Landscape ecology of mammalian predators and its relationship to waterfowl nest success in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota / Michael Lee Phillips
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TextSeries: Thesis. (Ph.D.)Publication details: Ames, IA : Iowa State University, 2001Description: viii, 158 : ill. ; 28 cmOnline resources: Abstract: Mammalian predation is a major cause of mortality of breeding waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region. However, little is known about how landscape features influence the ability of predators to find waterfowl nests. I analyzed the habitat selection and movement patterns of radiomarked red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) in two 41.4 km2 study areas with contrasting compositions of grassland (planted cover, pastureland and hayland). The study areas included either 10-15% (Low Grassland Composition, LGC) or 40-50% (High Grassland Composition, HGC) grassland. Edges of wetlands surrounded by cropland were consistently selected by fox and skunk on both types of landscapes. Foxes frequently selected planted cover (both edge and interior areas) in LGC landscapes, whereas they rarely selected the interior areas of planted cover in HGC landscapes. Fractal analysis indicated that fox pathways were slightly straighter in LGC landscapes suggesting increased traveling beh
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Thesis(Ph.D)--Iowa State University, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references.
Mammalian predation is a major cause of mortality of breeding waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region. However, little is known about how landscape features influence the ability of predators to find waterfowl nests. I analyzed the habitat selection and movement patterns of radiomarked red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) in two 41.4 km2 study areas with contrasting compositions of grassland (planted cover, pastureland and hayland). The study areas included either 10-15% (Low Grassland Composition, LGC) or 40-50% (High Grassland Composition, HGC) grassland. Edges of wetlands surrounded by cropland were consistently selected by fox and skunk on both types of landscapes. Foxes frequently selected planted cover (both edge and interior areas) in LGC landscapes, whereas they rarely selected the interior areas of planted cover in HGC landscapes. Fractal analysis indicated that fox pathways were slightly straighter in LGC landscapes suggesting increased traveling beh