Abstract

Wolverine distribution contracted along the southern periphery of its range in North America during the 19th and 20th centuries due primarily to human influences. This history, along with low densities, sensitivity to climate change, and concerns about connectivity among fragmented habitats spurred the recent US federal listing of threatened status and special concern status in Canada. To help inform large scale landscape connectivity, we collected 882 genetic samples genotyped at 19 microsatellite loci. We employed multiple statistical models to assess the landscape factors (terrain complexity, human disturbance, forest configuration, and climate) associated with wolverine genetic connectivity across 2.2 million kmof southwestern Canada and the northwestern contiguous United States. Genetic similarity (positive spatial autocorrelation) of wolverines was detected up to 555 km and a high-to-low gradient of genetic diversity occurred from north-to-south. Landscape genetics analyses confirmed that wolverine genetic connectivity has been negatively influenced by human disturbance at broad scales and positively influenced by forest cover and snow persistence at fine- and broad–scales, respectively. This information applied across large landscapes can be used to guide management actions with the goal of maintaining or restoring population connectivity.

Details

Title
Genetic connectivity of wolverines in western North America
Author
Day, Casey C. 1 ; Landguth, Erin L. 1 ; Sawaya, Michael A. 2 ; Clevenger, Anthony P 3 ; Long, Robert A. 4 ; Holden, Zachary A. 5 ; Akins, Jocelyn R. 6 ; Anderson, Robert B. 7 ; Aubry, Keith B. 5 ; Barrueto, Mirjam 8 ; Bjornlie, Nichole L. 9 ; Copeland, Jeffrey P. 10 ; Fisher, Jason T. 11 ; Forshner, Anne 12 ; Gude, Justin A. 13 ; Hausleitner, Doris 14 ; Heim, Nichole A. 15 ; Heinemeyer, Kimberly S. 16 ; Hubbs, Anne 17 ; Inman, Robert M. 18 ; Jackson, Scott 5 ; Jokinen, Michael 7 ; Kluge, Nathan P. 13 ; Kortello, Andrea 19 ; Lacroix, Deborah L. 20 ; Lamar, Luke 21 ; Larson, Lisa I. 12 ; Lewis, Jeffrey C. 22 ; Lockman, Dave 23 ; Lucid, Michael K. 24 ; MacKay, Paula 5 ; Magoun, Audrey J. 25 ; McLellan, Michelle L. 26 ; Moriarty, Katie M. 27 ; Mosby, Cory E. 10 ; Mowat, Garth 28 ; Nietvelt, Clifford G. 28 ; Paetkau, David 29 ; Palm, Eric C. 1 ; Paul, Kylie J.S. 30 ; Pilgrim, Kristine L. 5 ; Raley, Catherine M. 5 ; Schwartz, Michael K. 5 ; Scrafford, Matthew A. 31 ; Squires, John R. 5 ; Walker, Zachary J. 23 ; Waller, John S. 32 ; Weir, Richard D. 33 ; Zeller, Katherine A. 5 

 University of Montana, Missoula, USA (GRID:grid.253613.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 5772) 
 Sinopah Wildlife Research Associates, Missoula, USA (GRID:grid.253613.0) 
 MSU Western Transportation Institute, Bozeman, USA (GRID:grid.505706.1) (ISNI:0000 0000 9561 5737) 
 Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge, USA (GRID:grid.505706.1) 
 USDA Forest Service, Missoula, USA (GRID:grid.472551.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 0404 3120) 
 Cascades Carnivore Project, Hood River, USA (GRID:grid.472551.0) 
 Alberta Conservation Association, Crowsnest Pass, Blairmore, Canada (GRID:grid.469692.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 0487 8708) 
 University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GRID:grid.22072.35) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7697) 
 Fish & Wildlife Service, US, USA (GRID:grid.22072.35) 
10  Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, USA (GRID:grid.448480.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0431 6387) 
11  University of Victoria, School of Environmental Studies, Victoria, Canada (GRID:grid.143640.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9465) 
12  Parks Canada, Lake Louise, Canada (GRID:grid.451141.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 0790 3366) 
13  Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Helena, USA (GRID:grid.507766.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9746 6632) 
14  Selkirk College, Castlegar, Canada (GRID:grid.438087.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9878 1255) 
15  Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta, Canada (GRID:grid.431902.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 1276 660X) 
16  Braided Knowledge Consulting, Bozeman, USA (GRID:grid.431902.d) 
17  Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (GRID:grid.484182.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0459 5283) 
18  Wildlife Conservation Society, Newyork, USA (GRID:grid.269823.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 2164 6888) 
19  Poisson Consulting, Nelson, Canada (GRID:grid.507766.5) 
20  Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada (GRID:grid.61971.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7494) 
21  Swan Valley Connections, Condon, USA (GRID:grid.61971.38) 
22  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, USA (GRID:grid.448582.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 0163 4193) 
23  Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Cheyenne, USA (GRID:grid.508456.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0424 3712) 
24  Fish & Wildlife Service, US, USA (GRID:grid.508456.a); Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, USA (GRID:grid.448480.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0431 6387) 
25  Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, USA (GRID:grid.417842.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 0698 5259) 
26  Biodiversity Pathways, Wildlife Science Center, Kelowna, Canada (GRID:grid.417842.c) 
27  National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Corvallis, USA (GRID:grid.508405.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2116 2613) 
28  Ministry of Forests, British Columbia, Canada (GRID:grid.450436.0) 
29  Wildlife Genetics International, Nelson, Canada (GRID:grid.450436.0) 
30  Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, USA (GRID:grid.501486.e) 
31  Wildlife Conservation Society, Toronto, Canada (GRID:grid.439146.d) 
32  National Park Service, West Glacier, USA (GRID:grid.454846.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2331 3972) 
33  Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Victoria, Canada (GRID:grid.454846.f) 
Pages
28248
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3128899535
Copyright
© This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.