Vegetation responses to landscape structure at multiple scales across a Northern Wisconsin,USA, pine barrens landscape

Increasing awareness of the importance of scale and landscape structure to landscape processes and concern about loss of biodiversity has resulted in efforts to understand patterns of biodiversity across multiple scales. We examined plant species distributions and their relationships to landscape structure at varying spatial scales across a pine barrens landscape in northern Wisconsin, U.S.A. We recorded plant species cover in 1×1 m plots every 5 m along a 3575 m transect, along with variables describing macro- and micro-landscape structure. A total of 139 understory plant species were recorded. The distributions of many species appeared to be strongly associated with landscape structural features, such as distinct management patches and roads. TWINSPAN and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) identified three groups of species that overlapped extensively in the ordination, possibly reflecting the relatively homogeneous nature of disturbance in the pine barrens landscape. Distribution of understory plants did not reflect all of the patch types we identified along the transect; plot ordination and classification resulted in three to five plot groups that differed in niche breadth. Wavelet transforms showed varying relationships between landscape features and plant diversity indices (Shannon–Weiner, Simpson's Dominance) at different resolutions. Wavelet variances indicated that patterns of Shannon diversity were dominated by coarse resolutions ranging from 900–1500 m, which may have been related to topography. Patterns of Simpson's Dominance were dominated by 700 m resolution, possibly associated with canopy cover. However, a strong correspondence between overstory patch type and diversity was found for several patch types at ranges of scales that varied by patch type. Effects of linear features such as roads were apparent in the wavelet transforms at resolutions of about 5–1000 m, suggesting roads may have an important impact on plant diversity at landscape scales. At broad scales, landscape context appeared more important to diversity than individual patches, suggesting that changes in structure at fine resolutions could alter overall diversity characteristics of the landscape. Therefore, a hierarchical perspective is necessary to recognize potential large-scale change resulting from small-scale activities.     

长白山阔叶红松林中红松与紫椴的空间分布格局及其关联性

以长白山阔叶红松林25hm2样地调查数据为基础,采用点格局分析方法O-ring统计,分析了红松与紫椴两个优势树种在主林层、次林层和林下层的空间分布格局,以及各林层之间的种内和种间关联性.结果表明:在小尺度上,红松和紫椴总体上呈聚集性分布,但不同林层的分布格局各异.物种在较低的林层呈明显的聚集分布,而在较高的林层则呈随机或规则分布,聚集度随林层的增高而降低.主林层与次林层红松在<11m的尺度内呈明显的正相关.主林层与次林层、林下层紫椴之间呈负相关.红松和紫椴在整体上表现为正相关,但不同林层间的关联性各异.主林层红松与3个林层紫椴之间没有明显的关联性;次林层红松与次林层紫椴在>4m的尺度上呈负相关,而与林下层紫椴没有明显的关联性;主林层紫椴与次林层红松在0~100m尺度内都表现为显著正相关.     

Relationships of overstory to understory cover variables in a Ponderosa pine/Gambel oak ecosystem

Many studies have indicated relationships between individual species, but none have related combinations of overstory variables to understory herbaceous vegetation in a Ponderosa pine/Gambel oak ecosystem. Our objective was to determine not only the general relationships between the two sets of variables, but also identify the hyghest contributing variables. We used canonical correlation analysis to relate overstory variables (canopy cover, basal cover and density) to herbaceous vegetation cover variables. Canopy, basal, and ground cover were measured by the line intercept method using a 12.2 m tape as a sample unit. Tree density was measured by the Point-Center-Quarter method. The analysis was made with selected overstory variables and 5 understory herbaceous cover variables. This analysis revealed a significant canonical correlation between the two canonical variables (r=0.69). The analysis showed that among herbaceous cover variables, Oregon grape, Kentucky bluegrass, sedge, and foxtail barley; and among overstory variables, the density and the basal cover of Ponderosa pine indicated the highest positive contribution to the correlation of the two linear combinations while the density and canopy of Gambel oak negatively affected the canonical correlation.     

