Genetic connectivity of wolverines in western North America

Casey C Day^#¹, Erin L Landguth^#², Michael A Sawaya³, Anthony P Clevenger⁴, Robert A Long⁵, Zachary A Holden⁶, Jocelyn R Akins⁷, Robert B Anderson⁸, Keith B Aubry⁶, Mirjam Barrueto⁹, Nichole L Bjornlie¹⁰, Jeffrey P Copeland¹¹, Jason T Fisher¹², Anne Forshner¹³, Justin A Gude¹⁴, Doris Hausleitner¹⁵, Nichole A Heim¹⁶, Kimberly S Heinemeyer¹⁷, Anne Hubbs¹⁸, Robert M Inman¹⁹, Scott Jackson⁶, Michael Jokinen⁸, Nathan P Kluge¹⁴, Andrea Kortello²⁰, Deborah L Lacroix²¹, Luke Lamar²², Lisa I Larson¹³, Jeffrey C Lewis²³, Dave Lockman²⁴, Michael K Lucid^{10

11}, Paula MacKay⁶, Audrey J Magoun²⁵, Michelle L McLellan²⁶, Katie M Moriarty²⁷, Cory E Mosby¹¹, Garth Mowat²⁸, Clifford G Nietvelt²⁸, David Paetkau²⁹, Eric C Palm³⁰, Kylie J S Paul³¹, Kristine L Pilgrim⁶, Catherine M Raley⁶, Michael K Schwartz⁶, Matthew A Scrafford³², John R Squires⁶, Zachary J Walker²⁴, John S Waller³³, Richard D Weir³⁴, Katherine A Zeller⁶

Affiliations

¹ University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. casey.day@mso.umt.edu.
² University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. erin.landguth@mso.umt.edu.
³ Sinopah Wildlife Research Associates, Missoula, MT, USA.
⁴ MSU Western Transportation Institute, Bozeman, MT, USA.
⁵ Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge, WA, USA.
⁶ USDA Forest Service, Missoula, WA, USA.
⁷ Cascades Carnivore Project, Hood River, OR, USA.
⁸ Alberta Conservation Association, Crowsnest Pass, Blairmore, AB, Canada.
⁹ University of Calgary, Alberta, CA, Canada.
¹⁰ Fish & Wildlife Service, US, USA.
¹¹ Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, ID, USA.
¹² School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
¹³ Parks Canada, Lake Louise, AB, Canada.
¹⁴ Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Helena, MT, USA.
¹⁵ Selkirk College, Castlegar, BC, Canada.
¹⁶ Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta, AB, Canada.
¹⁷ Braided Knowledge Consulting, Bozeman, MT, USA.
¹⁸ Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹⁹ Wildlife Conservation Society, Newyork, NY, USA.
²⁰ Poisson Consulting, Nelson, Canada.
²¹ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
²² Swan Valley Connections, Condon, MT, USA.
²³ Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA.
²⁴ Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Cheyenne, WY, USA.
²⁵ Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK, USA.
²⁶ Biodiversity Pathways, Wildlife Science Center, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
²⁷ National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Corvallis, OR, USA.
²⁸ Ministry of Forests, British Columbia, BC, Canada.
²⁹ Wildlife Genetics International, Nelson, BC, Canada.
³⁰ University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
³¹ Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, MT, USA.
³² Wildlife Conservation Society, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³³ National Park Service, West Glacier, MT, USA.
³⁴ Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Victoria, BC, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 39548133
PMCID: PMC11568290
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-77956-9

Genetic connectivity of wolverines in western North America

Casey C Day et al. Sci Rep. 2024.

. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28248.

doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-77956-9.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. casey.day@mso.umt.edu.
² University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. erin.landguth@mso.umt.edu.
³ Sinopah Wildlife Research Associates, Missoula, MT, USA.
⁴ MSU Western Transportation Institute, Bozeman, MT, USA.
⁵ Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge, WA, USA.
⁶ USDA Forest Service, Missoula, WA, USA.
⁷ Cascades Carnivore Project, Hood River, OR, USA.
⁸ Alberta Conservation Association, Crowsnest Pass, Blairmore, AB, Canada.
⁹ University of Calgary, Alberta, CA, Canada.
¹⁰ Fish & Wildlife Service, US, USA.
¹¹ Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, ID, USA.
¹² School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
¹³ Parks Canada, Lake Louise, AB, Canada.
¹⁴ Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Helena, MT, USA.
¹⁵ Selkirk College, Castlegar, BC, Canada.
¹⁶ Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta, AB, Canada.
¹⁷ Braided Knowledge Consulting, Bozeman, MT, USA.
¹⁸ Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹⁹ Wildlife Conservation Society, Newyork, NY, USA.
²⁰ Poisson Consulting, Nelson, Canada.
²¹ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
²² Swan Valley Connections, Condon, MT, USA.
²³ Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA.
²⁴ Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Cheyenne, WY, USA.
²⁵ Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK, USA.
²⁶ Biodiversity Pathways, Wildlife Science Center, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
²⁷ National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Corvallis, OR, USA.
²⁸ Ministry of Forests, British Columbia, BC, Canada.
²⁹ Wildlife Genetics International, Nelson, BC, Canada.
³⁰ University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
³¹ Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, MT, USA.
³² Wildlife Conservation Society, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³³ National Park Service, West Glacier, MT, USA.
³⁴ Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Victoria, BC, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 39548133
PMCID: PMC11568290
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-77956-9

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 km²of 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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Study area. Extent of landscape connectivity analysis (green polygon) and locations of genetic samples (red points) for landscape genetics analysis of wolverines in North America.

**Fig. 2**
Genetic connectivity. Prediction surface for top performing model showing low (black) to high (white) landscape resistance due to human disturbance and lack of forest cover (A) with a resistant kernel (B) and factorial least-cost paths (C) indicating low (dark red) to high (yellow) genetic connectivity areas (B) and least-cost path density (C). These surfaces are inclusive of areas outside of current wolverine distribution to provide an understanding of how much resistance these areas pose to potential wolverine dispersal and connectivity.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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1. Aubry, K. B., McKelvey, K. S. & Copeland, J. P. <ArticleTitle Language=“En”>Distribution and broadscale habitat relations of the wolverine in the contiguous United States. J. Wildl. Manag.71, 2147–2158 (2007).
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1. Aubry, K. B., Raley, C. M., Shirk, A. J., McKelvey, K. S. & Copeland, J. P. Climatic conditions limit wolverine distribution in the Cascade Range of southwestern North America. Can. J. Zool.101, 95–113 (2023).
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Genetic connectivity of wolverines in western North America

Affiliations

Genetic connectivity of wolverines in western North America

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

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