广西黑叶猴栖息地景观格局破碎化分析及其对种群的影响

黑叶猴(Trachypithecus francoisi)是仅分布于喀斯特石山生境的珍稀濒危灵长类动物。由于非法捕杀和人类活动干扰,其种群数量正在急剧减少。同时,随着森林砍伐和土地开垦的加速,其栖息地严重破碎化。因此,了解栖息地破碎化对黑叶猴种群的影响对于保护这一珍稀濒危物种具有重要意义。基于遥感影像、土地利用数据以及黑叶猴种群调查数据,通过Fragstats软件开展广西黑叶猴栖息地景观破碎化分析,并通过相关性和多元逐步回归分析,探讨了景观格局对广西黑叶猴种群数量的影响。结果表明：(1)广西黑叶猴栖息地呈现破碎化严峻、斑块形状复杂化、斑块团聚程度较弱且分散化的现象;栖息地以林地景观占据重要优势,但人为景观的干扰十分强烈;在不同地区中,生境破碎化程度、人为干扰强度以及景观配置均呈现不同的特征,其中扶绥地区人为干扰最为强烈,德保地区的景观块数破碎化程度较为严重,而龙州地区的人为干扰程度最小,其森林景观最为聚集。(2)蔓延度指数、平均斑块分维指数、林地面积、林地斑块大小、裸岩面积和裸岩面积比重等景观指数与黑叶猴种群数量有显著正向关系,Shannon多样性指数则是显著负向关系;而耕地面积、耕地...     

四川山鹧鸪栖息地破碎化及保护管理状况分析

四川山鹧鸪Arborophila rufipectus是我国特有珍稀鸟类,国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物,世界自然保护联盟濒危物种。应用3S技术制作其栖息地分布和保护区位置图层,并对栖息地破碎化情况和受保护状况进行分析。结果表明,无论现实栖息地还是潜在栖息地,破碎化程度都高;部分栖息地斑块相互邻接,具备连通的可能性;分布区内初步形成的保护区网络还需完善。文末提出了景观保护的建议。     

大青山自然保护区人为活动空间分布及其对景观格局的影响

本文基于森林资源清查数据和野外调查资料,应用GIS空间分析技术和景观指数方法,研究了内蒙古地区的大青山自然保护区内西部、中部和东部3个分区中3种人为活动影响（居民点、道路、其他影响源）的空间分布、影响贡献率及其对景观格局的影响.结果表明： 自然保护区中人为活动影响强度在东西部较高、中部较低.在3个分区中,西区的景观格局主要受到其他影响源的作用,使其针叶林、阔叶林、灌木林的景观格局趋于聚集分布;中区的景观格局主要受到道路的影响,使其阔叶林与灌木林景观斑块聚集程度降低;东区的景观格局主要受到居民点的影响,使其针叶林与阔叶林破碎度增加,灌木林与草地的景观斑块聚集度明显增大.     

基于模拟景观的城市森林景观格局指数选取

基于现实的沈阳城市森林景观,模拟了4个景观格局梯度,并选取了1个与之相应的现实景观格局梯度,分析了28个景观格局指数在各梯度对景观破碎化和景观斑块形状复杂性的反映,从而筛选出描述这两种景观格局特征的适宜景观格局指数.结果表明：斑块密度（PD）和平均斑块面积（AREA_MN）在城市森林景观破碎化方面表现出较规律的变化趋势,斑块密度随破碎化程度的增加而增加,平均斑块面积随破碎化程度的增加而减小;面积加权平均周长面积比（PARA_AM）在描述景观斑块形状复杂性方面与景观格局梯度相吻合,且随斑块形状复杂性的增加而增加,能够较为准确地描述景观斑块形状的复杂性.     

