Ecological steps

2001/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

Obviously, the ecological steps for connecting areas of high ecological value are not new. They are also taken into account when building infrastructure and other places, and environmentalists with little uncertainty about their usefulness. However, new research has shown its usefulness through genetic studies.

For this purpose the species of earth mice (Clethrionomys gapperi) that inhabits a closed forest and has been analyzed in three different places. On the one hand, land mice from two closed forest areas have been analyzed; on the other hand, those from two forests associated with a 15 m wide and compact forest step; and finally, those from two mountains that joined the same width but a step of young forests. Each population pair has been genetically analyzed and the genetic mixture of two populations depends on the compactness of the passage bushes. At a compact and closed step, populations at the end of the steps present a greater genetic mixture.

In another species of land mouse more fragile and generalist to the habitat, the genetic mixture is not related to the quality of the passage.