Data from: Landscape genetics of leaf-toed geckos in the tropical dry forest of northern Mexico

Habitat fragmentation due to both natural and anthropogenic forces
continues to threaten the evolution and maintenance of biological
diversity. This is of particular concern in tropical regions that are
experiencing elevated rates of habitat loss. Although less well-studied
than tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests (TDF) contain an enormous
diversity of species and continue to be threatened by anthropogenic
activities including grazing and agriculture. However, little is known
about the processes that shape genetic connectivity in species inhabiting
TDF ecosystems. We adopt a landscape genetic approach to understanding
functional connectivity for leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus)
at multiple sites near the northernmost limit of this ecosystem at Alamos,
Sonora, Mexico. Traditional analyses of population genetics are combined
with multivariate GIS-based landscape analyses to test hypotheses on the
potential drivers of spatial genetic variation. Moderate levels of
within-population diversity and substantial levels of population
differentiation are revealed by FST and Dest. Analyses using STRUCTURE
suggest the occurrence of from 2 to 9 genetic clusters depending on the
model used. Landscape genetic analysis suggests that forest cover, stream
connectivity, undisturbed habitat, slope, and minimum temperature of the
coldest period explain more genetic variation than do simple Euclidean
distances. Additional landscape genetic studies throughout TDF habitat are
required to understand species-specific responses to landscape and climate
change and to identify common drivers. We urge researchers interested in
using multivariate distance methods to test for, and report, significant
correlations among predictor matrices that can impact results,
particularly when adopting least-cost path approaches. Further
investigation into the use of information theoretic approaches for model
selection is also warranted.