No description available.

Simulation models are valuable for making predictions that may be tested in natural systems and for understanding observed patterns. The simulation model developed for this thesis evaluates the effects of spatial network architecture, including organism dispersal patterns and isolation of habitats, on metapopulations. Two fields were merged throughout this project: metapopulation biology and small-world network theory. Small-world networks are characterized in their extremes as scale-free or single-scale. These models potentially simulate the networks of habitats and corridors in which metapopulations operate. Small-world network theory has been used to describe systems as diverse as rivers, the world-wide-web, and protein interactions, but has not been used as an experimental treatment for metapopulation dynamics. I tested the effects of growth rate, dispersal pattern, network architecture (scale-free and single-scale), attack type (targeted or random), and attack severity (0, 5, 10, 20, or 40% attacked populations) on metapopulation size and inter-population variation in a simulated system designed to be relevant to conservation biology and ecology. Metapopulation size and inter-population variation changed due to combinations of dispersal pattern, growth rate, and attack severity. Specifically, metapopulations were most affected by a combination of unidirectional dispersal and low growth rate in both metapopulation number and inter-population variation. However, a significant difference between scale-free and single-scale metapopulations was not found due to a low connectivity in the modeled networks as well as limitations of experimental assumptions. However, future studies that alter the model's assumptions could improve understanding of the influence of landscape structure on at-risk metapopulations.

Os modelos metapopulacionais são uma ferramenta muito importante nos estudos de habitats fragmentados. Sendo a natureza bastante diversificada, a análise de ambientes heterogêneos e primordial para a construção de uma dinâmica mais próxima da realidade. Com isso, buscou-se construir um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies, cujo objetivo e encontrar um critério de estabilidade assintótica de orbitas de sincronização parcial. Para tanto e descrito um ambiente com n patches ou sítios conectados por movimentos de migração divididos em conjuntos, que apresentam diferentes características de sobrevivência e reprodução de cada espécie. Obteve-se uma representação para matriz Jacobiana do sistema, al em de um critério para o cálculo do expoente de Lyapunov. Sendo possível, então, uma generalização para um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies. / The metapopulational models are an important appliance in the fragmented habitats studies."The nature is very diversi ed, so the heterogeneous environments analysis is primordial for close construction of dynamics realities. Therefore, this research aimed to construct a metapopulational heterogeneous model of multiple species in order to nd an asymptotic stability standard of partial synchronization of orbits. Hence an environment with n patches or connected sites by migration movements were described, whose were divided into groups with di erent survival and reproduction characteristics of each species. A Jacobian matrix of system representation was obtained, as well as a Lyapunov exponent calculation criteria. Thus, a generalization for a heterogeneous metapopulational model of multiple species was possible.

Flexible life-history traits and dispersal may allow generalist populations to persist across a range of habitats despite experiencing contrasting selection pressures. Invertebrates exploiting temporary ponds must develop quickly and disperse as adults, or have wide environmental tolerances. Conversely, permanent-pond invertebrates must avoid a suite of predators (e.g., fish and dragonflies). This gradient of pond permanence can result in life-history trade-offs that influence fitness, population dynamics, and genetic structure. In addition, recruitment between habitats may balance juvenile life-history trade-offs and be crucial to sustain generalist invertebrate populations in ponds with unpredictable hydrology. Through a multi-year survey of three pond complexes in the Canterbury high-country and a series of mesocosm experiments using two generalist pond invertebrates, Xanthocnemis zealandica damselflies and Sigara arguta waterboatmen, I found these two species had alternative life-history strategies that influenced their distributions across the pond-permanence gradient. With longer juvenile development, X. zealandica benefited from flexible life-history traits: temporary-pond X. zealandica had accelerated development and short-term desiccation tolerance, but were excluded from ponds with long dry periods, whereas, permanent-pond X. zealandica had extended development and predator avoidance behaviours (e.g., reduced movement and refuge-use). In contrast, S. arguta had an opportunistic life-history strategy with a fixed, rapid development response that allowed them to inhabit more temporary ponds, but they were intolerant of drying and limited to permanent ponds that contained shallow refuges from fish. These results illustrate how alternative life-history strategies enabled two generalist species to achieve broad realised niches. Recruitment between habitats also appeared to be important for balancing trade-offs and maintaining meta-populations across the pond-permanence gradient. To evaluate the importance of X. zealandica dispersal among and within pond complexes I used microsatellite analyses. While there was unique genetic population structure between the North and South Islands, at lower spatial scales there was little variability in genetic diversity and limited genetic structure in populations, likely due to gene flow among different habitat types. Overall, this work shows how an interaction of juvenile strategies and adult dispersal could reduce life-history trade-offs, resulting in weak selection pressures across an unpredictable disturbance gradient. Whether increasingly unpredictable hydrological patterns under climate-warming favour generalist species will likely depend on how well generalist life-history traits and dispersal allow exploitation of a range of habitat types and resilience to variable selection pressures. Higher mean summer rainfall in New Zealand may allow both species to exploit more temporary ponds, whereas longer dry periods between extreme precipitation events could limit X. zealandica distributions. Thus, species with generalist strategies are likely to be favoured under warming, but their specific life-history strategies will likely promote or limit their ability to exploit more unpredictable habitats.

