Are all amphibian populations demed as metapopulations - a case study on crested newts (Triturus cristatus)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Sebastian Steinfartz
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology
• Term: from 2011 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 201134500

Amphibian populations are generally considered to be structured as metapopulations since many of the for amphibians assumed characteristic traits such as a limited dispersal ability, strong site fidelity and the patchy distribution of aquatic breeding habitats across the landscape are essential require-ments of a population to be structured as a metapopulation. A recent re-analysis of published studies on amphibian dispersal and metapopulation structure revealed, however, that frogs, toads, salamand-ers and newts are much more mobile than hitherto thought, that the study design of many mark-recapture studies was biased by the a priori assumption of limited dispersal and that the assumptions of the metapopulation concept have been rarely specifically tested. Direct evidence of long-distance dispersal and large home range sizes found by recent studies support the view that the spatial exten-sions of amphibian populations might have been drastically underestimated and that the classical metapopulation concept might not fit to all amphibian populations. Aimed as a case study on a typically pond-breeding amphibian species to challenge the predominant view of limited dispersal and metapopulation structure of amphibians, we are going to analyse the population structure of crested newts (Triturus cristatus) in the north of Germany. By applying new and powerful molecular approaches to determine the spatial extent of crested newt populations without any a priori assumption on the level of three spatial scales we will explore the real extent of crested newt populations by overcoming potential biases of past approaches. Our study design will allow us to identify the degree of population connectivity and gene flow between breeding sites of crested newts and to combine these genetic data with demographic parameters (birth, death, immigration and emigration) of breeding sites on a local scale. The results of our study will provide new and deep insights into the population dynamics of a typically pond-breeding amphibian species in evolutionary and ecological terms without confounding past a priori assumptions on the structure of amphibian populations.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Participating Person: Dr. Benedikt Schmidt