景观破碎化对东北虎主要猎物种群动态影响的模拟

以完达山东部地区的现实景观为背景,采用空间直观种群模型LAPS和情景模拟相结合的"虚拟实验"途径,模拟了在10个不同破碎化程度的景观情景中东北虎的主要猎物于1992-2011年间的种群动态,评价了完达山东部地区当前的景观破碎化程度对东北虎主要猎物种群动态的影响。结果表明:LAPS模型准确刻画了研究区东北虎主要猎物种群数量急剧下降的趋势,2002年模拟的东北虎主要猎物的种群数量和实测值之间没有显著差异,马鹿、野猪和狍子的P值分别为0.8651、0.9534和0.2836;不同生境类型的种群密度数据与实测值之间均没有显著差异,其中阔叶林生境中的马鹿、野猪和狍子的P值分别为0.8521、0.9447和0.3152;在灌丛生境中的马鹿、野猪和狍子的P值分别为0.8846、0.9576和0.2415。斑块类型和景观水平上的格局指标变化趋势表明由于农田扩张导致10个景观情景的破碎化程度逐渐增加,景观水平的破碎化程度低于斑块类型水平。方差分析显示10个景观情景中的种群数量没有显著差异,马鹿、野猪和狍子的P值分别为0.8516、0.2624和0.7636,说明研究区当前的景观破碎化程度对种群动态影响并不显著。完达山东部地区存在盗猎等人为干扰,导致了东北虎主要猎物的数量远低于环境容纳量,景观破碎化虽然在局部地区较为严重,但完达山东部地区整体上景观破碎化并不强烈,该地区景观破碎化的效应尚未显现。认为控制盗猎等人为干扰是增加该地区东北虎主要猎物的数量、实现东北虎种群恢复所应优先采取的措施。     

野骆驼的研究和保护:现状与展望

野骆驼Camelus ferus是亚洲中部对极端干旱环境具有高度适应性的珍稀濒危动物。自19世纪中期以来,野骆驼分布范围不断缩小,种群数量日渐减少。由于野骆驼生性机警,且在远离人迹、自然条件极端恶劣的荒漠、半荒漠地区分布等特点,野骆驼种群生态学、行为生态学基础研究较为缺乏,对其分类地位和进化关系仍有争论。除塔克拉玛干沙漠分布区外,其他分布区均已建立以野骆驼为主的保护区。2011~2013年间对库姆塔格沙漠地区进行了6次野外样线调查,分别观察到83、80、39、14、78、29峰野骆驼。其中阿尔金山北麓地区野骆驼分布最为集中,采矿活动集中的5~10月观察到的野骆驼数量明显少于其他季节(t=7.154,P0.05)。野骆驼分布区面临着道路建设、矿产开发以及畜牧业的发展等威胁,生境丧失和破碎化严重。人为干扰下野骆驼异质种群动态及其对破碎化生境的响应是急需研究的科学问题。     

2000-2015年丹顶鹤重要繁殖地景观格局变化研究

以18个自然保护区为研究对象,全面系统地研究了我国丹顶鹤大陆种群重要繁殖地景观格局变化,结果表明：2000-2015年丹顶鹤重要繁殖地土地利用变化明显,突出表现为沼泽湿地面积急剧减少了1400.5 km²,主要转化为耕地、水体和草地,耕地面积大幅增加了1085.4 km²,主要由沼泽湿地、草地和林地转化而来;丹顶鹤重要繁殖地2000-2015年景观连通性保持稳定,但吉林莫莫格、黑龙江七星河、挠力河等自然保护区景观破碎化程度明显增加;东部种群重要繁殖地沼泽湿地缩减面积和不适宜生境增加面积均大于西部种群,表明东部种群繁殖地的恶化程度更为严重,需引起高度关注。首次基于长时间序列对丹顶鹤大陆种群繁殖地的变化开展了较为全面的研究,为有针对性地开展栖息地保护管理工作、促进丹顶鹤野生种群健康可持续发展提供了依据。     

区域农田景观格局对麦蚜种群数量的影响

明确农田景观格局对麦田蚜虫种群的影响,是开展区域性害虫生态调控的重要理论依据之一。以区域性小麦种植区为研究对象,基于遥感影像与土地覆盖分类数据以及田间调查的蚜虫种群数据,计算景观格局指数,使用负二项分布的广义线性模型从农田景观、非作物生境景观和区域景观3个方面分析了区域农田景观格局对麦田蚜虫种群的影响。结果表明,蚜虫种群的数量与草地的平均斑块面积和最大斑块指数显著正相关,与县域的平均几何最邻近距离和面积加权平均斑块面积显著负相关,与耕地的面积加权平均斑块面积显著负相关,与耕地的斑块密度显著正相关。草地斑块面积的增大、区域景观与耕地的破碎化、区域景观的聚集会促进蚜虫种群数量的增加。使用草地的斑块面积和最大斑块指数、区域景观的平均几何最邻近距离可以预测蚜虫种群的发生量。非作物生境草地的斑块面积、耕地的破碎化、区域景观的空间分布及破碎化是影响麦田蚜虫种群发生的重要景观因素。     

