The spatial genetic structure of the yellow-necked mouse in an urban environment \u2013 a recent invader vs. a closely related permanent inhabitant

Tomasz Gortat,Anna Kozakiewicz,Robert Rutkowski,Michał Kozakiewicz,Alicja Gryczynska

doi:10.1007/s11252-016-0620-7

Tomasz Gortat, Anna Kozakiewicz + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0620-7

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Abstract

We analyse the genetic variability in the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) population in the city of Warsaw, Poland, and its surroundings - a species that has begun to occupy the city only in the last 30 years. We also compare the genetic variability of this species with corresponding data collected in the same time and areas for another species - the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). The results indicate a gradual decrease in genetic diversity and increase in relatedness in the population of A. flavicollis from non-urban locations towards sites with the highest anthropopressure. The genetic structure was more pronounced in the 'recent invader' (A. flavicollis) than in the 'permanent inhabitant' (A. agrarius), which has a much longer city colonization history (more than 100 years). In general, FST was higher in A. flavicollis, which may indicate different and independent ways of city colonization by the species. The process by which urban areas are settled by a new, typically forest-dwelling species such as A. flavicollis, more 'sensitive' to the conditions of life in a city, probably includes not only successful events of penetration of the city by small groups of individuals (the founder effect), but also temporary extinctions of local urban populations of A. flavicollis or at least marked fluctuations in species population numbers. Suitably planned areas at the city borders could play an important role as 'gateways' through which individuals from non-urban populations could migrate into the city and join urban populations.

Highlights

The process of urbanization is one of the most important factors affecting natural ecosystems at the beginning of the 21st century (Ricketts and Imhoff 2003; Goddard et al 2010)
Seeking a better understanding of how an urban environment can affect population processes in various species, molecular genetics methods have long been applied to analyse gene flow within urbanized landscapes and among urban landscapes and surrounding rural areas, as well as to estimate genetic variability in urban populations of wild species (e.g. Noël et al 2007; Gardner-Santana et al 2009; Gortat et al 2013, 2015a; Munshi-South et al 2013)
The aim of our study was to analyse the distribution of genetic variability in the urban population of the yellownecked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) in Warsaw (Poland), which has long been numerous in the areas surrounding the city but appeared in Warsaw only very recently and has colonized several patches within the city borders (Andrzejewski et al 1978; Gliwicz 1980; BabińskaWerka and Malinowska 2008; Gortat et al 2014)

Summary

Introduction

The process of urbanization is one of the most important factors affecting natural ecosystems at the beginning of the 21st century (Ricketts and Imhoff 2003; Goddard et al 2010). Urban areas of the world are expected to absorb all the human population growth expected over the four decades (United Nations 2011), and as urban populations expand, so do urbanized landscapes. The development of cities and other urbanized areas is the leading cause of habitat loss, threatening the existence of many wild species (Dearborn and Kark 2010). Seeking a better understanding of how an urban environment can affect population processes in various species, molecular genetics methods have long been applied to analyse gene flow within urbanized landscapes and among urban landscapes and surrounding rural areas, as well as to estimate genetic variability in urban populations of wild species (e.g. Noël et al 2007; Gardner-Santana et al 2009; Gortat et al 2013, 2015a; Munshi-South et al 2013)

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