The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations
We erected supplemental perches to evaluate their effectiveness in attracting perching raptors and to determine if an increase in raptor visitation could affect vole demography. Our model experimental system consisted of six 0.2-ha enclosures containing gray-tailed vole, Microtus canicaudus. The ava...
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Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1999
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-002 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z99-002 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z99-002 2024-05-19T07:39:02+00:00 The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations Wolff, Jerry O Fox, Tiffany Skillen, Robert R Wang, Guiming 1999 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-002 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z99-002 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 77, issue 4, page 535-541 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 1999 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z99-002 2024-05-02T06:51:25Z We erected supplemental perches to evaluate their effectiveness in attracting perching raptors and to determine if an increase in raptor visitation could affect vole demography. Our model experimental system consisted of six 0.2-ha enclosures containing gray-tailed vole, Microtus canicaudus. The availability of supplemental perch sites had no effect on northern harriers, Circus cyaneus, but resulted in an 11-fold increase in visitation by American kestrels, Falco sparverius. This increased predation pressure did not affect vole population size, growth rate, or adult survival. However, juvenile recruitment and the proportion of reproductive females were lower in treatment sites than in control sites. Male voles had smaller home ranges and were less active than expected, which may have been an avoidance response to predation risk. High densities of voles, adequate cover in treatment sites, and good foraging areas with less cover in surrounding habitat may have negated the effects of the availability of supplemental perch sites. We conclude that adding perches can increase raptor visitation substantially but may have little effect on high-density vole populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Circus cyaneus Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 77 4 535 541 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
We erected supplemental perches to evaluate their effectiveness in attracting perching raptors and to determine if an increase in raptor visitation could affect vole demography. Our model experimental system consisted of six 0.2-ha enclosures containing gray-tailed vole, Microtus canicaudus. The availability of supplemental perch sites had no effect on northern harriers, Circus cyaneus, but resulted in an 11-fold increase in visitation by American kestrels, Falco sparverius. This increased predation pressure did not affect vole population size, growth rate, or adult survival. However, juvenile recruitment and the proportion of reproductive females were lower in treatment sites than in control sites. Male voles had smaller home ranges and were less active than expected, which may have been an avoidance response to predation risk. High densities of voles, adequate cover in treatment sites, and good foraging areas with less cover in surrounding habitat may have negated the effects of the availability of supplemental perch sites. We conclude that adding perches can increase raptor visitation substantially but may have little effect on high-density vole populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wolff, Jerry O Fox, Tiffany Skillen, Robert R Wang, Guiming |
spellingShingle |
Wolff, Jerry O Fox, Tiffany Skillen, Robert R Wang, Guiming The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
author_facet |
Wolff, Jerry O Fox, Tiffany Skillen, Robert R Wang, Guiming |
author_sort |
Wolff, Jerry O |
title |
The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
title_short |
The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
title_full |
The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
title_fullStr |
The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
title_full_unstemmed |
The effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
title_sort |
effects of supplemental perch sites on avian predation and demography of vole populations |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-002 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z99-002 |
genre |
Circus cyaneus |
genre_facet |
Circus cyaneus |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 77, issue 4, page 535-541 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z99-002 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
77 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
535 |
op_container_end_page |
541 |
_version_ |
1799478555580563456 |