Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) are thought to exist in a meta-population structure whereby local populations go extinct and new ones emerge as their habitat changes from one successional stage to the next, or as other stochastic events cause localized patch extinction. Certain assumptions exist about the resultant genetic structure under this dynamic. I will collect genetic data from bobwhite quail and swamp rabbits to determine whether these assumptions hold true in nature. Bobwhite genetic samples will be obtained from hunters and swamp rabbit samples from fecal pellets. With genetic data, I will examine evidence of population structuring and pinpoint landscape features that may promote or prevent dispersal. This will be accomplished using GIS technology combined with a Bayesian analysis of genetic markers, specifically microsatellites. In addition to the landscape genetic analysis, genotyping samples may provide a more robust estimate of population size for these declining species.
