# Landscape Features Shape Maternal Genetic Structure of Asian Elephants in Thailand: Insights from mtDNA

## TL;DR

Landscape features like roads and hills affect how Asian elephants in Thailand move and mix genetically, with implications for conservation.

## Contribution

This study integrates mtDNA analysis with landscape modeling to reveal how specific environmental features influence maternal genetic structure in fragmented elephant populations.

## Key findings

- Fourteen mtDNA haplotypes were identified, showing high genetic diversity in Phu Khieo.
- Roads and urbanization in Khao Ang Rue Nai correlate with restricted female elephant movement.
- Fine-scale genetic structure was detected in Phu Khieo but not in Khao Ang Rue Nai.

## Abstract

Forest fragmentation is making it harder for elephants to move and survive in the long term. This study aimed to understand how landscape features are associated with elephant movement in two wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand, Phu Khieo and Khao Ang Rue Nai. We combined information from elephant feces with mapping tools to study movement patterns. The results show that elephants in these areas exhibit genetic differences that align with restricted movement routes. In Khao Ang Rue Nai, roads and expanding human areas are strongly linked to these barriers, while in Phu Khieo, steep hills and rivers appear to shape elephant movement. This study provides a practical tool to identify areas where elephants are isolated. The findings can help guide habitat restoration, improve forest connections, and reduce future conflicts between elephants and nearby communities.

Landscape features often shape maternal genetic structure by influencing connectivity. In this study, habitat fragmentation, a major threat to the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), was assessed through an integrated approach involving mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), habitat-suitability modeling, and circuit-based landscape-resistance analyses. Two regions from Thailand, Phu Khieo (PK) and Khao Ang Rue Nai (ARN) Wildlife Sanctuaries, were investigated. Fourteen mtDNA haplotypes were identified among 66 samples, with relatively high diversity and population expansion in PK. Maternal genetic differentiation was identified between the PK and ARN groups. Environmental variables, such as urbanization and road proximity in ARN and topographic wetness and stream distance in PK, were associated with genetic distances, suggesting these features restricted female-mediated connectivity. Fine-scale spatial analysis revealed significant local genetic structure only in PK, whereas no autocorrelation was detected in ARN, suggesting potential impacts of fragmentation. Genetic landscape surfaces illustrated spatial heterogeneity, pinpointing isolation zones near high anthropogenic disturbance. These findings demonstrate that broad-scale models may overlook fine-scale patterns of maternal genetic isolation. Therefore, conservation strategies should incorporate spatially explicit analyses to identify and restore crucial movement corridors, particularly in fragmented regions like ARN, for promoting connectivity and population viability.