Resource Management Project Proposal
Group: Charles Cini, Hardik Patel, Kiersten Formoso, Gemma Milly
Goal: The goal of our management project is to survey populations of
mammalian species within the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. We aim to find
the population size and target ranges for mammalian populations within the
preserve. We aim to mainly focus on larger predatorial mammalian species
and their influence on the surrounding environment.
Objective: The objective of our project is to establish a general
understanding of the biodiversity among mammals living within the Rutgers
Ecological Preserve. By assessing the populations of various mammalian
species we hope to gain a general sense of how various populations interact
with each other, specifically predatorily, along with how these populations
impact the overall ecology of the preserve. Along with studying the native
mammalian populations, we also hope to uncover any non-native species
that could potentially disrupt the preserve’s ecosystem. Our project will
hopefully lead into a greater understanding as to what the overall
biodiversity of mammals is inside the RUEP while also providing insight to
the preserve’s Trophic Hierarchy.
Background +Rationale:
The predator prey relationship within a single area plays an important
role in maintaining and regulating the biodiversity of the area’s environment.
Although the dynamics of this relationship predispose themselves depending
on region and species native to the area there are many factors to consider
when analyzing the predator to prey interrelationship.
Stemming from the biotic and abiotic structure of the environment’s
gradient, the predator prey relationship continually adapts to the pressures of
the natural environment. “The study of species distributed along
environmental gradients provides a framework for testing how changing
conditions lead to a local adaptation, phylogenic plasticity, and ultimately
shape distributional limitations” (Dowdall and Julien R.). Reviewing the
distribution of species populating the environment allows us to better
understand where and how predatorial interactions will occur. In order to
survive predators must adapt and conform to the pressures of their prey
species. However, simply reviewing species distribution still leaves some
uncertainty. “Empirical studies have aimed to understand patterns of
intraspecific divergence and interspecific diversity needed to evaluate the
effects of both abiotic and biotic factors varying along gradients”(Dowdall
and Julien R.). In order to better understand how environmental factors
effect speciation and adaptation Ecologists have conducted studies isolating
vestigial species based on differences in environment and adapted
mannerisms (an example being a change in the species habitat or foraging).
When a prey species changes its habitat in order to survive the predator
species must adapt to this change or find an alternate prey species to
maintain a stable population size.
While adapting to pressures set by the prey species in an area can
sustain a predator species, intraspecific and interspecific competition among
predators limits the total resources available for a single population. From
sharing similar niches to hunting the same prey predators must constantly
outcompete each other to ensure the future of their species. “Increased
predation pressure along habitat edges is often associated with increased
predator activity and competition” (Salek). Sharing the same prey species
and target area constrains the predator’s availability to needed resources.
Therefore in order to ensure the species future predators must adapt or
completely change their primary prey. Looking at a study conducted to
examine increased predation pressures; “Our data provides support for the
hypothesis that a high abundance of carnivores in habitat edges was
associated with increased numbers of small mammals. Moreover, prey
densities tended to explain carnivore patch preferences even when
statistically controlling for the effect of habitat type (edge vs. interior
habitats), suggesting a direct causality between carnivore habitat preferences
and actual prey density” (Salek). After comparing predation within edge
environments with predation within interior environments data has shown
that predators favor high-density prey areas, irrelevant to whether the prey
species lived in an edge or interior environment. This study has shown that
pressures among predators can be diminished as long as suitable prey
populations are available and spread out through the area.
Our target predator species within the preserve is the eastern coyote
(Canis latran). Thought to have migrated from the west, the coyote is a
predator known for having a large target range. “ Geographic expansion of
the coyote's range over the last century has been due in large part to its
adaptable and opportunistic foraging behavior; coyotes today compete with
and predate upon a wide array of species” (Warsen). With the ability to
change their principal prey species coyotes have become a keystone species
by regulating multiple populations of prey species. Although this can be
seen as advantageous to the future of the species, coyote predation within the
RUEP can lead to various problems in the biodiversity of the preserve.
Another predator species we hope to sight within the preserve is the
fox (Vulpes vulpes). With the presence of the fox in the preserve the coyotes
in the area would have to alter their target range or prey to overcome the
niche pressures, especially since these predators share the same principal
prey. In a previous study analyzing the relationship between these two
predators results have shown “The coexistence of red foxes and coyotes in
the southwest Yukon may be facilitated by balancing competitive abilities:
foxes persist because of elasticity in their choice of prey and coyotes persist
by dominating edges. Coyotes exploited edges, where hares were most
abundant, and open communities, whereas foxes showed no significant use
of edge and used brushy communities for other prey species” (Theberge and
Wedeles). The reviewed study suggests that our findings will inevitably
show variations among the prey areas and predators. Creating new niches for
survival it can be inferred that coyote and fox species, if present in the EcoPreserve, will not be found in the same target area. Rather the species will be
separated with slight overlaps in target prey.
Materials and Methods: For our project we utilized tracking camera’s that
were strategically placed in areas where we found an abundance of scat.
Upon surveying the preserve we thought it would be best to set our cameras
up in areas that indicated the presence of predatorial mammalian species.
