Diurnal Habitat Use by Lower Keys Marsh Rabbits
| Autor: | Philip A. Frank, Markus J. Peterson, David H. LaFever, Craig A. Faulhaber, Roel R. Lopez, Nova J. Silvy |
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| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Canopy
geography geography.geographical_feature_category Marsh Ecology Brackish water ved/biology ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species Wetland Vegetation Biology Groundcover Habitat Salt marsh General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation General Environmental Science |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Wildlife Management. 72:1161-1167 |
| ISSN: | 1937-2817 0022-541X |
| DOI: | 10.2193/2006-028 |
| Popis: | We used radiotelemetry to locate daytime forms of endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbits (LKMRs; Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) throughout their range so we could determine habitat characteristics of diurnal cover. We typically found forms (n = 1,298) of 36 rabbits in brackish wetlands in patches of saltmarsh or buttonwoods. In freshwater wetlands, forms (n = 54) were located most often in patches of freshwater hardwoods embedded in or adjacent to freshwater marshes. Forms (n = 942) in brackish wetlands were characterized by thick groundcover (>75%), whereas those (n = 42) in freshwater wetlands had both thick groundcover and canopy vegetation. The mean minimum convex polygon around forms of 15 rabbits was 1.4 ha (SD = 1.7), with smaller ranges characterized by thick bunchgrasses or clump-forming sedges. To increase the amount of annual space usable by LKMRs, managers should provide more saltmarsh habitat interspersed with buttonwoods and enhance ground cover in existing habitat. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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