Evolutionary consequences of habitat loss for Pacific anadromous salmonids.

ABSTRACT: Large portions of anadromous salmonid habitat in the western United States has been lost because of dams and other blockages. This loss has the potential to affect salmonid evolution through natural selection if the loss is biased, affecting certain types of habitat differentially, and if phenotypic traits correlated with those habitat types are heritable. Habitat loss can also affect salmonid evolution indirectly, by reducing genetic variation and changing its distribution within and among populations. In this paper, we compare the characteristics of lost habitats with currently accessible habitats and review the heritability of traits which show correlations with habitat/environmental gradients. We find that although there is some regional variation, inaccessible habitats tend to be high

SUBMITTER: McClure MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3352431 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature