Urbanization affects key aspects of wildlife ecology. Dispersal in urban wildlife species may be impacted by geographical barriers but also by a species' inherent behavioural variability. There are no functional connectivity analyses using continuous individual-based sampling across an urban-rural continuum that would allow a thorough assessment of the relative importance of physical and behavioural dispersal barriers. We used 16 microsatellite loci to genotype 374 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the city of Berlin and surrounding rural regions in Brandenburg in order to study genetic structure and dispersal behaviour of a mobile carnivore across the urban-rural landscape. We assessed functional connectivity by applying an individual-based landscape genetic optimization procedure. Three commonly used genetic distance measures yielded different model selection results, with only the results of an eigenvector-based multivariate analysis reasonably explaining genetic differentiation patterns. Genetic clustering methods and landscape resistance modelling supported the presence of an urban population with reduced dispersal across the city border. Artificial structures (railways, motorways) served as main dispersal corridors within the cityscape, yet urban foxes avoided densely built-up areas. We show that despite their ubiquitous presence in urban areas, their mobility and behavioural plasticity, foxes were affected in their dispersal by anthropogenic presence. Distinguishing between man-made structures and sites of human activity, rather than between natural and artificial structures, is thus essential for better understanding urban fox dispersal. This differentiation may also help to understand dispersal of other urban wildlife and to predict how behaviour can shape population genetic structure beyond physical barriers.

中文翻译：

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超越景观：抗性建模可以推断出整个市区食肉动物的身体和行为基因流动障碍。

城市化影响野生动植物生态的关键方面。城市野生动植物物种的传播可能受到地理障碍的影响，也可能受到物种固有的行为变异性的影响。没有使用跨城乡连续体的基于个体的连续抽样的功能连通性分析，该分析将允许对物理和行为分散障碍的相对重要性进行全面评估。我们使用了16个微卫星基因座，对来自柏林市和勃兰登堡周边农村地区的374只狐狸（Vulpes vulpes）进行了基因分型，以研究移动食肉动物在整个城乡景观中的遗传结构和传播行为。我们通过应用基于个人的景观遗传优化程序来评估功能连接性。三种常用的遗传距离度量产生不同的模型选择结果，只有基于特征向量的多元分析的结果可以合理地解释遗传分化模式。遗传聚类方法和景观抗性建模支持了城市人口在整个城市边界的扩散减少。人造结构（铁路，高速公路）是城市景观中的主要散布走廊，但城市狐狸避开了密集的建筑区域。我们表明，尽管狐狸在城市地区普遍存在，但它们的流动性和行为可塑性却受到人为因素的影响而在狐狸的传播中受到影响。区分人造结构和人类活动场所，而不是天然和人工结构，因此对于更好地了解城市狐狸的扩散至关重要。这种区分也可能有助于了解其他城市野生动植物的散布，并预测行为如何影响物理障碍以外的种群遗传结构。