Data from: Consequences of extensive habitat fragmentation in landscape-level patterns of genetic diversity and structure in the Mediterranean esparto grasshopper

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation has altered the distribution and population sizes in many organisms worldwide. For this reason, understanding the demographic and genetic consequences of this process is necessary to predict the fate of populations and establish management practices aimed to ensure their viability. In this study, we analyse whether the spatial configuration of remnant semi-natural habitat patches within a chronically fragmented landscape has shaped the patterns of genetic diversity and structure in the habitat-specialist esparto grasshopper (Ramburiella hispanica). In particular, we predict that agricultural lands constitute barriers to gene flow and hypothesize that fragmentation has restricted interpopulation dispersal and reduced local levels of genetic diversity. Our results confirmed the expectation that isolation and habitat fragmentation have reduced the genetic diversity of local populations. Landscape genetic analyses based on circuit theory showed that agricultural land offers ~1000 times more resistance to gene flow than semi-natural habitats, indicating that patterns of dispersal are constrained by the spatial configuration of remnant patches of suitable habitat. Overall, this study shows that semi-natural habitat patches act as corridors for interpopulation gene flow and should be preserved due to the disproportionately large ecological function that they provide considering their insignificant area within these human-modified landscapes.Microsatellite DataThis file contains the genotypes for 12 microsatellite loci and 352 individuals collected in 18 populations of esparto grasshopper (Ramburiella hispanica)MicrosatelliteData.xlsNatural Vegetation GIS LayerGIS layer including natural vegetation habitat patches (non-cultivated areas) in the study areaNaturalVegetationGISLayer.zipFunding provided by: Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004837Award Number: Funding provided by: Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329Award Number: Funding provided by: Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004837Award Number: CGL2011-25053Funding provided by: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La ManchaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011698Award Number: POII10-0197-0167Funding provided by: European Regional Development FundCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008530Award Number: UNCM08-1E-018Funding provided by: Juan de la Cierva*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Severo Ochoa*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: SEV-2012-0262Funding provided by: Ramón y Cajal*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number