Ottewell 2012 Oenocarpus genetic data

Excel file containing microsatellite genotypes of adult Oenocarpus bataua trees and seed progeny arrays collected from a study site in northwest Ecuado

Eucalypt adults

the microsatellite genotypes of each sampled adult tre

Demographic and genetic viability of a medium-sized ground-dwelling mammal in a fire prone, rapidly urbanizing landscape

<div><p>The rapid and large-scale urbanization of peri-urban areas poses major and complex challenges for wildlife conservation. We used population viability analysis (PVA) to evaluate the influence of urban encroachment, fire, and fauna crossing structures, with and without accounting for inbreeding effects, on the metapopulation viability of a medium-sized ground-dwelling mammal, the southern brown bandicoot (<i>Isoodon obesulus</i>), in the rapidly expanding city of Perth, Australia. We surveyed two metapopulations over one and a half years, and parameterized the PVA models using largely field-collected data. The models revealed that spatial isolation imposed by housing and road encroachment has major impacts on <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i>. Although the species is known to persist in small metapopulations at moderate levels of habitat fragmentation, the models indicate that these populations become highly vulnerable to demographic decline, genetic deterioration, and local extinction under increasing habitat connectivity loss. Isolated metapopulations were also predicted to be highly sensitive to fire, with large-scale fires having greater negative impacts on population abundance than small-scale ones. To reduce the risk of decline and local extirpation of <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i> and other small- to medium-sized ground-dwelling mammals in urbanizing, fire prone landscapes, we recommend that remnant vegetation and vegetated, structurally-complex corridors between habitat patches be retained. Well-designed road underpasses can be effective to connect habitat patches and reduce the probability of inbreeding and genetic differentiation; however, adjustment of fire management practices to limit the size of unplanned fires and ensure the retention of long unburnt vegetation will also be required to ensure persistence. Our study supports the evidence that in rapidly urbanizing landscapes, a pro-active conservation approach is required that manages species at the metapopulation level and that prioritizes metapopulations and habitat with greater long-term probability of persistence and conservation capacity, respectively. This strategy may help us prevent future declines and local extirpations, and currently relatively common species from becoming rare.</p></div

MECBreedfamily

family-level mating system and growth dat

Eucalyptus progeny

microsatellite genotypes for all progen

MECBreedprogeny

individual height, heterozygosity and block dat

Sensitivity of population viability to changes in carrying capacity (<i>K</i>), maximum growth rate (<i>Rmax</i>), demographic rates (vital rates means), and environmental stochasticity (vital rates standard deviations) for the Roe Highway (a) and Mandjoogoordap Drive (b) metapopulations.

<p>Sensitivity is represented as the percent change in expected minimum abundance relative to the base model. Note that y-axes have different scales.</p

Demographic and population parameters used for the population viability analysis of <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i>, and respective data sources.

<p>Demographic and population parameters used for the population viability analysis of <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i>, and respective data sources.</p

Expected minimum abundance (EMA) and probability of a 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% decline in metapopulation size at least once in the next 50 years, for the two studied <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i> metapopulations, under the alternative management scenarios.

<p>Expected minimum abundance (EMA) and probability of a 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% decline in metapopulation size at least once in the next 50 years, for the two studied <i>I</i>. <i>obesulus</i> metapopulations, under the alternative management scenarios.</p

Study area in Perth, Western Australia.

<p>(a) Map of study area showing the location of the two study sites (b) Roe Highway and (c) Mandjoogoordap Drive, in Perth, Australia.</p