Abstract
Estimates of the genetic diversity of Large Japanese field mouse Apodemusspeciosus populations and identification of their plant food resources were conducted in an industrial green space, where were constructed on reclaimed land and belonged to the Aichi Refinery of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. A total of six mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes were identified in 50 mice. Habitat condition with the highest number of captured individuals had abundant broad-leaved trees and understory vegetation. A minimum spanning network, which did not form a ring-shaped network, revealed that the hereditary population structure was weak. The low genetic diversity observed in the study area was thus attributed to isolation from other populations once the population in the study area by sea and road, which is more than 30 m wide. In order to identify which plant food resources were utilized by mice captured inside the industrial green space, partial chloroplast rbcL sequences were amplified by PCR from DNA extracted from 43 feces samples. Calculations of sample completeness curve revealed that 25 of the taxa identified in this study comprised approximately 90% of the food plant resources in the study area. Of the 21 plant families identified from the obtained rbcL sequences, members of the Rosaceae (28.0%), Fagaceae (17.2%), Lauraceae (14.2%) and Oleaceae (7.7%) were dominant. To ensure the continued survival of A. speciosuspopulation in this industrial green space would be to preferentially conserve plant species that are used as food resources by this species.
Highlights
In industrial areas, green spaces are primarily used as buffers for industrial pollution and for accident prevention
The food plant analysis showed that members of the Rosaceae, Fagaceae, and Lauraceae were extensively utilized as food by A. speciosus in this industrial green space
These findings imply that measures focusing on the maintenance of food plants, such as Rosaceae, Fagaceae, and Lauraceae, need to be implemented to ensure that A. speciosus remains in this industrial green space
Summary
Green spaces are primarily used as buffers for industrial pollution and for accident prevention. Since industrial green spaces function as habitats for local wildlife, these areas are considered to contribute positively towards regional biodiversity conservation Given this background, we previously surveyed the wildlife species that inhabit the industrial green space of the Aichi Refinery of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. in Aichi Prefecture, Japan 1. We previously surveyed the wildlife species that inhabit the industrial green space of the Aichi Refinery of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. in Aichi Prefecture, Japan 1 This industrial green space comprises a very large forest zone connected to smaller industrial green spaces, which are the favored habitats of native medium-sized mammals, such as the Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus), and the Japanese red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) reported once local extinction in the southern part of the Aichi Prefecture, which are representative mammal species of Japan 1. Since Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. has never experienced any loss due to these mammals inhabiting its property, the company has promoted the utilization of this industrial green space for native medium-sized mammal conservation
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