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journal article Open Access May 09, 2022

Urban restoration of common species: population genetics of reintroduced native bush rats Rattus fuscipes in Sydney, Australia

A. L. Wright J. R. Anson V. Leo B. R. Wright T. M. Newsome C. E. Grueber
Animal Conservation Vol. 25 No. 6 pp. 825-836 · Wiley
View at Publisher Save 10.1111/acv.12787
Abstract
AbstractCommon species play a disproportionate role in shaping ecosystem structure and function, but are currently under‐represented in conservation translocation initiatives. This represents a missed opportunity because common species are typically easier to source for restoration projects, and larger numbers of common species can feasibly be translocated without substantially impacting source populations. Reintroduction of common species is an important first step in the faunal restoration of severely impacted habitats, such as urban spaces. Common species typically retain higher genetic diversity than threatened species, but this also means that they may have more to lose via population bottlenecks that can occur from translocation. To inform efforts to translocate common species, we assessed genetic impacts of a reintroduction of the common native bush rat Rattus fuscipes to an urban reserve at North Head, Sydney (Australia). Using single‐nucleotide polymorphism diversity, we found that differentiation between source populations was low. Nevertheless, admixture during reintroduction and follow‐up translocations initially increased standardized observed heterozygosity of North Head‐born bush rats and population NE, with a subtle corresponding decrease in within‐population kinship. For 3 years following the last translocation, we detected a small decline in genetic diversity in the North Head population, although final statistics remained similar to the source populations. Our results indicate that no short‐term interventions are necessary to further promote bush rat genetic diversity at North Head, but that continued genetic monitoring will be important to determine whether a trend in declining diversity continues as the population stabilizes. We conclude that translocation of a large number of individuals from multiple sources presents a suitable option for restoring an extirpated small mammal population whilst minimizing genetic effects typically associated with such management actions. Common species present viable candidates for translocations aiming to return biodiversity to disturbed or fragmented urban ecosystems.
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Showing 50 of 64 references

Metrics
5
Citations
64
References
Details
Published
May 09, 2022
Vol/Issue
25(6)
Pages
825-836
License
View
Authors
A
A. L. Wright

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia

J
J. R. Anson

Australian Wildlife Conservancy Perth WA Australia

V
V. Leo

Australian Wildlife Conservancy Perth WA Australia

B
B. R. Wright

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia; Sydney School of Veterinary Sciences The University of Sydney Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia

T
T. M. Newsome

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia

C
C. E. Grueber

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia

Funding
University of Sydney
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Cite This Article
A. L. Wright, J. R. Anson, V. Leo, et al. (2022). Urban restoration of common species: population genetics of reintroduced native bush rats Rattus fuscipes in Sydney, Australia. Animal Conservation, 25(6), 825-836. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12787
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