Microhabitat Use by Heteromyid Rodents: Effects of Artificial Seed Patches

Ecology ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary V. Price ◽  
Nickolas M. Waser
1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-330
Author(s):  
Robert T. M'Closkey

Microhabitat use and seeds in cheek pouches were examined in four species of heteromyid rodent. Individuals of each species were classified as male or female, resident or transient, and adult or juvenile. The following question is addressed: are there any differences in microhabitat use and seed collection within rodent species and are these differences associated with the sex, residence, or age of individuals? For microhabitats, there were significant differences among individuals for each species analyzed. However, these differences could not be attributed to sex, residence, or age groups within populations. In addition, there were no differences within rodent species in the variety or number of seeds contained in individual cheek pouches. In spite of apparent differences in microhabitat use among heteromyid species, individual rodents are extremely variable in their use of microhabitats.


1989 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. Price ◽  
W. S. Longland

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN V. ERNST ◽  
EMILY C. OAKS ◽  
J. ROBERT SAMPSON
Keyword(s):  

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Emily R. Urquidi ◽  
Breanna J. Putman

It is increasingly important to study animal behaviors as these are the first responses organisms mount against environmental changes. Rattlesnakes, in particular, are threatened by habitat loss and human activity, and require costly tracking by researchers to quantify the behaviors of wild individuals. Here, we show how photo-vouchered observations submitted by community members can be used to study cryptic predators like rattlesnakes. We utilized two platforms, iNaturalist and HerpMapper, to study the hunting behaviors of wild Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes. From 220 observation photos, we quantified the direction of the hunting coil (i.e., “handedness”), microhabitat use, timing of observations, and age of the snake. With these data, we looked at whether snakes exhibited an ontogenetic shift in behaviors. We found no age differences in coil direction. However, there was a difference in the microhabitats used by juveniles and adults while hunting. We also found that juveniles were most commonly observed during the spring, while adults were more consistently observed throughout the year. Overall, our study shows the potential of using community science to study the behaviors of cryptic predators.


Weed Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody E. Dexter ◽  
Amit J. Jhala ◽  
Rong-Cai Yang ◽  
Melissa J. Hills ◽  
Randall J. Weselake ◽  
...  

Flax is a minor oilseed crop in Canada largely exported to the European Union for use as a source of industrial oil and feed ingredient. While flax could be genetically engineered (GE) to enhance nutritional value, the adoption of transgenic technologies threatens conventional flax market acceptability. Harvest seed loss of GE crops and the persistence of GE crop volunteers in the seed bank are major factors influencing transgene persistence. Ten commercial fields in Alberta, Canada, were sampled after harvesting conventional flax in 2006 and 2007, and flax seed density and viability were determined. Additionally, artificial seed banks were established at two locations in Alberta in 2005 and 2006 to quantify persistence of five conventional flax cultivars with variability in seed coat color (yellow or brown) and α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3cisΔ9,13,15) content (3 to 55%) at three soil depths (0, 3, or 10 cm). Harvest methods influenced seed loss and distribution, > 10-fold more seed was distributed beneath windrows than between them. Direct harvested fields had more uniform seed distribution but generally higher seed losses. The maximum yield loss was 44 kg ha−1or 2.3% of the estimated crop yield. Seed loss and the viability of flax seed were significantly influenced by year, presumably because weather conditions prior to harvest influenced the timing and type of harvest operations. In artificial seed bank studies, seed coat color or ALA content did not influence persistence. Flax seed viability rapidly declined in the year following burial with < 1% remaining midsummer in the year following burial but there were significant differences between years. In three of four locations, there was a trend of longer seed persistence at the deepest burial depth (10 cm). The current study predicts that seed-mediated gene flow may be a significant factor in transgene persistence and a source of adventitious presence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dániel Kovács ◽  
István Kiss

Although Ablepharus kitaibelii and its subspecies are wide-spread, being distributed from the Carpathian Basin through the Balkans to Iraq, their habitat and environmental niche is poorly known. Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri is almost entirely limited to the Carpathian Basin, and is amongst the most strictly protected and least known reptiles of Central and Eastern Europe. The main aim of our study was to determine habitat use preferences of different age groups of A. kitaibelii fitzingeri and Lacerta viridis. The occurrence of green lizard was determined by the abundance of refugia rather than by the naturalness of grasslands. The snake-eyed skink prefers semi-natural grasslands with abundant tussock-forming grass or sedge species, avoiding densely shrubby places. For the first time, we show that woodland mosaics lacking shrubs and temporary grasslands next to forest edges are important for the species. Microhabitat use by snake-eyed skink varies with age group; adults preferring shady edge zones rich in leaf litter and shadier grassland spots provided by woodland mosaics, whereas juveniles were found in natural, more open grasslands far from forest edges and in woodland mosaics with dense shrubby understory. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the ecological needs of A. kitaibelii fitzingeri. Our methodology could be adapted to other species and subspecies of Ablepharus. Based on our results, it is important to reconsider habitat management activities, which should not be limited to shrub control: the main goal should be the development of a diverse habitat structure.


1973 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Maza ◽  
N. R. French ◽  
A. P. Aschwanden

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose W. Valdez ◽  
Kaya Klop-Toker ◽  
Michelle P. Stockwell ◽  
Loren Fardell ◽  
Simon Clulow ◽  
...  

Context Achieving successful conservation outcomes in habitat creation and reintroductions requires an understanding of how species use their habitat and respond to these interventions. However, few initiatives directly compare microhabitat selection between remnant and managed habitats to measure effectiveness and evaluate outcomes. Probability of detection is also rarely included in studies on microhabitat use, which may lead to erroneous conclusions if detectability varies between variables. Methods In this study, we used the endangered green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) to compare differences in microhabitat-use patterns in both a remnant and a constructed habitat. A detectability study was also conducted to determine detection probabilities among microhabitats. Key results Aquatic vegetation was used more than expected in both the remnant and constructed habitats, and rock piles were utilised less than expected in the constructed habitat, despite their recommendation in most habitat templates. We found that detection probabilities altered the outcomes of abundance estimates for nearly all the measured microhabitat variables. Conclusions Future management for this species should focus on providing high proportions of aquatic vegetation. Furthermore, although rock piles have been utilised greatly in past L. aurea habitat creation, placing large rocks on a managed site is expensive and time consuming. Future management initiatives may need to focus on providing smaller proportion of rocks, which would be a more appropriate use of resources. Implications With conservation management projects increasing over the next few decades, understanding habitat use before implementing strategies should be a priority as it will provide important insights and inform decision-making for optimum habitat creation and restoration. Furthermore, accounting for detectability in microhabitat use studies is essential to avoid wrong conclusions that may negatively affect the success of ecological management strategies.


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