Data from: dispersal restriction and facilitation in species with differing tolerance to development: a landscape genetics study of native and introduced lizards

Aim: The development of natural habitats into urban land uses has greatly
accelerated in the recent past due to human activities. This habitat
development disrupts species’ natural dispersal processes and can lead to
both direct and indirect impacts on dispersal. Whether human activities
result in restricted or facilitated dispersal may depend on a species’
development tolerance; however, this premise has not been tested. We
examined the impact of urbanization and road networks on the dispersal of
three lizard species in the context of their development tolerance.
Location: Curaçao Methods: To quantify species’ development tolerance, we
modelled three lizard species abundances at sites based on surrounding
landscape development. Using microsatellite genotypes, we conducted
individual-based resistance surface analyses and modelled the effect of
habitat development on genetic admixture to assess indirect dispersal
restriction and facilitation. We explored direct facilitation of dispersal
using network analysis of mitochondrial haplotypes. Results:
Phyllodactylus martini, a native gecko species, was the least tolerant of
development and experienced indirect dispersal restriction due to roads,
according to resistance surface analyses. Anolis lineatus, a native anole
species, exhibited a neutral relationship with development. Resistance
surfaces and Structure analyses showed that A. lineatus faced indirect
dispersal restrictions from roads and developed areas, while mitochondrial
haplotype networks suggested they benefited from occasional
human-facilitated long-distance dispersal events. Hemidactylus mabouia, an
introduced gecko species, was the most tolerant of development, and
experienced no dispersal restriction, but mitochondrial haplotypes suggest
direct long-distance dispersal facilitation. Main conclusions: Our
findings highlight development tolerance as a key predictor of dispersal
impact for these species and future work should test whether these
patterns are upheld in other systems. Understanding how human activities
affect species' dispersal will aid in managing introduced species
while promoting connectivity for native species navigating dispersal
challenges in dynamic landscapes.