Disentangle the Causes of the Road Barrier Effect in Small Mammals through Genetic Patterns

摘要: Road barrier effect is among the foremost negative impacts of roads on wildlife. Knowledge factors responsible for road crucial to understand and predict species’ responses roads, improve mitigation measures in context management conservation. We built a set hypothesis aiming infer most probable cause (traffic or surface avoidance), while controlling potentially confounding effects width, traffic volume age. The wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus was used as model species small forest-dwelling mammals, which are more likely be affected by gaps cover such those resulting from construction. confront genetic patterns opposite same roadsides samples three highways computer simulations migration rates between roadsides. Genetic 302 (ca. 100 per highway) suggest that highway due avoidance. However, we estimated rate about 5% roadsides, indicating some limited gene flow across does occur. To reduce impact population diversity structure, possible could include retrofitting culverts underpasses increase their attractiveness facilitate use mice other species, setting aside roadside strips without vegetation removal establishment dispersal mammals.