DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4j0zpc8hj
title: Landscape features influencing gene flow and connectivity of an endangered passerine

description: Effective exchange of individuals among populations (i.e. gene flow) is
 one crucial aspect to maintain genetic diversity and viability of
 populations, especially in the case of threatened species. Landscape
 composition and structure may facilitate or limit individual movement
 within and among populations. We used a landscape genetics (LG) approach
 to assess the connectivity patterns of the threatened Dupont’s lark
 (Chersophilus duponti duponti), considering their genetic patterns and the
 landscape features associated with its gene flow in Spain. We analysed
 genetic structure and relatedness based on 11 species-specific polymorphic
 microsatellites on 416 Dupont’s lark individuals sampled across peninsular
 Spain between 2017 and 2019, covering most of the European distribution of
 the species. To assess the relationship between the landscape
 configuration and the species gene flow, we estimated genetic distance at
 the individual level (Dps). Next, we built a set of environmental surfaces
 from two time points (1990 and 2018), based on factors (land use and
 topography) influencing individuals’ movement. We then obtained resistance
 surfaces from an optimization process on landscape variables, and LG
 analyses were done for single and composite surface models for each year
 separately. Our findings from both time points demonstrate, for the first
 time, that scatter or mosaic structured vegetation composed by low
 agricultural and tree cover and high presence of sclerophyllous shrubs
 favoured Dupont’s lark dispersal, while dense and continuous tree cover,
 as well as areas of intensive agriculture, were limiting factors. Our
 results suggest the importance of steppe habitat patches both for the
 species establishment and dispersal. Besides, our results provide key
 information to develop specific conservation measures, including focusing
 on conserving and restoring steppe habitats as scattered and/or mosaic
 structured vegetation that could warrant the connectivity and persistence
 of Dupont’s lark populations.
description: Within the dataset you can find the raster data (.asc) used for the
 optimization procedure to create resistance models for both years
 (1990/2018). Raster layers show the different landscape variables used in
 the study which were initially obtained from CORINE as it is explained in
 the manuscript. There is also a Genepop file containing the data related
 with microsatellites amplification (11 polymorphic microsatellites) for
 each individual at the different areas of study. Additional text files
 contains both matrix, genetic (Dps) and euclidean geographic (kilometers)
 distances between each pair of individuals sampled.  With all this data it
 is possible to run resistanceGA analyses, as the ones explained in the
 article, in order to obtain the potential impact of the environment on
 gene flow. Some examples of studies related to this kind of analyses are:
 Flores-Manzanero et al., 2019
 ([https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4762) ; ](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4762)Peterman 2018 ([https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12984](https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12984) ;