广州市主城区树冠覆盖景观格局梯度

城市树冠覆盖是城市森林在小尺度上的景观表达,是衡量城市森林生态功能服务质量的重要指标.通过在ArcGIS9.2中对广州市中心城区的高分辨率航片进行目视解译,对形成的树冠覆盖专题图分析并生成栅格数据,利用Fragstats3.3软件分别选择标准方法和移动窗口方法分析研究区景观格局特征.其中基于移动窗口法形成了一系列基于所选择格局特征的连续栅格表面,每一个栅格单元代表的是设定的移动窗口半径尺度下景观类型的格局特征.分析表明,研究区景观格局呈现明显的空间异质性梯度特征.基于样带区尺度效应分析的结果表明,粒度3-5m和移动窗口半径400-600m可适合于研究区的景观格局梯度分析,选择的景观指数能够形成较为平滑的栅格表面.基于移动窗口的分析结果以连续变量图的形式对景观格局空间异质性进行可视化表达,能够为小尺度上的城市森林景观格局优化提供重要的参考.     

Forest and Landscape Structure as Predictors of Capercaillie Occurrence

ABSTRACT Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is a large, endangered forest grouse species with narrow habitat preferences and large spatial requirements that make it susceptible to habitat changes at different spatial scales. Our aim was to evaluate the relative power of variables relating to forest versus landscape structure in predicting capercaillie occurrence at different spatial scales. We investigated capercaillie-habitat relationships at the scales of forest stand and forest-stand mosaic in 2 Swiss regions. We assessed forest structure from aerial photographs in 52 study plots each 5 km². We classified plots into one of 3 categories denoting the observed local population trend (stable, declining, extinct), and we compared forest structure between categories. At the stand scale, we used presence-absence data for grid cells within the plots to build predictive habitat models based on logistic regression. At this scale, habitat models that included only variables relating to forest structure explained the occurrence of capercaillie only in part, whereas variables selected by the models differed between regions. Including variables relating to landscape features improved the models significantly. At the scale of stand mosaic, variables describing forest structure (e.g., mean canopy cover, proportion of open forest, and proportion of multistoried forest) differed between plot categories. We conclude that small-scale forest structure has limited power to predict capercaillie occurrence at the stand scale, but that it explains well at the scale of the stand mosaic. Including variables for landscape structure improves predictions at the forest-stand scale. Habitat models built with data from one region cannot be expected to predict the species occurrence in other regions well. Thus, multiscale approaches are necessary to better understand species-habitat relationships. Our results can help regional authorities and forest-management planners to identify areas where suitable habitat for capercaillie is not available in the required proportion and, thus, where management actions are needed to improve habitat suitability.     

武夷山风景名胜区景观格局与环境因子的多尺度响应研究

在3S技术平台支撑下,用典范对应分析排序方法对武夷山风景区景观格局与环境因子的关系及其尺度效应进行了分析。结果表明,在6个取样尺度上(粒度分别为30 m、90 m、150 m、210 m、300 m和450 m),排序轴总特征值呈递减趋势,依次为9.626、7.814、5.708、4.019、3.386、2.310;前4轴累积景观环境解释量变化程度小(97.3%~98.8%),前2轴各尺度平均累积解释量为89.4%,景观-环境的相关系数呈先减后增趋势。6个尺度中环境因子与景观格局的平均相关系数依次为郁闭度(0.7989^**)>腐殖质层厚度(0.7248^**)>海拔(0.6083^**)>坡度(0.6132^**)>经度(-0.4064^**)>土层厚度(0.3696^**)>纬度(0.0614)>坡向(0.0295)。风景区景观类型可划分为3类,即与海拔因子密切相关的裸地、河流、建设用地、农田景观,与土壤因子密切相关的杉木林、马尾松林、阔叶林景观,以及受人类活动密切相关的茶园、经济林、竹林、灌草丛景观。因此,风景区景观格局与环境因子间的关系具有尺度效应,各环境因子对排序轴相关系数的影响规律在6个取样尺度内可尺度推绎。     

Ant assemblages in isolated trees are more sensitive to species loss and replacement than their woodland counterparts

