Inconsistent effects of urbanization on amphibian genetic diversity

Abstract

Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes of vertebrate population declines. These declines are thought to be partly due to decreased connectivity and habitat loss reducing population sizes in human transformed habitats. With time this can lead to reduced effective population size and genetic diversity which restricts the ability of wildlife to cope with environmental change through genetic adaptation. However, it is not well understood whether these effects are generally applicable across taxa. Here, we repurposed and synthesized raw microsatellite data from online repositories from 19 amphibian species sampled at 554 sites in North America. For each site, we estimated gene diversity, allelic richness, effective population size, and population differentiation. Using binary urban-rural census designations, and continuous measures of human population density and the Human Footprint Index, we tested for generalizable effects of human land use on amphibian genetic diversity. We found no consistent relationships for any of our genetic metrics. While we did not detect directional effects for most species, a few generalist species responded positively to urbanization. These results contrast with consistent negative effects of urbanization in mammals and species specific positive and negative effects in birds. In the context of widespread amphibian declines, our results suggest that habitat loss in human transformed habitats is a more immediate concern than declining genetic diversity in populations that persist.