Transcript Gopher Tortoise Management at Moody AFB, GA

POPULATION GENETICS
OF GOPHER TORTOISES
AT MOODY AIR FORCE
BASE, GEORGIA
David I. Mederos and
J. Mitchell Lockhart
Department of Biology
Valdosta State University
The Gopher Tortoise
(Gopherus polyphemus)
Gopherus polyphemus – Natural History
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Found in Southeastern
U.S. with major
population
concentrations in
Florida, southern
Georgia and Alabama
State Status –
Threatened
Federal Status –
Threatened in west AL,
MS, and LA.
Photo Credit - LaShaun Lockhart
Gopherus polyphemus
Quick Facts
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Only tortoise east of Texas
Populations are concentrated in areas with
deep sandy soils suitable for digging burrows
Live in loose colonies
Most fossorial of the North American tortoise
species
40-80 year life span with 10-20 yr sexual
maturity
~1% recruitment rate
Gopherus polyphemus – Natural History
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Habitat preference:
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Gopher tortoise’s are found in various habitats but
require relatively well-drained soils for digging
burrows, herbaceous food plants, and open sunny
areas for resting and basking.
Gopherus polyphemus
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Considered a keystone species in the longleaf
pine community, meaning its existence is
CRITICAL to the existence of many other
species.
The Gopher Tortoise Burrow
Part One: Gopher Tortoise Biology
Part Two: Gopher Tortoise
Restoration at Moody Air Force
Base
Part Three: Population Genetics
Part Three: Uprising problems
Moody Air Force Base (MAFB)
Rough Draft
Photo Credits - Moody AFB
Moody AFB
Natural Resources
Management
Rough Draft
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Forestry Program
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Fish and Wildlife Program
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2,600 acres of upland pine/hardwood forests
5,500 acres of bottomland forest/scrub-shrub
Main Base hunting for military personnel
Remainder of base is part of Grand Bay WMA
Three installation lakes
Ecosystem Management Program
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Grand Bay-Banks Lake Ecosystem Council
RTE species management
Moody Air Force Base
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Moody AFB is required by federal mandate to
protect rare, threatened, and endangered
(RTE) species likely to be impacted by the
military mission of the installation.
Moody Air Force Base
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10,913 acres in Lowndes/Lanier Counties,
Georgia.
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1. Main Base
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Airfield and
Cantonment areas
Photo Credit - LaShaun Lockhart
Moody Air Force Base
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2. Grand Bay Range, also serving as a state
Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
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Weapons range and Buffer area
Photo Credit - LaShaun Lockhart
Part One: Gopher Tortoise Biology
Part Two: Gopher Tortoise
Restoration at Moody Air Force
Base
Part Three: Population Genetics
Part Three: Uprising problems
Procedure
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Guanidinium Isothiocyanate extraction of nucleic acids
- isolate DNA
PCR – Epicentre
- FailSafe PCR PreMix worked best for multiplexing
- Premix A and C
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USF-9 primers
- 2 multiplexed reactions
- amplify 9 different VNTR loci
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Gel electrophoresis
- produce visible DNA fingerprint to analyze
Optimization
In-progress Results
71
CP
AR
CS
71
0.000000
CP
0.086010
0.000000
AR
0.291050
0.309573
0.000000
CS
0.219297
0.115057
0.447896
0.000000
BF
0.266032
0.173994
0.503141
0.417477
BF
0.000000
Nei’s Genetic Distance Matrix
Moody AFB Gopher Tortoise Populations
Preliminary Analysis
October 22, 2004
Note: Sample sizes are insufficient for a real, meaningful interpretation of the
data. This is a trial analysis for the purpose of demonstration of capability.
Genetic Distance Tree
Phylogenetic tree of Moody AFB Gopher tortoise populations.
Trial analysis
Note: Small population sizes prevent real interpretation of this tree.
Analysis is for demonstration of capability.
October 22, 2004
Continuous character Maximum Likelihood method version 3.61
+--------------------------------BF
+---3
+----------------------2 +--------------CS
+ACE+ACE+ACE+-CP
+ACE1-----------------------------------------AR
+ACEremember: this is an unrooted tree+ACE-
What can be obtained from these
results?
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Genetic Distance
Migration- breeding
Are the colonies in fact separate or one big
population
Importation of tortoises
Part One: Gopher Tortoise Biology
Part Two: Gopher Tortoise
Restoration at Moody Air Force
Base
Part Three: Population Genetics
Part Three: Uprising problems
Upper Respiratory Tract Disease
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Also called URTD’s
Causative Agent - Mycoplasma agassizii
Characterized externally by nasal and ocular
discharge, palpebral edema, and conjunctivitis
Photo Credit - University of Florida Veterinary School
URTD’S and Gopher Tortoises
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Studies suggest that URTD’s negative tortoises are
suitable for relocation and repatriation programs.
Seropositive, clinically
ill, culture or PCR
positive animals
should not be
included in such
programs.
One positive has been found, may be Imported
animal
Photo Credit - LaShaun Lockhart
Applications of Results
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Land use changes
Relocation of Gopher
Tortoises
Necessity of keeping
infected tortoises
separate from healthy
tortoises
Which population
possibly infected