Data from: Landscape determinants of fine-scale genetic structure of a small rodent in a heterogeneous landscape (Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa)

Small mammals provide ecosystem services, acting, for example, as pollinators and seed dispersers. In addition, they are also disease reservoirs that can be detrimental to human health and they can also act as crop pests. Knowledge of their dispersal preferences is therefore useful for population management and landscape planning. Genetic data were used alongside landscape data to examine the influence of the landscape on the demographic connectedness of the Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) and to identify landscape characteristics that influence the genetic structure of this species across a spatially and temporally varying environment. The most significant landscape features shaping gene flow were aspect, vegetation cover, topographic complexity (TC) and rivers, with western facing slopes, topographic complexity and rivers restricting gene flow. In general, thicket vegetation was correlated with increased gene flow. Identifying features of the landscape that facilitate movement/dispersal in M. natalensis potentially has application for other small mammals in similar ecosystems. As the primary reservoir host of the zoonotic Lassa virus, a landscape genetics approach may have applications in determining areas of high disease risk to humans. Identifying these landscape features may also be important in crop management due to damage by rodent pests.

小型哺乳动物可提供生态系统服务 (ecosystem services)，例如充当传粉者 (pollinators) 与种子扩散者 (seed dispersers)。此外，它们同时也是可损害人类健康的疾病贮存宿主 (disease reservoirs)，还可能成为农田害虫。因此，掌握其扩散偏好的相关知识，对于种群管理 (population management) 与景观规划 (landscape planning) 具有重要价值。本研究结合遗传数据 (genetic data) 与景观数据 (landscape data)，探究景观环境对纳塔尔多乳鼠 (Mastomys natalensis) 种群连通性 (demographic connectedness) 的影响，并识别在时空异质性环境 (spatially and temporally varying environment) 中影响该物种遗传结构的景观特征。塑造该物种种群基因流 (gene flow) 的关键景观因子包括坡向 (aspect)、植被覆盖度 (vegetation cover)、地形复杂度 (topographic complexity, TC) 以及河流；其中西向坡、地形复杂度与河流会限制基因流的扩散。总体而言，灌丛植被 (thicket vegetation) 与基因流增强呈显著相关。识别促进纳塔尔多乳鼠 (M. natalensis) 移动/扩散的景观特征，可为相似生态系统中的其他小型哺乳动物研究提供参考。作为人畜共患的 (zoonotic) 拉沙病毒 (Lassa virus) 的主要贮存宿主，景观遗传学 (landscape genetics) 方法可用于识别对人类具有高疾病风险的区域。此外，识别此类景观特征也有助于开展农田害鼠管理工作，以减少其对作物的损害。