Metabolic performance and genetic variation in the small rodent Myodes glareolus from isolated island populations and populations subject to urban pollution
Scientific relevance
It is widely known that small, isolated populations are - for several reasons - especially vulnerable to extinction. One of the reasons is reduction of genetic variation and inbreeding, which may lead to decreased physiological performance of individuals. Reduced physiological performance of individuals, and hence an increased risk of population extinction, can also result from toxic effects of various pollutants. These risks are of special interest in the case of rare and endangered species, but can be effectively studied on model organisms. In the field of mammalian ecology, a suitable species for such studies is the bank vole Myodes (=Clethrionomys) glareolus.
Aim of the task
We plan to simultaneously study the effects of population isolation and stress due to environmental pollution on metabolic performance and genetic variation of the voles. To this end we will perform the measurements of metabolic rates and molecular genetic analyses in voles from small islands on lakes (unpolluted), from open populations around the lakes, and from population within heavily polluted urban areas. We hypothesize that:
- 1) Genetic variation of the island and the urban populations is lower compared to that in the open populations from unpolluted areas.
- 2) Maximum aerobic metabolic rate, which is generally regarded as an important index of individual's performance, will be lower in individuals from both the island and the urban population as compared to individuals from the open populations from unpolluted areas.