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Particle backtracking improves breeding subpopulation discrimination and natal-source identification in mixed
Michael E Fraker1, Eric J Anderson2, Reed M Brodnik1
1Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Plos One
|March 24, 2015
Summary
Particle backtracking enhances natural tagging for identifying animal origins. This method improves subpopulation discrimination and source-origin identification in mixed populations, especially in aquatic systems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Genetics
- Ichthyology
Background:
- Natural tagging methods are crucial for understanding animal dispersal and population structure.
- Identifying the origin of individuals in mixed populations is challenging, particularly for species with a passive dispersive phase.
- Existing methods may not fully account for environmental influences on dispersal, leading to potential inaccuracies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a novel method integrating particle backtracking with natural tagging for improved subpopulation discrimination and source-origin identification.
- To assess the impact of passive drift on larval dispersal and its influence on population structure assessments.
- To enhance the accuracy of estimating breeding subpopulation contributions to mixed juvenile populations.
Main Methods:
- Integration of site-referenced biological data (microsatellite DNA, otolith microchemistry) with a particle-tracking model for dispersal history reconstruction (particle backtracking).
- Application to western Lake Erie's yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population (2006-2007) using larvae and juveniles.
- Probabilistic re-assignment of larvae to their most probable hatching sites based on simulated dispersal trajectories.
Main Results:
- Particle backtracking revealed that passive drift significantly influenced larval dispersal, meaning larvae collected at a site may not have originated there.
- Re-assigning larvae to their corrected hatching sites improved the discriminatory power of genetic and otolith microchemistry data.
- Estimated contributions of breeding subpopulations to the juvenile recruit pool were altered and likely improved by accounting for dispersal.
Conclusions:
- Particle backtracking is a valuable tool for complementing natural tagging in identifying the origin of individuals in mixed populations.
- The method is particularly effective in flow-dominated aquatic systems where passive drift is a significant factor.
- Accurate source-origin identification is essential for effective fisheries management and conservation strategies.
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