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The effect of understory vegetation on nestbox utilization by Peromyscus leucopus in differently sized forest fragments

Whynott, Rachel Marie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1271103630

Abstract Details

2010, Bachelor of Science, Miami University, College of Arts and Sciences - Zoology.
Numerous studies of forest fragmentation have found a negative relationship between the density of Peromyscus leucopus (the white-footed mouse) and forest fragment size. This relationship may be caused, in part, by both more food (primary production) and more cover from predation in smaller fragments, which have more structurally complex understory vegetation than larger fragments. However, the influence of the proximity of understory vegetation on selection of nesting sites in specific locations within the fragment had not been studied. I hypothesized that nestboxes in highly vegetated areas would be utilized more often by P. leucopus than nestboxes in sparsely vegetated areas. I tested this hypothesis by measuring the amount of vegetation near thirty nestboxes in each of nine forest fragments. I also estimated the relative population density of P. leucopus in each fragment. I expected to find both a greater proportion of nestboxes occupied and a greater number of mice in nestboxes with a high amount of nearby vegetation. The structural complexity of understory vegetation was significantly greater in small forest fragments than in large and in edge habitat than interior. However, there was no relationship between any of the variables we measured and the density of mice, other than boxes being occupied more frequently in habitat where more mice were present. Additionally, none of the variables we measured were related to the probability of the nestbox being occupied. My results suggest that the complexity of vegetation immediately surrounding the nestbox may not be as important to mice as vegetation at a larger scale (e.g. throughout the individual’s territory).
Douglas Meikle, PhD (Advisor)
Nancy Solomon, PhD (Committee Member)
Gregg Marcello (Committee Member)
23 p.
Agriculture; Animals; Behaviorial Sciences; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Forestry; Zoology
peromyscus; leucopus; vegetation; nestbox; nestboxes; habitat fragmentation; fragmentation; forest fragmentation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Whynott, R. M. (2010). The effect of understory vegetation on nestbox utilization by Peromyscus leucopus in differently sized forest fragments [Undergraduate thesis, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1271103630

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Whynott, Rachel. The effect of understory vegetation on nestbox utilization by Peromyscus leucopus in differently sized forest fragments. 2010. Miami University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1271103630.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Whynott, Rachel. "The effect of understory vegetation on nestbox utilization by Peromyscus leucopus in differently sized forest fragments." Undergraduate thesis, Miami University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1271103630

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

muhonors1271103630
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University Honors Theses and OhioLINK.