Landscape Genomics of PNW Frogs

The greater Portland metro area has remarkable natural areas of protected and restored wetlands and Pacific University is situated at the interface of suburbia, forest, and agriculture. One big question is how this heterogeneous mix of land use practices impacts local amphibian populations. This question can be (and should be) addressed from different perspectives, and in collaboration with others, my lab is adding the genetic perspective.

Landscape genomics of the northern red-legged frog

In collaboration with Metro, Cat deRivera's lab at Portland State University, and many others throughout the Portland Metro Region, we are studying the effects of land use and habitat connectivity on population genetic diversity and connectivity of the northern red-legged frog, Rana aurora. We are interested in how particular landscape characteristics might impede or facilitate movement among breeding sites, and in identifying the site characteristics that support healthy breeding populations. Such information is important to land managers who are working hard to actively maintain habitat connecivity.

Land use and population connectivity of Pacific treefrogs and rough-skinned newts

In parallel to the work the northern red-legged frog, we are also investigating landscape connectivity of the Pacific treefrog, Hyliola regilla, and the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa. Both species are common in many wetlands, but absent from many urban areas. Pacific treefrogs are assumed to move readily across landscapes and other species of Taricha are known to traverse great distances. We expect high connectivity across a diversity of land use types, but detailed study of population genetics has not been done for these species.