Application of New DNA Tools to Quantify Animal Dispersal in Fragmented Landscapes

This project will combine patch removal experiments and powerful new genetic markers to quantify rates and patterns of small mammal dispersal in a fragmented landscape. The experimental design will allow us to test for landscape effects and to assess the impacts of native and non-native vegetation cover on dispersal and colonisation. The study will provide important new information to:- (1) better assess fragmentation effects on wildlife, (2) help maintain or restore landscape connectivity, (3) more effectively identify the conservation value of patches of remnant vegetation, (4) guide landscape restoration and the design of forest plantations to enhance biodiversity benefits.