Isolation of peripheral populations of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Abstract

Landscape barriers to gene flow, such as rivers, can affect animal populations by limiting the potential for rescue of these isolated populations. We tested the riverine barrier hypothesis, predicting that the St. Lawrence River in eastern Canada would cause genetic divergence of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792) populations by restricting dispersal and gene flow. We sampled 558 lynx from eastern Canada and genotyped these at 14 microsatellite loci. We found three genetic clusters, defined by the St. Lawrence River and the Strait of Belle Isle, a waterway separating Newfoundland from mainland Canada. However, these waterways were not absolute barriers, as we found 24 individuals that appeared to have crossed them. Peripheral populations of lynx are threatened in parts of Canada and the USA, and it is thought that these populations are maintained by immigration from the core. Our findings suggest that in eastern North America, rescue might be less likely because the St. Lawrence River restricts dispersal. We found that ice cover was often sufficient to allow lynx to walk across the ice in winter. If lynx used ice bridges in winter, then climate warming could cause a reduction in the extent and longevity of river and sea ice, further isolating these peripheral lynx populations.