themselves across geographic sites and characterized the status of subpopulations based on their abundance, survival and interconnection. 3. MSCRD models highlighted high heterogeneity in capture probabilities and demographic parameters between sites. High capture probabilities, high survival and constant abundances described a subpopulation with high fidelity in an estuary. In contrast, low captures, permanent and temporary emigration and fluctuating abundances suggested transient use and low fidelity in an open coastline site. 4. Estimates of transition probabilities also varied between sites, with estuarine dolphins visiting sheltered coastal embayments more regularly than coastal dolphins visited the estuary, highlighting some dynamics within the metapopulation. 6. Synthesis and applications. To date, bottlenose dolphin studies using mark-recapture approach have focussed on investigating single subpopulations. Here, in a heterogeneous coastal-estuarine environment, we demonstrated that spatially structured bottlenose dolphin subpopulations contained distinct suites of individuals and differed in size, demographics and connectivity. Such insights into the dynamics of a metapopulation can assist in local-scale species conservation. The MSCRD approach is applicable to species/populations consisting of recognizable individuals and is particularly useful for characterizing wildlife subpopulations that vary in their vulnerability to human activities, climate change or invasive species.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.