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Spatial variation in demographic processes and the potential role of hybridization for the future

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Abstract

Context

Spatial variation in life history traits plays a crucial role in sha** the current and future dynamics of populations, particularly in systems where expanding hybrid zones could further shape population structure. The demographic responses of local populations to fine-scale habitat heterogeneity have consequences for species at a broader scale and demographic responses often vary across spatial scales.

Objectives

We evaluated spatial variation in population size and demographic traits (e.g., survival, individual growth, movement, and reproduction) of a montane endemic species of lungless terrestrial salamander across elevation and stream distance gradients representing broad and fine spatial scales, respectively.

Methods

Using 4 years of mark-recapture and count data from the Plethodon shermani × P. teyahalee hybrid system, whereby phenotypic hybrids occur at mid-elevations between low and high elevation congeners, we modeled demographic rates across environmental gradients and spatial scales using a combination of tools including individual growth models, and a spatially explicit Cormack-Jolly Seber model and Integrated Population Model.

Results

We found that high elevation animals grow faster and move more, especially far from streams, likely as a result of local microclimate conditions. Survival was highest but recruitment rates were lowest at low elevations and significantly declined with distance to stream. We also found that phenotypic hybrids at low elevations had higher survival probabilities.

Conclusions

Our study reveals nuanced spatial variation in demographic rates that differ in magnitude depending on the scale at which they are assessed. Our results also suggest that animals exhibit demographic compensation across abiotic gradients, underscoring the need for future conservation and management efforts to implement spatially explicit and dynamic strategies to match the demographic variation exhibited by populations across space.

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Data availability

All data is available on GitHub link: https://github.com/meaghanregina/Plethodon-IPM-SCJS .

Code availability

Code is available on GitHub: https://github.com/meaghanregina/Plethodon-IPM-SCJS

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many people who contributed to field collection including Philip Gould, Katie Greene, Addison Hoven, Andrew Wilk, Nicole Cooke, Winter Gary, Kate Donlon, Amelia Gray, and Kasey Foley. We also thank members of the Peterman Lab group, Suzanne Gray, Lauren Pintor, Chris Tonra, and three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier version on the manuscript. We also thank the staff at Highlands Biological Station for their logistical support.

Funding

This work was supported by The Herpetologists League E.E. Williams grant and multiple Grant-in-aids from Highlands Biological Station.

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Author notes

  1. Meaghan R. Gade

    Present address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA

    Meaghan R. Gade & William E. Peterman

  2. School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Qing Zhao

  3. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Qing Zhao

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Contributions

MRG and WEP: conceived the ideas and designed the methodology. MRG: collected the data. MRG and QZ: analyzed the data and MRG lead the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed equally to drafts of the manuscript and have given final approval for publication.

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Correspondence to Meaghan R. Gade.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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This research was conducted following The Ohio State University IACUC protocol #2016A00000026, with permission from the US Forest Service Permit number NAN 45716.

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Gade, M.R., Zhao, Q. & Peterman, W.E. Spatial variation in demographic processes and the potential role of hybridization for the future. Landsc Ecol 37, 2671–2687 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01503-y

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