Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) are generalists with wide distributions that overlap extensively. Due to high niche overlap and expectation of competition, studies to define the degree of ecological overlap between the species have been numerous, but no population limiting factor has been identified. I used compositional analysis to determine the habitat characteristics important to each species individually and in relation to the other species. Concurrently, I used occupancy modeling to determine which habitat characteristics were important to probabilities of detection and occupancy for raccoons and Virginia opossums.
Track stations, hair traps, and camera traps were used to detect raccoons and Virginia opossums 8 March – 11 June 2015 and 24 February – 8 May 2016 in Arkansas. Raccoons and Virginia opossums, along with 6 other furbearing species, were the most common species detected in both years. Using compositional analysis, ground cover characteristics were ranked in the same order of importance for both species when compared to availability of those characteristics across the landscape. Raccoons selected ground cover characteristics the same when Virginia opossums were present. Virginia opossums selected ground cover differently when raccoons were present in 2015, but in 2016, selected ground cover the same. Virginia opossums did not select woody ground cover with the same likelihood as litter and herbaceous ground cover in 2015, although the habitat characteristics were ranked in the same order.
Occupancy modeling determined habitat characteristics important to detection and occupancy of raccoons and Virginia opossums individually. Both species had high, but imperfect, detection rates supporting the need for continued evaluation of occupancy using methods that account for false absences. In most cases, my results of relationships between the two species and habitat covariates support previous research. However, there were plausible explanations for the unexpected relationships between raccoons and Virginia opossums and habitat covariates measured in this study.
title:
Habitat Selection And Ecological Overlap Of Raccoons And Virginia Opossums In Arkansas
creator:
Suzanne D. Johnston
subject:
Wildlife conservation [0284] - primary
subject:
Natural resource management [0528]
subject:
Biology [0306]
description:
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) are generalists with wide distributions that overlap extensively. Due to high niche overlap and expectation of competition, studies to define the degree of ecological overlap between the species have been numerous, but no population limiting factor has been identified. I used compositional analysis to determine the habitat characteristics important to each species individually and in relation to the other species. Concurrently, I used occupancy modeling to determine which habitat characteristics were important to probabilities of detection and occupancy for raccoons and Virginia opossums. Track stations, hair traps, and camera traps were used to detect raccoons and Virginia opossums 8 March – 11 June 2015 and 24 February – 8 May 2016 in Arkansas. Raccoons and Virginia opossums, along with 6 other furbearing species, were the most common species detected in both years. Using compositional analysis, ground cover characteristics were ranked in the same order of importance for both species when compared to availability of those characteristics across the landscape. Raccoons selected ground cover characteristics the same when Virginia opossums were present. Virginia opossums selected ground cover differently when raccoons were present in 2015, but in 2016, selected ground cover the same. Virginia opossums did not select woody ground cover with the same likelihood as litter and herbaceous ground cover in 2015, although the habitat characteristics were ranked in the same order. Occupancy modeling determined habitat characteristics important to detection and occupancy of raccoons and Virginia opossums individually. Both species had high, but imperfect, detection rates supporting the need for continued evaluation of occupancy using methods that account for false absences. In most cases, my results of relationships between the two species and habitat covariates support previous research. However, there were plausible explanations for the unexpected relationships between raccoons and Virginia opossums and habitat covariates measured in this study.
publisher:
Tennessee Tech University
date:
2016-11-09
language:
eng
rights:
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