North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina
Urban ecosystems can facilitate all stages of the invasion process. A wealth of historic literature provides evidence for the importance of cities during introduction of invasive species, and recent research has focused on the contribution of urban systems to successful establishment and spread. Population genetics reveal how anthropogenic features affect the genetic characteristics of invasive populations. I explore the impact of urban landscapes on genetic connectivity in the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, one of the most successful invasive species across the globe. I collected adult mosquitoes across Wake County, North Carolina from 60 locations and built genomic libraries of 336 Ae. albopictus individuals using double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). I processed sequence data with the STACKS de novo pipeline and analyzed genetic structure, differentiation, and inbreeding between populations with STRUCTURE, DAPC, and popgraph. Using spatial data, I examined how local landscape features correlate with genetic signatures at several spatial scales. This project contributes to a growing body of genetic research that demonstrates how environmental processes affect the genetic structure and evolution of invasive species at fine scales. These studies can improve existing programs for controlling invasive species and will help fill knowledge gaps needed for effective management.
