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Journal article
Roo-tine obstacles: uncovering the spatio-genetic barriers for Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in an urbanising landscape
Landscape Ecology, Vol.40(3), pp.1-21
2025
Abstract
Context
Urban landscapes present a diverse matrix of structures and habitats containing significant physical and behavioural barriers to terrestrial wildlife dispersal. Yet, our understanding of these barriers for large mammals in the context of genetic connectivity within urbanising landscapes is limited.
Objective
We investigated the effects of landscape structures on the genetic differentiation of a large herbivorous macropodid, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), within the Sunshine Coast region of Australia. We tested whether genetic differentiation and gene flow in this rapidly urbanising environment was best explained by landscape structures (Isolation-by-Resistance) or geographical distances (Isolation-by-Distance), at multiple spatial scales.
Methods
We simulated ecological succession from genetic (n = 130), and spatial datasets (n = 48) to quantify the strength of the relationship between observed genetic distances and landscape structures. A multiscale design was used to assess spatio-genetic impacts at different spatial scales. Circuit theory methods were used to simulate ecological successions and subsequently infer landscape effects on observed genetic differentiations.
Results
Genetic differentiation was explained primarily by vegetation structures, major waterways, roads and built infrastructure. Changes in biophysical variables related to vegetation health and moisture explained gene flow unilaterally in fine-scale scenarios, while built infrastructure best explained broad-scale genetic differences. Influence of landscape structures were scale-dependent, with biophysical and built infrastructures exhibiting the most variability across scales.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that gene flow between M. giganteus populations is highly dependent on the structure of the landscape, and influenced by anthropogenic structures. As such, emphasis on gene flow pathways of M. giganteus, and other large mammals, is required in conservation planning. The findings of this study can inform spatially-guided management decisions and long-term conservation strategies for large mammals under growing urban pressures worldwide.
Details
- Title
- Roo-tine obstacles: uncovering the spatio-genetic barriers for Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in an urbanising landscape
- Authors
- Christopher Urbanek - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringGabriel Conroy - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringJavier X. Leon - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringKatrin Hohwieler - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringElizabeth Brunton (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Publication details
- Landscape Ecology, Vol.40(3), pp.1-21
- Publisher
- Springer Dordrecht
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10980-025-02065-5
- ISSN
- 1572-9761; 0921-2973
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- Datasets analysed during the current study are available from the authors on request.
- Grant note
- The funding was provided by a Sunshine Coast Council & University of the Sunshine Coast collaborative research grant (Grant No. #1901). C Urbanek was assisted by a Vice Chancellors Honours Research Scholarship (University of the Sunshine Coast).
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991110946102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Geography, Physical
- Geosciences, Multidisciplinary