| Summary: | The American marten (Martes americana), also known as Waabizheshi (Ojibwe), is an ecologically and culturally significant carnivore species in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Despite past reintroduction and restocking efforts, their population has not increased significantly and it remains a tribal and state-listed endangered species in Wisconsin. I studied the habitat of sites used by translocated and established resident martens in northern Wisconsin. The purpose of this research was to determine if there were differences in microhabitat characteristics between translocated and resident martens at resting and foraging sites. I compared microhabitat characteristics at sites where martens rested and hunted small mammal prey in northern Wisconsin during the winters of 2009 and 2010. I also compared small mammal prey biomass at foraging sites between translocated and resident martens. Martens were backtracked and locations where they rested and captured prey were recorded. Potential hunting sites were located >300 m from the kill site, within the same isopleth of an individual's home range and in the same cover-type. No significant differences were detected between the microhabitat characteristics at 54 rest sites of translocated (21 rest sites) and resident martens (33 rest sites). However, comparison of microhabitat characteristics at 18 kill and 18 potential hunting sites (9 translocated: 9 residents) revealed that total log volume was higher at resident kill sites (30 m3/ha) compared to translocated (14 m3/ha) kill sites. At potential hunting sites I found total log density was higher at resident (369 logs/ha) sites compared to translocated (169 logs/ha) sites. For translocated martens snag density was higher at kill sites (111 snags/ha) compared to potential hunting sites (30 snags/ha) of translocated martens. For resident martens, average log length was greater at the broad and local spatial scale of kill sites (451:425 cm respectively) compared to potential hunting sites (392:335 cm ...
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