Dixon Jeremy D, Oli Madan K, Wooten Michael C, Eason Thomas H, McCown J Walter, Paetkau David
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Conserv Biol. 2006 Feb;20(1):155-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00292.x.
Corridors may mitigate the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation by restoring or maintaining connectivity between disjunct populations. The efficacy of corridors for large carnivores, however has rarely been evaluated objectively. We used noninvasive sampling, microsatellite analysis, and population assignment tests to evaluate the effectiveness of a regional corridor in connecting two Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) populations (Osceola and Ocala). Bear movement was predominantly unidirectional, with a limited mixing of individuals from the two populations in one area of the corridor We also documented bears in Osceola that were genetically assigned to Ocala and bears in Osceola that may be offspring from an Osceola-Ocala mating. Our results indicate that the Osceola-Ocala corridor is functional and provides a conduit for gene flow between these populations. Human development, however may hinder the use of the Osceola-Ocala corridor by bears. The noninvasive sampling and genetic methods we used provide a means of evaluating corridor effectiveness that can help identify linkages necessary for maintaining metapopulation structure and population viability.
廊道可以通过恢复或维持隔离种群之间的连通性来减轻栖息地破碎化的不利影响。然而，大型食肉动物廊道的功效很少得到客观评估。我们使用非侵入性采样、微卫星分析和种群分配测试来评估一条区域廊道连接佛罗里达黑熊（美洲黑熊佛罗里达亚种）的两个种群（奥西奥拉和奥卡拉）的有效性。熊的移动主要是单向的，在廊道的一个区域内，两个种群的个体混合有限。我们还记录到奥西奥拉的熊在基因上被归类为奥卡拉种群，以及奥西奥拉的熊可能是奥西奥拉 - 奥卡拉交配的后代。我们的结果表明，奥西奥拉 - 奥卡拉廊道是起作用的，并为这些种群之间的基因流动提供了一条通道。然而，人类发展可能会阻碍熊对奥西奥拉 - 奥卡拉廊道的利用。我们使用的非侵入性采样和基因方法提供了一种评估廊道有效性的手段，有助于确定维持集合种群结构和种群生存能力所需的联系。
