Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa

Abstract Species confined to naturally fragmented habitats may exhibit intrinsic population complexity which may challenge interpretations of species response to anthropogenic landscape transformation. In South Africa, where native forests are naturally fragmented, forest‐dependent birds have underg...

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Autores principales:	Jake M. Mulvaney, Conrad A. Matthee, Michael I. Cherry
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Wiley 2021
Materias:	Afromontane forest birds effective population size gene flow landscape genetics microsatellites Evolution QH359-425
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/ecbf61211fdd49f4986622f87e03fa66
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:ecbf61211fdd49f4986622f87e03fa662021-11-15T07:15:49ZSpecies–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa1752-457110.1111/eva.13306https://doaj.org/article/ecbf61211fdd49f4986622f87e03fa662021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13306https://doaj.org/toc/1752-4571Abstract Species confined to naturally fragmented habitats may exhibit intrinsic population complexity which may challenge interpretations of species response to anthropogenic landscape transformation. In South Africa, where native forests are naturally fragmented, forest‐dependent birds have undergone range declines since 1992, most notably among insectivores. These insectivores appear sensitive to the quality of natural matrix habitats, and it is unknown whether transformation of the landscape matrix has disrupted gene flow in these species. We undertook a landscape genetics study of four forest‐dependent insectivorous songbirds across southeast South Africa. Microsatellite data were used to conduct a priori optimization of landscape resistance surfaces (land cover, rivers and dams, and elevation) using cost‐distances along least‐cost pathway (LCP), and resistance distances (IBR). We detected pronounced declines in effective population sizes over the past two centuries for the endemic forest specialist Cossypha dichroa and Batis capensis, alongside recent gene flow disruption in B. capensis, C. dichroa and Pogonocichla stellata. Landscape resistance modelling showed both native forest and dense thicket configuration facilitates gene flow in P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa. Facultative dispersal of P. stellata through dense thicket likely aided resilience against historic landscape transformation, whereas combined forest‐thicket degradation adversely affected the forest generalist B. capensis. By contrast, Phylloscopus ruficapilla appears least reliant upon landscape features to maintain gene flow and was least impacted by anthropogenic landscape transformation. Collectively, gene flow in all four species is improved at lower elevations, along river valleys, and riparian corridors— where native forest and dense thicket better persist. Consistent outperformance of LCP over IBR land‐cover models for P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa demonstrates the benefits of wildlife corridors for South African forest‐dependent bird conservation, to ameliorate the extinction debts from past and present anthropogenic forest exploitation.Jake M. MulvaneyConrad A. MattheeMichael I. CherryWileyarticleAfromontane forestbirdseffective population sizegene flowlandscape geneticsmicrosatellitesEvolutionQH359-425ENEvolutionary Applications, Vol 14, Iss 11, Pp 2680-2697 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Afromontane forest birds effective population size gene flow landscape genetics microsatellites Evolution QH359-425
spellingShingle	Afromontane forest birds effective population size gene flow landscape genetics microsatellites Evolution QH359-425 Jake M. Mulvaney Conrad A. Matthee Michael I. Cherry Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
description	Abstract Species confined to naturally fragmented habitats may exhibit intrinsic population complexity which may challenge interpretations of species response to anthropogenic landscape transformation. In South Africa, where native forests are naturally fragmented, forest‐dependent birds have undergone range declines since 1992, most notably among insectivores. These insectivores appear sensitive to the quality of natural matrix habitats, and it is unknown whether transformation of the landscape matrix has disrupted gene flow in these species. We undertook a landscape genetics study of four forest‐dependent insectivorous songbirds across southeast South Africa. Microsatellite data were used to conduct a priori optimization of landscape resistance surfaces (land cover, rivers and dams, and elevation) using cost‐distances along least‐cost pathway (LCP), and resistance distances (IBR). We detected pronounced declines in effective population sizes over the past two centuries for the endemic forest specialist Cossypha dichroa and Batis capensis, alongside recent gene flow disruption in B. capensis, C. dichroa and Pogonocichla stellata. Landscape resistance modelling showed both native forest and dense thicket configuration facilitates gene flow in P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa. Facultative dispersal of P. stellata through dense thicket likely aided resilience against historic landscape transformation, whereas combined forest‐thicket degradation adversely affected the forest generalist B. capensis. By contrast, Phylloscopus ruficapilla appears least reliant upon landscape features to maintain gene flow and was least impacted by anthropogenic landscape transformation. Collectively, gene flow in all four species is improved at lower elevations, along river valleys, and riparian corridors— where native forest and dense thicket better persist. Consistent outperformance of LCP over IBR land‐cover models for P. stellata, B. capensis and C. dichroa demonstrates the benefits of wildlife corridors for South African forest‐dependent bird conservation, to ameliorate the extinction debts from past and present anthropogenic forest exploitation.
format	article
author	Jake M. Mulvaney Conrad A. Matthee Michael I. Cherry
author_facet	Jake M. Mulvaney Conrad A. Matthee Michael I. Cherry
author_sort	Jake M. Mulvaney
title	Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
title_short	Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
title_full	Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
title_fullStr	Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed	Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa
title_sort	species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in south africa
publisher	Wiley
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/ecbf61211fdd49f4986622f87e03fa66
work_keys_str_mv	AT jakemmulvaney specieslandscapeinteractionsdrivedivergentpopulationtrajectoriesinfourforestdependentafromontaneforestsongbirdspecieswithinabiodiversityhotspotinsouthafrica AT conradamatthee specieslandscapeinteractionsdrivedivergentpopulationtrajectoriesinfourforestdependentafromontaneforestsongbirdspecieswithinabiodiversityhotspotinsouthafrica AT michaelicherry specieslandscapeinteractionsdrivedivergentpopulationtrajectoriesinfourforestdependentafromontaneforestsongbirdspecieswithinabiodiversityhotspotinsouthafrica
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Species–landscape interactions drive divergent population trajectories in four forest‐dependent Afromontane forest songbird species within a biodiversity hotspot in South Africa

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