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Metapopulation genetics of endangered reticulated flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi) in a dynamic and fragmented landscape

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A Correction to this article was published on 15 May 2021

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Abstract

The reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi), an endangered species endemic to the longleaf-pine savanna ecosystem of the southeastern U.S., persists in a small number of remnant habitat patches. Breeding ponds and associated populations are threatened by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation stemming from fire suppression and land conversion. Understanding influences on population dynamics and genetic diversity will help inform recovery efforts for this and other pond-breeding amphibians. We used 9 microsatellite loci to characterize population structure, migration, and genetic diversity of juvenile (larvae and metamorphs) A. bishopi (n = 607) sampled from thirteen breeding ponds across two breeding seasons. Temporal genetic variation between annual cohorts was minimal compared to spatial variation among locations. The primary genetic subdivision was between two regional groups of breeding ponds (i.e. metapopulations), which were located more than 10 km from each other. Yet even within metapopulations, genetic isolation-by-distance was pronounced, and estimated migration rates among ponds separated by > 400 m were very low. Genetic diversity was positively correlated with the area of suitable breeding habitat in a pond and negatively correlated with distance to other occupied ponds. The effective number of breeders typically was < 30 individuals per year per pond, and all populations showed signs of having been through a severe demographic bottleneck. Small and variable local population sizes suggest the importance of metapopulation dynamics among ponds for maintaining regional persistence and genetic diversity. Such dynamics may be easily disrupted for A. bishopi, so maintaining and restoring connectivity appears crucial for long-term conservation.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available on Dryad. Data regarding microsatellite primer sequences can be found in supplementary information. Any other data, excluding exact locations of ponds, which cannot be publicly shared due to the species’ protected status, can be obtained from the corresponding author.

Code availability

Custom code can be found in Supplementary Materials.

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincerest thanks to G. Brooks, K. Jones, B. Rincon, V. Porter, H. Chandler, S. Goodman, A. Hillman, J. Newman, K. Erwin, J. Newton, S. Konkolics, C. Abeles, (A) Perez-Umphrey, T. Williams, J. Da Silva Neto, J. Hefner, T. Mammone, (B) Moore, (A) Saenger, and other members of the Eglin field crew for their hard work in providing samples and metadata for this analysis. G. Brooks, N. Caruso, J. Eschenroeder, S. Harrison, (B) Scott, J. Smith and G. Strickland assisted in various invaluable ways with lab work and data analysis. Manuscript drafts have benefitted from the helpful comments of (C) Abeles, S. Harrison, L. McBrayer, and S. Taylor. Funding and support was provided by the Natural Resources Branch of Eglin Air Force Base, Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, Hurlburt Field (USAF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Aquatic Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project 1006328, and the Graduate Student Organization of Georgia Southern University. We sincerely appreciate the commitment and support from dedicated colleagues at the agencies mentioned above who have gone above and beyond to support our work and the conservation of this species.

Funding

Funding and support was provided by Natural Resources Branch of Eglin Air Force Base, Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, Hurlburt Field (USAF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Aquatic Habitat Restoration/Enhancement (AHRE) Program of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, and GSU Graduate Student Organization.

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  1. Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 30460, Statesboro, Georgia

    Alexander Wendt & James H. Roberts

  2. Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Carola A. Haas & Thomas Gorman

  3. Aquatic Resources Division, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Chehalis, WA, 98504, USA

    Thomas Gorman

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  1. Alexander Wendt
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Wendt, A., Haas, C.A., Gorman, T. et al. Metapopulation genetics of endangered reticulated flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi) in a dynamic and fragmented landscape. Conserv Genet 22, 551–567 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-021-01360-3

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