Isolated trees possess an arthropod assemblage different to that found in woodland trees. While isolated trees become an increasingly dominant part of many landscapes, with ‘off reserve’ habitat conservation potential, we know little about the drivers of their assemblage structure. While sampling bimonthly for 12 months in the seasonally dry tropics of Mexico, we characterized the ant species most likely to occupy isolated trees in comparison to small woody patches (‘matorral’; 0.13–0.74 ha), and examined the influence of environmental variables on the respective ant assemblages at both canopy and ground level. Isolated trees possessed a predictable ant assemblage: when compared to the woodland patches, isolated trees were characterised by a lack of specialised arboreal species and an increase in generalised terrestrial species reaching the canopy. Arboreal woodland ant species were as affected by tree isolation as the terrestrial woodland ant fauna. Ant assemblages at isolated trees correlated with a series of microenvironmental (microclimate and biophysical) variables, but this was not the case for the ant assemblages in woodlands. This suggests that at very small habitat sizes (e.g., isolated trees), microenvironment influences assemblage composition by favouring more environmentally tolerant or opportunistic species. Although we were unable to identify alternative variables (e.g., patch area, connectivity) which correlated with assemblage composition in larger habitat patches, it appears that in such patches, local microenvironment is less closely associated with assemblage structure, and variables such as patch and landscape configuration become increasingly important. In a practical sense, micro-habitat restoration aimed at augmentation of vegetation surrounding isolated trees may therefore be an effective means of increasing matrix habitat quality and increasing the partitioning of the arboreal and terrestrial faunas, thereby conserving a broader range of species. More generally, movement of matrix species into habitat patches appears to apply universally over a range of scales and taxa, and provides a distinct contrast to the predictions based on the Theory of Island Biogeography.     

Scale and species-environment relationships in a central Himalayan oak forest,Nepal

A quantitative gradient study in a central Himalayan mixed Quercus forest (Q. semecarpifolia and Q. lamellosa) was made to evaluate the relationships between environmental variables and species composition at different scales.The data (91 taxa × 120 sub-plots) were sampled at three sites, where groups of four sub-plots (2.5 m × 2.5 m) were sampled within 10 m × 10 m. The species data were analysed together with the environmental data (elevation, relative radiation (RI) and soil variables) using Correspondence Analysis (CA) and its constrained version (CCA). The environmental variables used in CCA were chosen by forward selection.Elevation was the over-riding complex gradient (2000–3000 m a.s.l.), with loss-on-ignition, total nitrogen, and RI covarying. The most important factors independent of elevation were available phosphorus and tree canopy cover, whereas pH and nitrogen had minor independent influences.The overall species environment correlation was highest for the largest plot size. The species environment correlation increased with spatial extent for the largest plot size. The field-layer and shrub-tree strata did not consistently differ in their concordance between species and environment. The field-layer species had a stronger relationships with the soil variables, which may relate to rapid changes over a short spatial extent both for the field-layer species and for the soil variables.     

Tropical tree species diversity in a mountain system in southern Mexico: local and regional patterns and determinant factors

Mechanisms explaining patterns of biodiversity along elevation gradients in tropical mountain systems remain controversial. We use a set of climatic, topographic, and soil variables encompassing regional, landscape, and local‐level spatial scales to explain the spatial variation of tree species diversity in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas, Mexico. We sampled 128 circular plots (0.1‐ha each) in four elevational bands along four elevation gradients or transects encompassing 100–2200 m. A total of 12,533 trees belonging to 444 species were recorded. Diversity patterns along the elevation gradient and the explanatory power of independent variables were dependent on spatial scale (regional vs transect) and functional group (total vs late‐successional or pioneer species). Diversity of all species and late‐successional species (1 – proportion of pioneer species) showed a constant pattern at the regional and transect scales, with low predictive power of climatic variables and/or elevation. A linear decrease in either number or proportion of pioneer species diversity was observed with increasing elevation, which was correlated with temperature, rainfall, and human disturbance trends. Total species diversity showed an increase with rainfall of the warmest quarter, indicating a regional‐level limiting effect of seasonality (drought duration). Yet the explanatory power of climatic and topographic variables was higher at the individual transect level than at the regional scale, suggesting the parallel but differential influence of evolutionary and geological history factors on diversification not so far studied to explain elevation patterns of species diversity in tropical mountain systems.     

