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8032513 
Journal Article 
HIGH GENETIC CONNECTIVITY IN WOOD FROGS (LITHOBATES SYLVATICUS) AND SPOTTED SALAMANDERS (AMBYSTOMA MACULATUM) IN A COMMERCIAL FOREST 
Coster, SS; Babbitt, KJ; Kovach, AI 
2015 
Yes 
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
ISSN: 1931-7603 
10 
1 
64-89 
WOS:000360373100005 
We characterized the genetic structure of two pond-breeding amphibian species in a commercial forest to evaluate population connectivity and investigate whether landscape features and timber harvest influenced dispersal and gene flow. We sampled 20 Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) populations and 23 Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) populations across an area of 40 x 52 km. We estimated genetic diversity and differentiation, and used both a Bayesian clustering approach and a spatial autocorrelation analysis to evaluate genetic structure. We used a least-cost path analysis to examine dispersal and gene flow within each species. In both species, we found high genetic diversity and low differentiation across the study area, and the Bayesian clustering analysis identified a single genetic cluster for each species. The spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated there was greater spatial genetic structure in Spotted Salamanders than Wood Frogs. None of the landscape features measured were significantly related to genetic distance in Wood Frogs, and lakes impeded dispersal in Spotted Salamanders. We attribute the findings of high genetic connectivity in both species to a combination of abundant forest and wetlands with minimal anthropogenic disturbance. These findings suggest that current silviculture practices in the study area do not significantly impede dispersal and gene flow of pond-breeding amphibians. 
dispersal; forestry; gene flow; landscape genetics