东北虎分布区土地利用格局与动态

土地利用变化是影响东北虎栖息地和东北虎长期生存的关键因素之一.基于东北虎分布区土地利用和土地覆盖的时空变化及其对东北虎种群动态的影响,本文从古代(1860年以前)、近代（1860—1949年）和现代（1949年至今）3个不同的历史时期,系统地分析了东北虎分布区最主要土地利用类型（农业用地、森林、城镇）的发展历程和特征.古代东北虎分布区内零星的人为土地利用对东北虎的生存没有显著影响,而近代以来广泛、剧烈的土地利用变化则是导致东北虎生存空间压缩、种群数量减少的主要原因之一.近代以来,东北虎分布区分属中国和俄罗斯,两国土地利用格局、政策和强度的不同导致东北虎在两国生存状况的差异.东北虎分布区内土地利用的主要驱动力为人口增长、政策变化和生产力的发展.     

凉山山系小熊猫(Ailurus fulgens)分布区景观格局

根据2000～2001年对凉山山系主山脊7个县小熊猫野外分布调查数据,利用“3S”技术对凉山山系小熊猫分布区进行了确定,估算出分布区面积为219055hm^2,占山系研究区域面积17．8％。利用景观空间格局定量化分析软件FRAGSTATS,分析了小熊猫分布区景观格局的组成、各类型斑块特征、不同类型斑块间空间分布关系。结果表明,栖息地景观边缘褶皱程度低,趋于平整,景观丰富度大;森林斑块间的结构连通性较好,各类型斑块聚集度较高。小熊猫生境内部破碎化程度较低,森林结构连接程度高,有适宜生境面积为160249．5hm^2,占分布区面积的73．15％,生境中存在3个脆弱区域,特别是美姑-峨边公路通过的椅子垭口区域需要引起极大的关注。     

Population genetics reveals high connectivity of giant panda populations across human disturbance features in key nature reserve

The giant panda is an example of a species that has faced extensive historical habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic disturbance and is assumed to be isolated in numerous subpopulations with limited gene flow between them. To investigate the population size, health, and connectivity of pandas in a key habitat area, we noninvasively collected a total of 539 fresh wild giant panda fecal samples for DNA extraction within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Seven validated tetra‐microsatellite markers were used to analyze each sample, and a total of 142 unique genotypes were identified. Nonspatial and spatial capture–recapture models estimated the population size of the reserve at 164 and 137 individuals (95% confidence intervals 153–175 and 115–163), respectively. Relatively high levels of genetic variation and low levels of inbreeding were estimated, indicating adequate genetic diversity. Surprisingly, no significant genetic boundaries were found within the population despite the national road G350 that bisects the reserve, which is also bordered with patches of development and agricultural land. We attribute this to high rates of migration, with four giant panda road‐crossing events confirmed within a year based on repeated captures of individuals. This likely means that giant panda populations within mountain ranges are better connected than previously thought. Increased development and tourism traffic in the area and throughout the current panda distribution pose a threat of increasing population isolation, however. Maintaining and restoring adequate habitat corridors for dispersal is thus a vital step for preserving the levels of gene flow seen in our analysis and the continued conservation of the giant panda meta‐population in both Wolong and throughout their current range.     

基于斑块尺度的神农架川金丝猴生境适宜性评价

基于斑块尺度的生境适宜性研究,可以通过物种分布的景观格局特征,推导出研究区的景观适宜性,有利于景观规划决策。研究首先分析农业用地对神农架川金丝干扰的阈值,其次采用泊松回归构建基于斑块尺度的包含植被类型、斑块特征和人为干扰特征的猴群分布模型,依据模型结果叠加道路适宜性分级图对川金丝猴适宜生境进行评价。结果显示:(1)农业用地干扰阈值为2000 m;(2)最优模型显示猴群偏好面积大、形状简单的寒温性针叶林、寒温性针叶-落叶阔叶混交林、温性针叶-落叶阔叶混交林斑块,对农业用地具有回避性;(3)道路干扰已成为川金丝猴迁移的主要障碍,川金丝猴分布区受到的农业干扰较小,但其成为阻碍川金丝猴扩张分布区的屏障。建议神农架保护区全面开展道路与旅游景点对野生动物干扰的监测。     

