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The genetic structure of a relict population of wood frogs

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Abstract

Habitat fragmentation and the associated reduction in connectivity between habitat patches are commonly cited causes of genetic differentiation and reduced genetic variation in animal populations. We used eight microsatellite markers to investigate genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity in a relict population of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvatica) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where recent disturbances have altered hydrologic processes and fragmented amphibian habitat. We also estimated migration rates among subpopulations, tested for a pattern of isolation-by-distance, and looked for evidence of a recent population bottleneck. The results from the clustering algorithm in Program STRUCTURE indicated the population is partitioned into two genetic clusters (subpopulations), and this result was further supported by factorial component analysis. In addition, an estimate of F ST (F ST = 0.0675, P value <0.0001) supported the genetic differentiation of the two clusters. Estimates of migration rates among the two subpopulations were low, as were estimates of genetic variability. Conservation of the population of wood frogs may be improved by increasing the spatial distribution of the population and improving gene flow between the subpopulations. Construction or restoration of wetlands in the landscape between the clusters has the potential to address each of these objectives.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank M. B. Albrechtsen and C. Knopf for collecting samples. Funding for this project was provided by the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, Denver University’s Partners in Scholarship, and Rocky Mountain National Park. The methods in this study were approved by Colorado State University’s Animal Care and Use Committee (permit numbers 05-012A-01). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This is contribution number 407 of the U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1474, USA

    Rick D. Scherer & Barry R. Noon

  2. U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8118, USA

    Erin Muths & Sara J. Oyler-McCance

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  1. Rick D. Scherer
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  2. Erin Muths
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Correspondence to Rick D. Scherer.

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Scherer, R.D., Muths, E., Noon, B.R. et al. The genetic structure of a relict population of wood frogs. Conserv Genet 13, 1521–1530 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-012-0395-1

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