Incorporating Landscape Genetics into Road Ecology

Sunnucks, Paul; Balkenhol, Niko

doi:10.1002/9781118568170.ch14

Cited by 28 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Local habitat factors, such as ROW width and management processes, as well as surrounding landscape‐scale composition and heterogeneity, can influence the function of a ROW as a habitat corridor (Huijser and Clevenger ; Öckinger and Smith ). A landscape genetics approach can provide needed information regarding the extent of gene flow among ROW populations and those using other suitable habitats, as well as the effective population size maintained within these elements (Sunnucks and Balkenhol ). This information will be beneficial for biodiversity conservation in ROW habitats (Wojcik and Buchmann ) where optimal strategies to promote connectivity have not yet been devised.…”

Section: Knowledge Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rights‐of‐way: a potential conservation resource

Gardiner

Riley

Bommarco

et al. 2018

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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Rights‐of‐way (ROW) that enable the transport of humans, goods, and energy (eg roads and road verges, railways and embankments, and power lines and the corridors they occupy) cover vast areas and can resemble a species‐rich natural habitat. We examine the value of ROW for biodiversity conservation. Similar to grasslands or heathlands, the green spaces associated with ROW often harbor high numbers of species, including rare plants and animals. There is, however, a risk that ROW can act as ecological traps, by attracting organisms that fail to survive and/or reproduce within ROW green spaces. To date, a focus on documenting species occurrence has left major gaps in our understanding of how life in a ROW influences the survival and reproduction of populations, their biotic interactions, and movements within a broader landscape. Estimating these parameters allows for management to better recognize the potential conservation value of these landscape elements.

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Section: Knowledge Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rights‐of‐way: a potential conservation resource

Gardiner

Riley

Bommarco

et al. 2018

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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“…Delaney, Riley, & Fisher, 2010;Munshi-South, 2012), allowing mitigation to be better targeted. Such applications are tractable and affordable via outsourcing of genomewide screens of thousands of genetic markers for almost any wildlife species (Sunnucks & Balkenhol, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, implementing an experimental approach is challenging and examples in road ecology are rare (Michener, 1997;Rytwinski et al, 2015). The second component missing from most evaluations is the use of genetic techniques (Balkenhol & Waits, 2009;Simmons, Sunnucks, Taylor, & van der Ree, 2010;Sunnucks & Balkenhol, 2015). By investigating temporal and spatial patterns in genetic variation, researchers can infer changes in movement and dispersal for a large number of individuals and sites, and, critically, determine whether an animal's movement across the road results in gene flow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the success of wildlife crossing structures using genetic approaches and an experimental design: Lessons from a gliding mammal

Soanes

Taylor

Sunnucks

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Abstract1. Millions of dollars are spent on wildlife crossing structures intended to reduce the barrier effects of roads on wildlife. However, we know little about the degree to which these structures facilitate dispersal and gene flow.2. Our study incorporates two elements that are rarely used in the evaluation of wildlife crossing structures: an experimental design including a before and after comparison, and the use of genetic techniques to demonstrate effects on gene flow at both population and individual levels. We evaluated the effect of wildlife crossing structures (canopy bridges and glider poles) on a gliding mammal, the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis). We genotyped 399 individuals at eight microsatellite markers to analyse population structure, first-generation migrants and parentage relationships.3. We found that the freeway was not a complete genetic barrier, with a strong effect evident at only one site. We hypothesise that the presence of corridors alongside the freeway and throughout the surrounding landscape facilitated circuitous detours for squirrel gliders.4. Installing a crossing structure at the location with a strong barrier effect restored gene flow within just 5 years of mitigation. Synthesis and applications.Our study highlights the importance of using genetic techniques not just to evaluate the success of road-crossing structures for wildlife, but also to guide their placement within the landscape. Managers wishing to reduce the effects of linear infrastructure on squirrel gliders and other arboreal mammals should aim to preserve and enhance vegetation along roadsides and within centre medians, as well as mitigate large gaps by implementing wildlife crossing structures. K E Y W O R D S

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“…A large and emerging body of genetics research across taxa confirms a loss of genetic diversity in small populations isolated by roads [122][123][124][125]. However, long-term impacts on the fitness of affected populations through the reduction in genetic diversity is not yet clear [123].…”

Section: Genetic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In agricultural areas, where there is minimal habitat along roads for some species, roads may form a complete barrier, cutting off gene flow, with a significant isolation effect [127]. Flightless invertebrate species are particularly vulnerable to roadkill, and even if the species are averse to crossing roads, barrier effects, preventing movements by this group, can lead to inbreeding depression and pose a threat to population viability [124,127,128]. Roads may thus rapidly cause genetic effects, raising conservation concerns about rare and threatened species [123].…”

Section: Genetic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Impacts of Roads on Wildlife in Semi-Arid Regions

et al. 2019

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Roads now penetrate even the most remote parts of much of the world, but the majority of research on the effects of roads on biota has been in less remote temperate environments. The impacts of roads in semi-arid and arid areas may differ from these results in a number of ways. Here, we review the research on the impacts of roads on biodiversity patterns and ecological and evolutionary processes in semi-arid regions. The most obvious effect of roads is mortality or injury through collision. A diversity of scavengers are killed whilst feeding on roadkill, a source of easily accessed food. Noise pollution from roads and traffic interferes with vocal communication by animals, and birds and frogs living along noisy roads compensate for traffic noise by increasing the amplitude or pitch of their calls. Artificial light along roads impacts certain species’ ability to navigate, as well as attracting invertebrates. Animals are in turn attracted to invertebrates at streetlights, and vulnerable to becoming roadkill themselves. Genetics research across taxa confirms a loss of genetic diversity in small populations isolated by roads, but the long-term impact on the fitness of affected populations through a reduction in genetic diversity is not yet clear. Roads may rapidly cause genetic effects, raising conservation concerns about rare and threatened species. We assess mitigation measures and collate methods to identify the impact of roads on wildlife populations and their associated ecosystems, with a particular focus on recent advances.

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Incorporating Landscape Genetics into Road Ecology

Cited by 28 publications

References 15 publications

Rights‐of‐way: a potential conservation resource

Rights‐of‐way: a potential conservation resource

Evaluating the success of wildlife crossing structures using genetic approaches and an experimental design: Lessons from a gliding mammal

A Review of the Impacts of Roads on Wildlife in Semi-Arid Regions

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