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Landscape modelling spatial bottlenecks: implications for raccoon rabies disease spread
Erin E Rees1, Bruce A Pond, Catherine I Cullingham
1Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada. rees@ualberta.ca
Biology Letters
|March 28, 2009
Summary
Landscape genetics simulations show that habitat shape, specifically constrictions, can bottleneck raccoon dispersal, impacting rabies spread in Ontario, Canada. This research aids in understanding disease dynamics and management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Disease Ecology
- Conservation Genetics
Background:
- Rabies virus poses a significant threat to wildlife and public health.
- Understanding wildlife dispersal patterns is crucial for predicting and managing disease spread.
- Landscape features can influence animal movement and genetic connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how landscape configuration, particularly habitat shape, affects raccoon dispersal.
- To test the hypothesis that landscape constrictions act as barriers to gene flow.
- To model the potential impact of landscape features on raccoon rabies transmission dynamics in Ontario.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a landscape genetic simulation modeling approach (Ontario Rabies Model).
- Simulated raccoon range expansion from New York into Ontario landscapes.
- Compared genetic structuring in areas with and without a landscape constriction.
Main Results:
- Theoretical evidence indicates that landscape constrictions function as vicariant bottlenecks.
- Habitat shape significantly influences simulated raccoon dispersal patterns.
- Genetic structuring was observed to be affected by the presence of landscape constrictions.
Conclusions:
- Landscape configuration plays a critical role in shaping wildlife population structure and connectivity.
- Vicariant bottlenecks created by landscape constrictions can impede gene flow and alter disease spread.
- Findings have implications for rabies management strategies in raccoon populations, particularly in fragmented landscapes.
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