Influence of macroclimate and local conservation measures on taxonomic,functional, and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic beetles and wood-inhabiting fungi

Wood-inhabiting fungi and saproxylic beetles are threatened by habitat degradation. Our understanding of the importance of macroclimate and local factors determining their taxonomic diversity has increased, but determinants of functional and phylogenetic diversity are poorly understood. We investigated assemblages of wood-inhabiting fungi and saproxylic beetles along a 1000 m elevational gradient of a temperate low mountain range. We (i) tested the relative importance of macroclimate (i.e. elevation) and local variables (microclimate, i.e. canopy closure, amount and diversity of dead wood) in determining observed and rarefied diversities and (ii) explored whether determinants of observed functional and phylogenetic diversities match those of taxonomic diversity. For both taxa, the determinants of observed phylogenetic and functional diversities largely matched those of taxonomic diversity. The diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi was predominantly determined by local variables, whereas that of saproxylic beetles was determined by both local variables and elevation. Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic beetles decreased with increasing elevation, but standardized functional richness and entropy of both groups increased with increasing elevation. Diversities of wood-inhabiting fungi increased with canopy closure, while diversities of saproxylic beetles decreased with increasing canopy closure. Microclimate and dead-wood amount and diversity affected the observed and rarefied diversity of both saproxylic taxa, which justifies conservation actions that focus on attributes of dead wood and canopy cover. The contrasting responses of fungi and beetles highlight the need for amounts of diverse dead wood in the various microclimates to preserve functional and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic organisms.     

Habitat selection of breeding riparian birds in an urban environment: untangling the relative importance of biophysical elements and spatial scale

Aim Urbanization is a leading threat to global biodiversity, yet little is known about how the spatial arrangement and composition of biophysical elements – buildings and vegetation – within a metropolitan area influence habitat selection. Here, we ask: what is the relative importance of the structure and composition of these elements on bird species across multiple spatial scales? Location The temperate metropolitan area of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Methods We surveyed breeding birds on 71 plots along an urban gradient. We modelled relative density for 48 bird species in relation to local woody vegetation composition and structure and to tree cover, grass cover and building density within 50–1000 m of each plot. We used an information‐theoretic approach to compare models and variables. Results At the proximate scale, native tree and understory stem frequency were the most important vegetation variables explaining bird distributions. Species’ responses to landscape biophysical features and spatial scales varied. Most native species responded positively to vegetation measures and negatively to building density. Models combining both local vegetation and landscape information represented best or competitive models for the majority of species, while models containing only local vegetation characteristics were rarely competitive. Smaller spatial scales (≤ 500 m) were most important for 36 species, and eight species had best models at larger scales (> 500 m); however, several species had competitive models across multiple scales. Main conclusions Habitat selection by birds within the urban matrix is the result of a combination of factors operating at both proximate and broader spatial scales. Efforts to manage and design urban areas to benefit native birds require both fine‐scale (e.g., individual landowners and landscape design) and larger landscape actions (e.g., regional comprehensive planning).     

Overstory-Understory Relationships along Forest Type and Environmental Gradients in the Spring Mountains of Southern Nevada, USA

Isolated forested mountains in deserts have numerous ecological and societal values, but land-management practices (e.g., fire-regime alteration) and climate change can affect forest composition. We analyzed tree overstory-understory relationships on 123 sites in the Spring Mountains within the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA to assess three hypotheses. We hypothesized that: the tree species comprising understories are less tolerant of fire than species in overstories, reflecting land-management practices of fire exclusion; mid-elevation forests have the lowest overstory:understory similarity because this zone could have maximum species mixing; and overstory:understory similarity is correlated with environmental gradients (consisting of 14 topographic and soil variables). We found that Pinus monophylla comprised greater relative canopy cover in understories of juniper (32% relative cover) and pinyon-juniper (78%) forests than it did in overstories of these forests (0% and 53%). Similarly, fire-intolerant Abies concolor had 6-fold greater understory than overstory cover in forests with overstories dominated by the fire-tolerant Pinus ponderosa. Overstory:understory S?rensen similarity averaged 43%?77% among six forest types, and there was little support for the supposition that similarity was lowest in mid-elevation forests. Distributions of individual overstory and understory species more closely corresponded with environmental gradients than did overstory:understory similarity. Results suggest that there is high potential for change in at least two of the six dominant forest types of the Spring Mountains. The direction of change (species of moist, higher elevation sites establishing in understories of drier forests) is the opposite of what would be expected for forest adaptation to the warmer, drier, more fire-prone conditions projected for the next century in the southwestern USA.     

