Assessing the robustness of networks of spatial genetic variation

Habitat transformation is one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss. The ecological effects of this transformation have mainly been addressed at the demographic level, for example, finding extinction thresholds. However, interpopulation genetic variability and the subsequent potential for adaptation can be eroded before effects are noticed on species abundances. To what degree this is the case has been difficult to evaluate, partly because of the lack of both spatially extended genetic data and an appropriate framework to map and analyse such data. Here, we extend recent work on the analysis of networks of spatial genetic variation to address the robustness of these networks in the face of perturbations. We illustrate the potential of this framework using the case study of an amphibian metapopulation. Our results show that while the disappearance of some spatial sites barely changes the modular structure of the genetic network, other sites have a much stronger effect. Interestingly, these consequences can not be anticipated using topological, static measures. Mapping these networks of spatial genetic variation will allow identifying significant evolutionary units and how they vanish, merge and reorganise following perturbations.

Low gene flow but high genetic diversity in the threatened Mallorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis

We investigated fine-scale genetic structuring in the rare and vulnerable Mallorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis using eight polymorphic microsatellite markers. The current range of this amphibian is restricted to some 19 sites of which six are derived from reintroductions, all located in the mountain ranges of Mallorca. We sampled tadpoles from 14 pools covering 10 natural sites and two reintroduction sites for microsatellite DNA analyses. Relatively high levels of genetic variation were found in most pools (H(E) = 0.38-0.71, allelic richness = 2.6-6.2). Only at one pool has the population recently gone through a bottleneck. Dispersal between pools in different torrents does not occur whereas downstream dispersal between pools within the same torrent does happen at low frequencies. This occasional exchange of individuals does not lead to neighbouring pools in the same torrent being panmictic. This can be concluded because all F(ST) values (0.12-0.53) differ significantly from zero and STRUCTURE analyses identified neighbouring pools as separate populations. Furthermore, assignment and migration tests showed little exchange between neighbouring pools. If upstream locations or complete torrents go extinct, they are unlikely to be recolonized naturally. For conservation purposes, reintroductions of tadpoles to sites where local extinctions have occurred may therefore be advisable.