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Resistance is futile: effects of landscape features on gene flow of the northern bobwhite

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Abstract

Habitat for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has declined and changed drastically in spatial structure throughout the last century. Undoubtedly such changes have impacted bobwhite and may have altered their ability to access available habitat. We investigated whether landscape resistance, geographic distance, or interstate highway barriers were related to dispersal and gene flow of bobwhite in central and southern Illinois. Landscape resistance was determined from two empirically informed models depicting habitat suitability for bobwhite. During 2007–2008, hunters submitted bobwhite tissue samples from which we amplified 11 microsatellites. The relationship between individual genetic distances and spatial variables was analyzed with Mantel tests and causal modeling was used to verify the spatial variables influencing gene flow. Genetic distance was correlated with geographic distance but showed no relationship with interstate highway barriers. Habitat suitability did not enhance gene flow, and was inversely related in some partial Mantel tests. We suggest that bobwhite dispersal from suitable habitat patches may be less frequent than from suboptimal habitats. Bobwhite may be able to access suitable habitat across gaps of unsuitable habitat but distance limits their dispersal. Because available habitat for bobwhites may have a greater likelihood of being colonized when closer to occupied habitat, we suggest that lands closer to occupied habitat should be targeted for conservation or habitat improvement efforts.

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Acknowledgments

We thank our funding source, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Federal Aid Project W-106-R-17-20. We acknowledge the involvement and foundational work of J. Roseberry. Illinois quail hunters including B. Allen, J. Cavaletto, B. Dunn, Mac Garrett, Mark Garrett, M. Grisham, V. Gwaltney, W. Jankowski, A. Pulliam, J. Pumphrey, R. Webb, contributed samples for this study. We thank Guest Editor A. McDevitt and 2 anonymous reviewers for strengthening earlier drafts of this manuscript. Finally, the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Departments of Zoology and Forestry, College of Agricultural Sciences, and Graduate School at Southern Illinois University Carbondale provided additional logistical support for our research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901-6504, USA

    Leah K. Berkman

  2. Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Forestry, Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901-6504, USA

    Clayton K. Nielsen

  3. Wetland Wildlife Populations and Research Group, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bemidji, MN, 56601, USA

    Charlotte L. Roy

  4. Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901-6501, USA

    Edward J. Heist

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  1. Leah K. Berkman
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Correspondence to Leah K. Berkman.

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Berkman, L.K., Nielsen, C.K., Roy, C.L. et al. Resistance is futile: effects of landscape features on gene flow of the northern bobwhite. Conserv Genet 14, 323–332 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-013-0471-1

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