Landscape features and spatial distribution of adult northern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the South Dakota areawide management site

The northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), creates economic and environmental concerns in the Corn Belt. To supplement the population control tactics of the Areawide Pest Management Program in Brookings, SD, geographic information systems were used from 1997 to 2001 to examine the spatial relationships between D. barberi population dynamics and habitat structure, soil texture, and elevation. Using the inverse distance weighted interpolation technique, D. barberi population density maps were created from georeferenced emergence and postemergence traps placed in maize, Zea mays L., fields. For each year, these maps were overlaid with vegetation, soil, and elevation maps to search for quantitative relationships between pest numbers and landscape structure. Through visual interpretation and correlation analysis, shifts in landscape structure, such as size, number, and arrangement of patches were shown to associate with D. barberi population abundance and distribution in varying degrees. D. barberi were found in greater proportions than expected on loam and silty clay loam soils and on elevations between 500 and 509 m. An understanding of the interactions between D. barberi population dynamics and landscape variables provides information to pest managers, which can be used to identify patterns in the landscape that promote high insect population density patches to improve pest management strategies.     

黄河三角洲植被指数与地形要素的多尺度分析

结合地理信息系统和遥感技术, 研究了黄河三角洲植被指数NDVI与一系列地形要素间的尺度依赖关系, 从而检验在较大尺度上滨海生态系统植被分布格局是否存在水分再分配的调控作用。结果表明: 1)NDVI值在4种主要群落类型间差异显著, 这种显著差异是由滨海盐生植物的生境特点决定的; 2)地表高程在所有的10个粒度尺度上均与NDVI相关关系显著, 这种显著关系在小尺度上与地下水埋深有关, 而在大尺度上可能参与水分再分配过程; 3)在750 m粒度尺度附近存在水分再分配的调控作用, 在该尺度附近地形湿润度指数(TWI)和坡度与NDVI相关达到极显著, 而且其Moran’sI指数突然增大。黄河三角洲的植被地形关系表现为不同尺度上对土壤水分和盐分的调控, 在小尺度上地形因素通过土壤表面蒸发过程影响土壤水分与盐分, 而在大尺度上地形因素主要通过地表径流对土壤水分与盐分进行再分配。     

Hydrological Networks and Associated Topographic Variation as Templates for the Spatial Organization of Tropical Forest Vegetation

An understanding of the spatial variability in tropical forest structure and biomass, and the mechanisms that underpin this variability, is critical for designing, interpreting, and upscaling field studies for regional carbon inventories. We investigated the spatial structure of tropical forest vegetation and its relationship to the hydrological network and associated topographic structure across spatial scales of 10–1000 m using high-resolution maps of LiDAR-derived mean canopy profile height (MCH) and elevation for 4930 ha of tropical forest in central Panama. MCH was strongly associated with the hydrological network: canopy height was highest in areas of positive convexity (valleys, depressions) close to channels draining 1 ha or more. Average MCH declined strongly with decreasing convexity (transition to ridges, hilltops) and increasing distance from the nearest channel. Spectral analysis, performed with wavelet decomposition, showed that the variance in MCH had fractal similarity at scales of ∼30–600 m, and was strongly associated with variation in elevation, with peak correlations at scales of ∼250 m. Whereas previous studies of topographic correlates of tropical forest structure conducted analyses at just one or a few spatial grains, our study found that correlations were strongly scale-dependent. Multi-scale analyses of correlations of MCH with slope, aspect, curvature, and Laplacian convexity found that MCH was most strongly related to convexity measured at scales of 20–300 m, a topographic variable that is a good proxy for position with respect to the hydrological network. Overall, our results support the idea that, even in these mesic forests, hydrological networks and associated topographical variation serve as templates upon which vegetation is organized over specific ranges of scales. These findings constitute an important step towards a mechanistic understanding of these patterns, and can guide upscaling and downscaling.     

深圳市居住区绿地植物冠层格局对微气候的影响

选取深圳市3个典型居住小区为研究对象,利用实地观测及景观格局分析方法,探讨居住区绿地植物冠层格局特征对微气候的影响.各小区内布设22～26个观测点,以测点周边20 m×20 m范围为一个样区,将样区划分为有植物冠层遮盖和无植物冠层遮盖两种斑块类型,计算了斑块密度和景观聚集度两种格局指数,分析了样区内绿化植物冠层格局指数与温湿度之间的关系.结果表明:深圳市绿地冠层格局显著影响其温、湿度调控效应,温度调控能力主要来自绿地植物的遮荫作用,还与绿地的植物绿量有关;裸露地表聚集度的增加对绿地温湿度调控功能有显著的负面影响;居住小区绿地的温湿度调控能力主要来自乔木树种.     

