Data from: Reduced genetic diversity and increased dispersal in Guigna (Leopardus guigna) in Chilean fragmented landscapes

Landscape fragmentation is often a major cause of species extinction as it
can affect a wide variety of ecological processes. The impact of
fragmentation varies among species depending on many factors, including
their life-history traits and dispersal abilities. Felids are one of the
groups most threatened by fragmented landscapes because of their large
home ranges, territorial behavior, and low population densities. Here, we
model the impacts of habitat fragmentation on patterns of genetic
diversity in the guigna (Leopardus guigna), a small felid that is closely
associated with the heavily human-impacted temperate rainforests of
southern South America. We assessed genetic variation in 1798 base pairs
of mitochondrial DNA sequences, 15 microsatellite loci, and 2 sex
chromosome genes and estimated genetic diversity, kinship, inbreeding, and
dispersal in 38 individuals from landscapes with differing degrees of
fragmentation on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Increased fragmentation
was associated with reduced genetic diversity, but not with increased
kinship or inbreeding. However, in fragmented landscapes, there was a
weaker negative correlation between pairwise kinship and geographic
distance, suggesting increased dispersal distances. These results
highlight the importance of biological corridors to maximize connectivity
in fragmented landscapes and contribute to our understanding of the
broader genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation, especially for
forest-specialist carnivores.