Committee Chair

Wilson, Thomas P.

Committee Member

Kovach, Margaret J.; Shaw, Joey

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Currently there is a worldwide amphibian decline with numerous causes. Because of this, it is important to understand how genetic variation in local amphibian populations is affected by disturbance. The goal of this study was to assess the genetic impacts of past chemical and ammunition storage and present industrialization on a local population of Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw 1802) using thirteen microsatellite markers. Most loci exhibited no loss of heterozygosity but the low effective population size may indicate vulnerability to future declines. No population substructure or sex-biased dispersal was detected. Possible explanations for the reduction in genetic diversity at four loci include a past anthropogenic decline, natural population cycles, and impending effects of a decline. Close monitoring of the population is necessary because genetic diversity may decline in the future due to current anthropogenic disturbances.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Lupton Renaissance Gift Fund (#R040152003), NBII/USGS (#R041011026), and UTC Biology SUF-TPW (#E041011). The field portion of this research was conducted under Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Permits 1532 and 3082. All research was conducted in accordance with the approved IACUC protocols (#0907TPW-03 and #0408TPW-04).

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

12-2012

Subject

Spotted salamander; Animal population genetics

Location

Tennessee

Keyword

Ambystoma maculatum; Spotted salamanders; Conservation genetics

Discipline

Biology

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xii, 60 leaves

Language

English

Rights

https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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