Lizard habitat partitioning on islands: the interaction of local and landscape scales

Aim This study addresses how species resolve environmental differences into biological habitats at multiple, interacting spatial scales. How do patterns of local habitat use change along an elevation gradient? How do patterns of local habitat partitioning interact with partitioning at a landscape scale? Location Northern and southern Lesser Antilles islands, West Indies. Methods We document how Anolis Daudin, 1802 lizards partition habitat locally at sites along a landscape‐scale elevation gradient. We examine habitat partitioning both with and without interspecific interactions in the predominately flat northern Lesser Antilles islands and in the more mountainous southern islands. Results Anoles partition local habitat along perch‐height and microclimate axes. Northern‐group sympatric anoles partition local habitat by perch height and have overlapping distributions at the landscape scale. Southern‐group sympatric anoles partition local habitat by microclimate and specialize in particular habitats at the landscape scale. In both the northern and southern groups, species use different perch heights and microclimates only in areas of species overlap along the elevation gradient. Main conclusions We demonstrate the interaction between local‐ and landscape‐scale habitat partitioning. In the case of microclimate partitioning, the interaction results from the use of thermal physiology to partition habitat at multiple scales. This interaction prompts the question of whether habitat partitioning developed ‘local‐out’ or ‘landscape‐in’. We pose this dichotomy and present a framework for its resolution.     

Do landscape processes predict phylogeographic patterns in the wood frog?

Understanding factors that influence population connectivity and the spatial distribution of genetic variation is a major goal in molecular ecology. Improvements in the availability of high-resolution geographic data have made it increasingly possible to quantify the effects of landscape features on dispersal and genetic structure. However, most studies examining such landscape effects have been conducted at very fine (e.g. landscape genetics) or broad (e.g. phylogeography) spatial scales. Thus, the extent to which processes operating at fine spatial scales are linked to patterns at larger scales remains unclear. Here, we test whether factors impacting wood frog dispersal at fine spatial scales are correlated with genetic structure at regional scales. Using recently developed methods borrowed from electrical circuit theory, we generated landscape resistance matrices among wood frog populations in eastern North America based on slope, a wetness index, land cover and absolute barriers to wood frog dispersal. We then determined whether these matrices are correlated with genetic structure based on six microsatellite markers and whether such correlations outperform a landscape-free model of isolation by resistance. We observed significant genetic structure at regional spatial scales. However, topography and landscape variables associated with the intervening habitat between sites provide little explanation for patterns of genetic structure. Instead, absolute dispersal barriers appear to be the best predictor of regional genetic structure in this species. Our results suggest that landscape variables that influence dispersal, microhabitat selection and population structure at fine spatial scales do not necessarily explain patterns of genetic structure at broader scales.     

Fine-scale analysis reveals cryptic landscape genetic structure in desert tortoises

Characterizing the effects of landscape features on genetic variation is essential for understanding how landscapes shape patterns of gene flow and spatial genetic structure of populations. Most landscape genetics studies have focused on patterns of gene flow at a regional scale. However, the genetic structure of populations at a local scale may be influenced by a unique suite of landscape variables that have little bearing on connectivity patterns observed at broader spatial scales. We investigated fine-scale spatial patterns of genetic variation and gene flow in relation to features of the landscape in desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), using 859 tortoises genotyped at 16 microsatellite loci with associated data on geographic location, sex, elevation, slope, and soil type, and spatial relationship to putative barriers (power lines, roads). We used spatially explicit and non-explicit Bayesian clustering algorithms to partition the sample into discrete clusters, and characterize the relationships between genetic distance and ecological variables to identify factors with the greatest influence on gene flow at a local scale. Desert tortoises exhibit weak genetic structure at a local scale, and we identified two subpopulations across the study area. Although genetic differentiation between the subpopulations was low, our landscape genetic analysis identified both natural (slope) and anthropogenic (roads) landscape variables that have significantly influenced gene flow within this local population. We show that desert tortoise movements at a local scale are influenced by features of the landscape, and that these features are different than those that influence gene flow at larger scales. Our findings are important for desert tortoise conservation and management, particularly in light of recent translocation efforts in the region. More generally, our results indicate that recent landscape changes can affect gene flow at a local scale and that their effects can be detected almost immediately.