The role of red foxes in promoting functional connectivity of the Toronto ravine system through the urban matrix.

城市赤狐的研究主要出于流行病学的原因，然而，它们作为种子传播者具有重要的作用。狐狸摄取的种子包括大量植物物种，它们可以远距离携带，超出其他陆地哺乳动物的限制，最重要的是，跨越受干扰的地区。多伦多峡谷系统占多伦多城市镶嵌的近20%，它由贯穿城市骨架的山谷和森林组成，其生物多样性正在以惊人的速度消失，这主要是由于非土著入侵。红狐可能在种子流入峡谷中发挥关键作用，因为它们能够穿越城市母体，机会主义地吃花园和果园的水果，并在峡谷中狩猎猎物，这可能将高度干扰的绿色地区与峡谷森林地区联系起来。因此，了解赤狐的种子传播可能是促进景观更新和遏制外来扩张的关键。然而，目前还没有研究确定城市狐狸分散的植物种类，也没有确定它们的摄食区和沉积区。我的目标是了解1。红狐在城市镶嵌斑块内的运动模式及其差异性使用；2。识别分散在城市各地的水果种类及其传播模式；3.它们潜在的种子传播距离。为此，我将使用GPS设备来跟踪它们的连续运动，并连续收集扫描数据。赤狐使用的城市马赛克的斑块将使用ArcGIS中叠加到运动数据的区域的等聚类分类来识别。随后，在合作中，我将开发模型来进一步了解栖息地使用和土地连通性，即贝叶斯状态空间模型，以了解基于运动模式的栖息地的不同使用，以及基于网络的景观动态模型，以了解基于红狐扩散能力的景观连通性。SCATS中发现的种子将通过条形码进行识别，因为DNA条形码参考库拥有5108种已知加拿大维管植物物种中96%的序列记录，而且最近使用标准条形码标记(rbcL、matK、ITS2)对它们的识别进行了高成功率测试。最后，将根据运动数据和肠道通过时间估计最重要的分散物种的潜在种子传播距离。最终，我将回答红狐是否通过种子交换连接城市绿地，这是这种功能连接的空间范围，以及它们散布的种子阵列是否包括可能对多伦多峡谷系统构成威胁的入侵物种，还是有助于其维护的本地物种。这一分析的结果可能会被用于景观管理，根据红狐的栖息地使用和它们在栖息地更新中的具体作用，促进或限制红狐在城市中确定的地区的活动。

Urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been studied primarily for epidemiological reasons, however, they have an important role as seed dispersers. Seeds ingested by foxes include a vast number of plant species that may be carried for long distances, beyond the limits of other terrestrial mammals, and most importantly, across disturbed areas. The Toronto ravine system comprises nearly 20% of Toronto’s urban mosaic, it is composed of valleys and forests running through the urban matrix, and its biodiversity is disappearing at alarming rates, mainly due to non-native invasions. Red foxes might play a key role in the influx of seeds in ravines due to their ability to travel across the urban matrix, eating fruits opportunistically from gardens and orchards and hunting prey within the ravines, potentially linking highly disturbed green areas with ravine forest areas. Therefore, understanding seed dispersal by red foxes might be key in promoting landscape regeneration and containing alien expansion. However, no study yet has identified the plant species urban foxes disperse, nor identified their feeding areas and deposition areas. I aim to understand 1. Red fox movement patterns within patches of the urban mosaic and their differential use; 2. Identify fruit species dispersed around the city and their dispersal patterns; 3. Their potential seed dispersal distance. For this, I will use GPS devices to track their continuous movement and successively collect scats. Patches of the urban mosaic used by red foxes will be identified using iso-cluster categorization of the area in ArcGIS overlaid to movement data. Subsequently, in collaboration, I will develop models to further understand habitat use and land connectivity, i.e. a Bayesian state-space model to understand the differential use of habitats based on movement patterns, and a Network-based model of landscape dynamics to understand landscape connectivity based on the red fox dispersal capabilities. Seeds found in scats will be identified through barcoding since the DNA barcode reference library has sequence records for 96% of the 5108 known Canadian vascular plant species and their identification has been recently tested with high success rates using standard barcode markers (rbcL, matK, ITS2). Finally, potential seed dispersal distance for the most important dispersed species will be estimated following using movement data and gut passage time. Ultimately, I will answer whether red foxes are connecting urban green areas through seed exchange, which is the spatial extent of such functional connectivity and whether the array of seeds they disperse include invasive species that might pose a threat to the Toronto ravine system, or local species that will aid with its maintenance. The results of this analysis may then be of use for landscape management, promoting or limiting red fox movement to determined areas of the city based on their habitat use and their specific role in habitat regeneration.