Effects of multiple founder populations on spatial genetic structure of reintroduced American martens

Reintroductions and translocations are increasingly used to repatriate or increase probabilities of persistence for animal and plant species. Genetic and demographic characteristics of founding individuals and suitability of habitat at release sites are commonly believed to affect the success of these conservation programs. Genetic divergence among multiple source populations of American martens (Martes americana) and well documented introduction histories permitted analyses of post-introduction dispersion from release sites and development of genetic clusters in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan