Data from: An endangered arboreal specialist, the western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis), shows a greater genetic divergence across a narrow artificial waterway than a major road

The fragmentation of habitats by roads and other artificial linear
structures can have a profound effect on the movement of arboreal species
due to their strong fidelity to canopies. Here, we used 12 microsatellite
DNA loci to investigate the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and the
effects of a major road and a narrow artificial waterway on a population
of the endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) in
Busselton, Western Australia. Using spatial autocorrelation analysis, we
found positive genetic structure in continuous habitat over distances up
to 600 m. These patterns are consistent with the sedentary nature of P.
occidentalis and highlight their vulnerability to the effects of habitat
fragmentation. Pairwise relatedness values and Bayesian cluster analysis
also revealed significant genetic divergences across an artificial
waterway, suggesting that it was a barrier to gene flow. By contrast, no
genetic divergences were detected across the major road. While studies
often focus on roads when assessing the effects of artificial linear
structures on wildlife, this study provides an example of an often
overlooked artificial linear structure other than a road that has a
significant impact on wildlife dispersal leading to genetic subdivision.