Os modelos metapopulacionais são uma ferramenta muito importante nos estudos de habitats fragmentados. Sendo a natureza bastante diversificada, a análise de ambientes heterogêneos e primordial para a construção de uma dinâmica mais próxima da realidade. Com isso, buscou-se construir um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies, cujo objetivo e encontrar um critério de estabilidade assintótica de orbitas de sincronização parcial. Para tanto e descrito um ambiente com n patches ou sítios conectados por movimentos de migração divididos em conjuntos, que apresentam diferentes características de sobrevivência e reprodução de cada espécie. Obteve-se uma representação para matriz Jacobiana do sistema, al em de um critério para o cálculo do expoente de Lyapunov. Sendo possível, então, uma generalização para um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies. / The metapopulational models are an important appliance in the fragmented habitats studies."The nature is very diversi ed, so the heterogeneous environments analysis is primordial for close construction of dynamics realities. Therefore, this research aimed to construct a metapopulational heterogeneous model of multiple species in order to nd an asymptotic stability standard of partial synchronization of orbits. Hence an environment with n patches or connected sites by migration movements were described, whose were divided into groups with di erent survival and reproduction characteristics of each species. A Jacobian matrix of system representation was obtained, as well as a Lyapunov exponent calculation criteria. Thus, a generalization for a heterogeneous metapopulational model of multiple species was possible.

No description available.

Nearshore populations have been depleted and some have not yet recovered. Therefore, theoretical studies focus on improving fisheries management and designing marine protected areas (MPAs). Depleted populations may be undergoing an Allee effect, i.e. a decrease in fitness at low densities. Here, I constructed a marine metapopulation model that included pre- and post-dispersal Allee effects using a network theory approach. Networks represent metapopulations as groups of nodes connected by dispersal paths. With this model I answered four questions: What is the role of Allee effects on habitat occupancy? Are MPAs effective in recovering exploited populations? What is the importance of larval dispersal patterns in preventing local extinctions due to exploitation and Allee effects? Can exploitation fragment nearshore metapopulations? When weak Allee effects are included, habitat occupancy drops as larval retention decreases because more larvae are lost to unsuitable habitat. With strong Allee effects habitat occupancy also drops at high larval retention because more larvae are needed to overcome the Allee effect. Post-dispersal Allee effects seem more detrimental for nearshore metapopulations. MPA effectiveness seems also lower in a post-dispersal Allee effect scenario. In overexploited systems, local populations that go extinct are also less likely to recover even after protecting the whole coastline. In exploited nearshore metapopulations with Allee effects, local occupancy or the recovery of local populations depends not only on larval inflow from neighbor populations, but also on larval inflow for these neighbors. Nearshore metapopulations with intense fishing mortality and Allee effects may also suffer a decrease in dispersal strength and fragmentation. Population fragmentation occurs when large populations are split into smaller groups. A tool for detecting partitioning in a network is modularity. The modularity analysis performed for red abalone in the Southern California Bight showed that exploitation increases partitioning through time before the entire metapopulation collapses. These findings call for research effort in estimating the strength of potential Allee effects to prevent stock collapse and assess MPA effectiveness, evaluating the predictability of local occupancy by centrality metrics to help identify important sites for conservation, and using modularity analysis to quantify the health of exploited metapopulations to prevent their collapse. / text

