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Abstract
The restoration of the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) across North America is one of the most successful conservation efforts, after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1990s. However, productivity and abundance of wild turkeys have declined across various portions of their range. Long-term population success is ultimately shaped by patterns of genetic diversity and behavioral strategies used by individuals to obtain mates. Therefore, understanding the mating system and reproductive behaviors used by wild turkeys can provide valuable insight into wild turkey ecology and management. Using a movement based recursive analysis, I identified areas revisited by males during the breeding season. I found that selection of these revisited areas was related to landscape features and female distribution. Males selected for revisited areas closer to hardwood forests, open areas, and areas with an increased relative probability of female presence. Another aspect of my research sought to investigate reproductive strategies used as part of the wild turkey mating system. I used genomic DNA extracted from hatched eggshell membranes to identify the sex of offspring and assign parentage. Offspring sex ratios were biased towards females on sites with spring hunting but did not differ from parity at the non-hunted site. Both multi-paternity and multi-maternity occurred in clutches, along with evidence that a few males may be responsible for the majority of offspring. These findings provide insights into the use and alternative reproductive strategies by wild turkeys. Additionally, I used a landscape genetics approach to examine how landscape variables influenced gene flow of wild turkeys. I found moderate gene flow occurred within sites, influenced by localized kin structure and limited regionally bounded dispersal. Optimization of landscape surfaces revealed a different effect of landscape composition and configuration on each site’s gene flow.