Population connectivity in voles (Microtus sp.) as a gauge for tall grass prairie restoration in midwestern North America.

ABSTRACT: Ecological restoration can promote biodiversity conservation in anthropogenically fragmented habitats, but effectiveness of these management efforts need to be statistically validated to determine 'success.' One such approach is to gauge the extent of recolonization as a measure of landscape permeability and, in turn, population connectivity. In this context, we estimated dispersal and population connectivity in prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster; N = 231) and meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus; N = 83) within five tall-grass prairie restoration sites embedded within the agricultural matrix of midwestern North America. We predicted that vole dispersal would be constrained by the extent of agricultural land surrounding restored habitat patches, spatially isolating vole populations and resulting

SUBMITTER: Douglas MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8659414 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature