PARENT SESSION

Conservation 2 -- Session Chair: Bill Gannon-- University Center, Kate Buchanan Room

DEFINING THE MOLECULAR LANDSCAPE OF CORYNORHINUS TOWNSENDII IN CENTRAL NEVADA: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PATTERNS. William L. Gannon, Richard E. Sherwin and Jerry W. Dragoo. Division of Mammals, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

ABSTRACT- Management and conservation practices of Townsends big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) have largely assumed that maternity colonies delineate populations. These practices have been based upon few data and driven mostly by dogma. The molecular landscape of this species has, in fact, not been resolved. Without clearly understanding the effective unit of management and establishing levels of diversity at the correct scale, efforts to manage this species at a number of scales may be misled efforts. The goal of conservation activities should be to maintain actual populations in the landscape. In this study we investigated impacts on the genetic landscape of colonies of abandoned-mine roosting C. townsendii in north-central Nevada. Here, we report on relatedness among and between hibernating and roosting individuals within the study area. DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the mitochondrial D-loop were conducted for genetic analyses aimed at resolving patterns in the genetic landscape of this species. Simplification of the genetic landscape or identification of several haplotypes at the same site has great impact for the management and long-term maintenance goals of C. townsendii populations. Two haplotypes (distance > 20 bp) have been identified at a single site with no discernible geographic boundary indicating higher levels of variation may occur in a population of this species than has previously been assumed.

KEY WORDS: Townsend's big-eared bat, bat ecology, molecular landscape, wing-punches