The natural instability of hydrothermal vents creates variable environmental conditions among habitat patches. Habitat differences correspond to phenotypic variation in Ridgeia piscesae, the only ‘vent tubeworm’ on the spreading ridges of the Northeast Pacific. Ridgeia piscesae that occupy high fluid flux habitats have rapid growth rates and high reproductive output compared to tubeworms in habitats with low rates of venting fluid delivery. As recruitment occurs in all settings, worms in the “optimal habitat” may act as source populations for all habitat types. Ridgeia piscesae is a foundation species in the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The objective of this thesis was to assess fine scale population structure in Ridgeia piscesae within the Endeavour vent system using genetic data. Population structure was assessed by analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene in 498 individuals collected from three vent sites of the Juan de Fuca Ridge; Middle Valley (n=26), Endeavour Segment (n=444) and Axial Volcano (n=28). Genotyping using microsatellite markers was attempted but all loci developed for closely related tubeworm species failed to amplify microsatellites in Ridgeia piscesae. Sequence analysis identified 32 mitochondrial COI haplotypes; one dominant haplotype (68%), three common haplotypes (4%-7%) and the remainder were rare (<2%). Axial Volcano was differentiated from Middle Valley and Endeavour. Within Endeavour, genetic sub-structuring of Ridgeia piscesae occurred among vent fields (Clam Bed, Main Endeavour and Mothra) and habitat types < 10 km apart. Patterns of genetic variation and coalescent based models suggested that gene flow among vent fields moved in a north to south direction in individuals from high flux habitat but from south to north in individuals from low flux habitat. Tubeworms from low flux habitat had more nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes than those from high flux habitats. Estimates of the number of immigrants per generation moving from high flux to low flux subpopulations was four times higher than in the reverse direction. The effective population size was estimated to be three times greater in high flux habitat when the generation times for individuals from each habitat type were considered. Demographic tests for population equilibrium identified a recent and rapidly expanding metapopulation at Endeavour. Models of gene flow in Ridgeia piscesae reflected the general oceanographic circulation described at Endeavour. Genetic data illustrate that dispersing larvae exploit the bi-directional currents created through plume driven circulation within the Endeavour axial valley and suggest that adult position on or near chimneys may influence larval dispersal trajectories upon release. Building on known ecological and biological features, this study also showed that Ridgeia piscesae from limited and ephemeral high flux habitat act as sources to the overall metapopulation and that asymmetrical migration and habitat stability sustain high genetic diversity in low flux sinks. The overall metapopulation at Endeavour experiences frequent extinction and recolonization events, differences in individual reproductive success, and source-sink dynamics that decrease the overall effective size and genetic diversity within the population. These factors have important implications for the conservation of a foundation species. / Graduate / 0307 / 0329 / 0369 / lcpuetz@uvic.ca

The European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, was introduced to Australia in 1859 and quickly became a significant vertebrate pest species in the country across a wide distribution. In arid and semi-arid environments, rabbit populations exist as metapopulations - undergoing frequent extinction recolonisation cycles. Previous studies identified population genetic structuring at the regional level between arid and semi-arid environments, and habitat heterogeneity was suggested as a possible causal factor. For the most part, rabbit behaviour has been overlooked as a factor that could contribute to explaining population genetic structure in arid and semi-arid environments. This study utilised a combination of genetic sampling techniques and a simulated territorial intrusion approach to observing wild rabbit behaviour in arid and semi-arid environments. The genetic component of the study compared population samples from each region using four polymorphic microsatellite loci. The behavioural component examined variation in the level of territoriality exhibited by three study populations in the arid region towards rabbits of known versus unknown origins (resident vs transgressor (simulating dispersal)). A difference was observed in population genetic structure determined from nuclear markers between arid and semi-arid regions, which supports findings of previous research using mitochondrial DNA data in the same area. Additionally, differences in aggressive response to known vs unknown rabbits were identified in parts of the arid region, which together with the effects of habitat heterogeneity and connectivity may explain the observed differences in population genetic structure. Knowledge of behavioural plasticity and its effect on relative dispersal success and population genetic structure may contribute to improved management and control of feral rabbit populations at the regional level within Australia; and may assist with conservation efforts in the species' natural range in Europe.

The marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is a semi-aquatic rodent classified as state-threatened in Illinois due to historical wetland loss coupled with being on the northern periphery of its range. The most recent survey for this species in Illinois occurred in 1988, and this study reassessed its status and distribution. From 2007 to 2009, I used live traps to sample for rice rats at previously occupied and random wetland-dominated sites in 5 southern Illinois watersheds. I captured 132 individual rice rats 192 times in 13,248 trap nights. Capture success was 15.10 captures/1,000 trap nights. I detected rice rats within 3 of 5 watersheds, 16 of 48 sites, and 5 new locations. Most rice rats were captured in permanent or semi-permanent emergent wetlands and rice rat occurrence was strongly related with coal mine-associated wetlands. I collected microhabitat measurements at 10% of trap locations and recorded landcover types within and around sites. I analyzed data using t-tests, logistic regression, and occupancy modeling. Percent herbaceous cover and percent visual obstruction (0.0-0.5m) positively influenced rice rat occurrence and were among the most important microhabitat models. The best model in the candidate set of landcover variables included proportion of upland grass in areas surrounding wetlands as a predictor of rice rat occurrence. I believe insufficient evidence exists to warrant removal of the threatened status of the marsh rice rat. However, current management practices, such as wetland restoration, grassland restoration, and mowing of roadside ditches, likely benefit rice rat populations. Slight modification of these management activities may facilitate the eventual delisting of marsh rice rats.