Restoring Connectivity in Landscapes Fragmented by Major Roads: A Case Study Using Wooden Poles as “Stepping Stones” for Gliding Mammals

Tree‐dwelling mammals may be vulnerable to road mortality if forced to cross canopy gaps on the ground. This group of mammals has received scant attention worldwide despite major road projects potentially causing severe fragmentation to their habitat. Gliding mammals may be enabled to cross road gaps that exceed their gliding capability by the installation of tall wooden poles to act as “stepping stones.” We investigated whether such glide poles installed across two land‐bridges in eastern Australia could restore landscape connectivity for small gliding petaurid marsupials. Hair‐traps revealed repeated use of all poles at both locations over periods of 1–3 years. Camera traps at one site suggest a crossing frequency on the poles by the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) of once every 3.8 nights. Radio‐tracked animals did not glide directly over the road but instead used the poles to cross on the bridge. Hair‐traps and camera traps installed within the middle of two reference land‐bridges that lacked glide poles failed to detect crossings by gliding mammals despite their presence in adjacent forest. These observations suggest that glide poles can facilitate road crossing and thereby restore habitat connectivity for gliding mammals. This lends support to the notion that glide poles have the potential to mitigate road‐induced habitat fragmentation for gliding mammals worldwide.     

Restoration Potential of Bighorn Sheep in a Prairie Region

Efforts to recover Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) throughout western North America have had limited success with the majority of current populations remaining in small and isolated areas on a fraction of their historical range. Prairie environments with rugged topography throughout the Northern Great Plains ecoregion were historically occupied by relatively robust bighorn sheep populations. We predicted there is likely unrealized potential habitat for restoring bighorn sheep to these areas; however, relatively little attention has been devoted to identifying habitat in unoccupied prairie regions. We used global positioning system (GPS)-collar data collected from 43 female bighorn sheep in 2 populations located in the eastern Montana, USA, portion of the Northern Great Plains during 2014–2018 to estimate a population-level annual resource selection model and identify the important factors affecting bighorn sheep resource selection. We extrapolated model predictions across eastern Montana's prairie region and identified potential habitat to understand restoration potential and assist with future translocations of bighorn sheep. Resource selection of bighorn sheep was most strongly associated with terrain slope and ruggedness, tree canopy cover, and a normalized difference vegetation index metric. Within currently unoccupied areas of the historical range, the model extrapolation predicted 7,211 km² of habitat, with most owned and managed by private landowners (44%), Bureau of Land Management (33%), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (15%). Our results provide an empirical evaluation of landscape covariates influencing resource selection of bighorn sheep occupying prairie environments and provide a habitat model that may be generalizable to other areas in the Northern Great Plains ecoregion. We demonstrate substantial potential for restoration opportunities of bighorn sheep in the Northern Great Plains ecoregion. Broad restoration of bighorn sheep across the ecoregion would likely require strong collaboration among and between public resource managers, private landowners, and livestock producers given the heterogeneous land ownership patterns, management strategies, and domestic sheep distributions. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

Conservation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hymenocallis coronaria</Emphasis> genetic diversity in the presence of disturbance and a disjunct distribution

Evidence shows that dam construction has affected faunal species distribution and diversity in the southeastern U.S. However, the effects of this perturbation on aquatic flora of the region are heretofore uninvestigated. The objective for this research is to examine the effects of hydroelectric power generation and habitat characteristics on the size and distribution of populations of Hymenocallis coronaria (J. LeConte) Kunth (Amaryllidaceae), an emergent aquatic plant found in the southeastern United States, and to characterize its genetic variability in an effort to target conservation priorities. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses show that hydropeaking does not have a significant effect on H. coronaria populations located downstream of dams, while other habitat variables associated with the streams are significantly positively related to population size and distribution. Analysis of 24 populations using seven universal cpDNA markers and six nDNA microsatellite markers indicates that the genetic structure for both genomes correlates with the location of a major gap in the species’ range, showing deep divergences in haplotype and population dendrograms between eastern and western regions. An AMOVA confirms that a substantial amount of genetic variation is found among regions, and very little variation is found within regions. The eastern and western regions have diverged for a significant time period, potentially due to the presence of a gene flow barrier in the middle of the species’ range caused by sub-standard habitat. Individual drainage basins contain unique cpDNA haplotypes and should be managed appropriately.     

