Multi-Geographical Metapopulation Assessment of Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Current and historical habitat degradation combined with the introduction non-native salmonids have served to affectively limit much of the contiguous precolonial habitat formerly occupied by native Brook Trout in the eastern United States. As such, a critical knowledge gap exists as to how habitat fragmentation has affectively limited Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) metapopulation dynamics among various spatial scales and distances, and whether or not such dynamics can be feasibly enhanced to facilitate dispersal within and among impaired corridors and habitats. To identify unique regional features that effect metapopulation dynamics we use a series of multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM) that incorporate three separate regional (WV, TN, and NC) pairwise population genetic distances that function as response matrices on a multitude of permutated explanatory ecological and spatial matrices. Post hoc MRM lag matrices models generated will aid in identifying spatial patterns of genetic similarity while simultaneously controlling for landscape similarity among sampled stream reaches, basins, watersheds, and regions. Our results should identify how metapopulation dynamics can be feasibly facilitated (i.e. removal of dispersal barriers, removal of non-native salmonids, etc.) by ecological systems managers. Addressing such questions should allow ecosystems managers to make more progressive steps toward managing and conserving population persistence efforts, enhancing dispersal through corridor connectedness, and bolstering effective mitigation which subsequently increase genetic diversity and adaptive selection via habitat enhancements.