Ernest Holly B, Boyce Walter M, Bleich Vernon C, May Bernie, Stiver San J, Torres Steven G
1Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA.
2Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA.
Conserv Genet. 2003;4(3):353-366. doi: 10.1023/A:1024069014911.
Analysis of 12 microsatellite loci from431 mountain lions ()revealed distinct genetic subdivision that wasassociated with geographic barriers andisolation by distance in California. Levels ofgenetic variation differed among geographicregions, and mountain lions that inhabitedcoastal areas exhibited less heterozygositythan those sampled inland. The San FranciscoBay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, theCentral Valley, and the Los Angeles Basinappeared to be substantial barriers to geneflow, and allele frequencies of populationsseparated by those features differedsubstantially. A partial barrier to gene flowappeared to exist along the crest of the SierraNevada. Estimated gene flow was high amongmountain lions inhabiting the Modoc Plateau,the western Sierra Nevada, and northern sectionof the eastern Sierra Nevada. SouthernCalifornia mountain lion populations mayfunction as a metapopulation; however, humandevelopments threaten to eliminate habitat andmovement corridors. While north-south geneflow along the western Sierra Nevada wasestimated to be very high, projected loss andfragmentation of foothill habitat may reducegene flow and subdivide populations. Preservation of existing movement corridorsamong regions could prevent population declinesand loss of genetic variation. This studyshows that mountain lion management andconservation efforts should be individualizedaccording to region and incorporatelandscape-level considerations to protecthabitat connectivity.
对431只美洲狮的12个微卫星位点进行分析后发现，加利福尼亚州存在与地理屏障和距离隔离相关的明显遗传细分。不同地理区域的遗传变异水平有所不同，栖息在沿海地区的美洲狮杂合度低于在内陆采样的美洲狮。旧金山湾和萨克拉门托 - 圣华金河三角洲、中央谷地以及洛杉矶盆地似乎是基因流动的重大障碍，被这些地理特征分隔的种群的等位基因频率存在显著差异。在内华达山脉的山脊沿线似乎存在部分基因流动障碍。据估计，栖息在莫多克高原、内华达山脉西部以及内华达山脉东部北部地区的美洲狮之间的基因流动很高。南加州的美洲狮种群可能作为一个集合种群发挥作用；然而，人类发展活动威胁到栖息地和迁徙走廊的消失。虽然据估计沿着内华达山脉西部的南北基因流动非常高，但山麓栖息地预计的丧失和碎片化可能会减少基因流动并使种群细分。保护各区域之间现有的迁徙走廊可以防止种群数量下降和遗传变异的丧失。这项研究表明，美洲狮的管理和保护工作应根据区域进行个性化处理，并纳入景观层面的考量以保护栖息地的连通性。