A graph theoretic approach for modelling tiger corridor network in Central India-Eastern Ghats landscape complex,India

Wildlife habitat corridors are components of landscapes, which facilitate the movement of organisms and processes between areas of intact habitat, and thus provide landscape corridor as well as serve as an ideal component to study and understand physiological ecology. Corridors are thus regions within a given landscape that generally comprise native vegetation, and connect otherwise fragmented, disconnected, non-contiguous wildlife habitat patches in the landscape. The purpose of designing corridors as a conservation strategy is primarily to counter, and to the extent possible, mitigate the impacts of habitat fragmentation and loss on the biodiversity of the landscape, as well as support continuance of land use for essential local and global economic activities in the region of reference.In this paper, we use game theory and graph theory to model and design a wildlife corridor in the Central India – Eastern Ghats landscape complex, with tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) as the focal species. We construct a graph using the habitat patches supporting wild tiger populations in the landscape complex as vertices and the possible paths between these vertices as edges. A cost matrix is constructed to indicate the cost incurred by the tiger for passage between the habitat patches in the landscape (based on Shelford's Law of Tolerance), by modelling a two-person Prisoner's Dilemma game. A minimum spanning tree is then obtained by employing Kruskal's algorithm, which would suggest a feasible tiger corridor network for the tiger population within the landscape complex. Additionally, analysis of the graph is done using various centrality measures, in order to identify and focus on potentially important habitat patches, and their potential community structure. Correlation analysis is performed on the centrality indices to draw out interesting trends in the network.     

Characterizing the spatial distribution of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in fragmented forest landscapes

Aim To examine the effects of forest fragmentation on the distribution of the entire wild giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population, and to propose a modelling approach for monitoring the spatial distribution and habitat of pandas at the landscape scale using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro‐radiometer (MODIS) enhanced vegetation index (EVI) time‐series data. Location Five mountain ranges in south‐western China (Qinling, Minshan, Qionglai, Xiangling and Liangshan). Methods Giant panda pseudo‐absence data were generated from data on panda occurrences obtained from the third national giant panda survey. To quantify the fragmentation of forests, 26 fragmentation metrics were derived from 16‐day composite MODIS 250‐m EVI multi‐temporal data and eight of these metrics were selected following factor analysis. The differences between panda presence and panda absence were examined by applying significance testing. A forward stepwise logistic regression was then applied to explore the relationship between panda distribution and forest fragmentation. Results Forest patch size, edge density and patch aggregation were found to have significant roles in determining the distribution of pandas. Patches of dense forest occupied by giant pandas were significantly larger, closer together and more contiguous than patches where giant pandas were not recorded. Forest fragmentation is least in the Qinling Mountains, while the Xiangling and Liangshan regions have most fragmentation. Using the selected landscape metrics, the logistic regression model predicted the distribution of giant pandas with an overall accuracy of 72.5% (κ = 0.45). However, when a knowledge‐based control for elevation and slope was applied to the regression, the overall accuracy of the model improved to 77.6% (κ = 0.55). Main conclusions Giant pandas appear sensitive to patch size and isolation effects associated with fragmentation of dense forest, implying that the design of effective conservation areas for wild giant pandas must include large and dense forest patches that are adjacent to other similar patches. The approach developed here is applicable for analysing the spatial distribution of the giant panda from multi‐temporal MODIS 250‐m EVI data and landscape metrics at the landscape scale.     

