RIG: A Landscape Genetics Approach to Functional Connectivity of Native Small Mammal Populations in an Urban Habitat-matrix Mosaic

城市地区曾经被认为是恶劣的、生物稀少的环境，几乎没有生态价值，但城市栖息地碎片可以养活大量的野生动物种群。野生动物可以在这些碎片(通常是城市公园)之间移动的程度受到介于其间的城市环境的强烈影响。这项研究将考察纽约市(NYC)的本地小型哺乳动物(白脚鼠、短尾地鼠和草甸田鼠)，作为城市化对野生动物种群连通性和遗传结构影响的模型。新的遗传工具(对具有高突变率的短、重复DNA序列的计算密集分析)将与地理数据集相结合，以确定i)纽约市存在多少进化上独特的小型哺乳动物种群，ii)它们被隔离(或交换迁徙)的时间有多长，以及iii)哪些类型的城市土地利用促进或阻碍了小型哺乳动物及其基因在城市栖息地碎片之间的移动。通过确定小型哺乳动物能够承受的城市化类型和程度，本研究将有助于城市景观的可持续管理。这个项目的目的是最大限度地提高本科生的参与和培训，这些本科生以前很少有机会进行生态研究。首席调查员的母校--巴鲁克学院是该国种族最多元化的高等教育机构。学生群体反映了纽约市的多样性，超过50%的巴鲁克学生是他们家第一个上大学的学生。

Urban areas were once thought of as harsh, biologically sparse environments with little ecological value, but urban habitat fragments can support substantial wildlife populations. The degree to which wildlife can move between these fragments (often city parks) is strongly influenced by the intervening urban environment. This study will examine native small mammals (white-footed mice, short-tailed shrews, and meadow voles) in New York City (NYC) as models for the impacts of urbanization on the population connectivity and genetic structure of wildlife. Novel genetic tools (computationally-intensive analyses of short, repeating DNA sequences with high mutation rates) will be used in combination with geographic datasets to determine I) how many evolutionarily-unique small mammal populations exist in NYC, II) how long they have been isolated (or exchanging migrants), and III) what types of urban land use facilitate or hinder the movement of small mammals and their genes between urban habitat fragments. By identifying the types and degree of urbanization that small mammals can withstand, this study will contribute to the sustainable management of urban landscapes. This project has been designed to maximize the participation and training of undergraduates that previously had few opportunities to conduct ecological research. The Principal Investigator's home institution, Baruch College, is the most ethnically diverse institution of higher education in the country. The student body reflects the diversity of NYC, and over 50% of Baruch students are the first in their family to attend college.