福建省城镇-交通系统的景观分隔效应

近年来,我国城市及交通基础设施建设的迅猛发展对区域生态功能造成了严重影响.城镇-交通网络的不断强化和扩展加剧了区域景观的破碎化并导致多种景观功能的退化.以2007年为研究基准年,采用跨边界有效栅格评价指标,借助地理信息技术,定量评估了福建省由城镇-交通网络引发的景观分隔效应.研究结果显示,面积大小位于0-15 km2的斑块数量最多.厦门、漳州、泉州3市小于300 km2的斑块面积及斑块数量分别所占比例率均高于南平、三明和龙岩3市.福建省有效栅格计算结果显示,全省景观破碎化呈现北轻南重、西轻东重的空间分布格局.沿海地区和交通干线周边破碎化明显高于其他地区.以地市为报告单位,福建省景观破碎化的空间分布呈现由西向东的梯度格局.景观破碎化最轻微地区(龙岩市、三明市、南平市有效栅格值处于679.2-939.0 km2之间)和最严重地区(厦门市、泉州市、漳州市的有效栅格值处于197.1-336.2 km2之间)形成鲜明对比.结果还显示,福建省厦门市、泉州市、漳州市的景观破碎化水平与欧洲发达国家如荷兰、比利时等接近;西部的三明市、北部的南平市则接近美国加利福尼亚.以县(市、区)为报告单位,全省景观破碎程度的空间分布从西至东呈现三级梯度.以瑞士Glarus州跨边界有效栅格值为参照,厦门、泉州和漳州3市所辖各县(市、区)的景观破碎化程度均高于Glarus.宁德、福州、莆田3市各县(市、区)则与Glarus基本持平.南平、三明、龙岩3市各县(市、区)则好于Glarus,其中,三明市和南平市各县(市、区)跨边界有效栅格值远大于Glarus.     

Alpine glacial relict species losing out to climate change: The case of the fragmented mountain hare population (Lepus timidus) in the Alps

Alpine and Arctic species are considered to be particularly vulnerable to climate change, which is expected to cause habitat loss, fragmentation and—ultimately—extinction of cold‐adapted species. However, the impact of climate change on glacial relict populations is not well understood, and specific recommendations for adaptive conservation management are lacking. We focused on the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) as a model species and modelled species distribution in combination with patch and landscape‐based connectivity metrics. They were derived from graph‐theory models to quantify changes in species distribution and to estimate the current and future importance of habitat patches for overall population connectivity. Models were calibrated based on 1,046 locations of species presence distributed across three biogeographic regions in the Swiss Alps and extrapolated according to two IPCC scenarios of climate change (RCP 4.5 & 8.5), each represented by three downscaled global climate models. The models predicted an average habitat loss of 35% (22%–55%) by 2100, mainly due to an increase in temperature during the reproductive season. An increase in habitat fragmentation was reflected in a 43% decrease in patch size, a 17% increase in the number of habitat patches and a 34% increase in inter‐patch distance. However, the predicted changes in habitat availability and connectivity varied considerably between biogeographic regions: Whereas the greatest habitat losses with an increase in inter‐patch distance were predicted at the southern and northern edges of the species’ Alpine distribution, the greatest increase in patch number and decrease in patch size is expected in the central Swiss Alps. Finally, both the number of isolated habitat patches and the number of patches crucial for maintaining the habitat network increased under the different variants of climate change. Focusing conservation action on the central Swiss Alps may help mitigate the predicted effects of climate change on population connectivity.     

The scale of genetic differentiation in the Dunes Sagebrush-Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus), an endemic habitat specialist

The Dunes Sagebrush-Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) is a North American species endemic to sand-shinnery oak habitats of the Mescalero and Monahans sand dunes in eastern New Mexico and western Texas. This lizard is listed as Endangered in New Mexico and exhibits habitat specificity at several geographic scales. Dunes Sagebrush-Lizards are only found in topographically complex shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) dominated landscapes within their small geographic distribution and are not found in surrounding human-altered landscapes. Within suitable sand-shinnery oak habitat, individuals predominantly occupy non-vegetated sand dune blowouts and utilize blowouts with particular physical characteristics due to thermoregulatory, reproduction, and foraging requirements. Here, we examined historical and contemporary patterns of genetic differentiation with respect to the current distribution of suitable habitat at multiple spatial scales using mitochondrial DNA sequences and microsatellite data from individuals throughout the entire range. We found three genetic clusters of individuals generally concordant with geographic regions and low sequence divergence at mitochondrial loci suggesting a recent origin of these populations. We also found high levels of genetic structure at microsatellite loci among populations within each of these groups indicating restricted gene flow at intermediate scales. Despite high habitat specificity, we did not detect genetic structure among sand blowouts at finer spatial scales. Within each population, matrices comprised of both sand blowouts and vegetated shinnery oak patches are necessary for genetic connectivity, but the fine scale spatial arrangement of blowouts may not be as critical. We discuss our results with respect to the scale of landscape heterogeneity and habitat connectivity and consider the conservation implications for this threatened taxon.