By placing the cameras in areas where different types of scat were found we
hope to record multiple populations of mammalian species in the area. The
camera’s were mounted and tied to trees about 2-feet from the ground with
the motion sensor of the camera angled toward the base of the tree. By
allowing this 2-foot gap we allow larger predator species to be photographed
while also allowing smaller mammals to set off the camera. This in turn will
hopefully provide us with photos of interspecific interactions between
various populations of mammals living in the preserve.
Works Cited
1) 2) Donadio, E. (2005). Diet, morphology, and interspecific killing in
carnivora. (Order No. EP17534, University of Wyoming). ProQuest
Dissertations and Theses, , 56-56 p. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/305384859?accountid=13626.
(305384859).
3) McKnight, J. L. (2001). Predator and prey population dynamics and
distribution: Effects of predation and competition. (Order No. MQ58428,
Acadia University (Canada)). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 5454 p. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/304771496?accountid=13626.
(304771496).
4) 5) ).
6) Warsen, S. A. (2012). Evolving niche of coyotes in the adirondack
mountains of new york: Long-term dietary trends and interspecific
competition. (Order No. 1514722, State University of New York College
of Environmental Science and Forestry). ProQuest Dissertations and
Theses, 91. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1031209071?accountid=13626.
(1031209071).
Abstracts
1) This scientific paper reflects on the use of edge predation by many
mammalian carnivores. The paper tests the hypothesis that the high
prevalence of mammalian predators along habitat edges arises due to
increased abundance of their principal prey. The high population
density of predators is thought to be a response to the abundance of
small mammals across a habitat edge gradient. By reviewing several
types of edge habitats evidence of predation can be cross analyzed to
refute previous hypotheses. In addition to observing predation in edge
communities this scientific journal explains how certain predators
adapt to the pressures of prey competition by hunting less wanted prey.
The results of this study show that the population of predators was corelational to areas with high prey densities. Rather than predators being
drawn to edge habitats, predator target ranges were established around
densely populated prey habitats (edge and interior). I intend on using
this journal to assess why scat was more readily found around the edge
environments of the preserve rather than near the center. I also hope to
use the data in this report to help find areas to setup the cameras. By
finding population dense prey habitats we will have a greater chance of
finding predatory species.
2) This scientific paper analyses the interspecific competition of
vertebrate species primarily concerned with predation. The paper
touches on the effects predation has on the overall biodiversity of an
area causing conflicts in population density and an overall drift in the
Trophic Hierarchy of the area. The paper goes on to discuss factors of
predation analyzing how physical characteristics such as morphology
and how such attributions can affect the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
The paper tests whether differences in body size, dietary overlaps,
predatory habits, and taxonomy of predators relate to interspecific
killing (predation). The journal tests predictions constructed to
determine why interspecific predation occurs among certain carnivores.
These predictions represent that predation between interspecific
species occurs more often when the species share a similar body size,
share a common niche, are easily aggravated/highly predacious, are
taxonomically similar. Using this paper I aim to connect predation
techniques and the population biodiversity of mammalian species
photographed in Kilmer woods. Using the photos captured I will asses
which predators are most abundant in the area while also referring to
the paper to see if interspecific competition would likely occur ( ex
coyote and fox niche overlapping).
3) This scientific paper researches the effects predators have on small
rodent dynamics. The paper directly looks at the connectivity between
suitable rodent habitat patches and specialist predator dispersal ability
to show how predation affects the entire biological integrity of the
ecosystem. The experiment to monitor predators in the paper uses bait
stations to first find the populations of predators in the area. The stands
later are used to analyze the competition between these predators and
the effects this competition has on the stability and biodiversity of prey
mammals in the area. I will be using this paper to relate different
predatorial species within the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. Since we
anticipate photographing foxes and coyotes I aim to use this paper to
back up any preconceptions I may have on their interspecific
relationship. The paper observed red fox, coyote, and lynx predation
comparing and contrasting their relationship to each other and their
respective prey.
4) This study shows how two predator species (Sypatric Coyotes and
Red Foxes) adapted to fluctuations within a shared prey population
(snowshoe hare). At first it is seen that both predator species had little
variation when selecting prey, as both species were highly dependant
on the hare population. However, as the hare population fell both
predators adapted their hunting techniques in order to survive. It was
observed that foxes turned to other prey species for sustenance, limiting
their hunting range to brushy areas. The coyotes, in relation to the fox
population, exploited edge and field habitats where the hares were most
abundant. These observed adaptations rationalizes the idea that the
balancing of niche abilities facilitates the coexistence of these two
predatorial species. As coyotes use the edge habitats to survive by
hunting the remaining snow hare population, foxes use their elasticity
in their choice of prey to sustain their population. By finding predator
populations in the Rutgers Eco-Preserve I hope to see different trends in
hunting range for separate species.
5) The premise of this paper analyses how changes to the environment
can affect the phenotypic plasticity, local adaptation, and distributional
limitations within populations of species. By monitoring environmental
gradients data was collected over the time span of three years assessing
environmental changes and their impact on local species. To understand
the pressures of the changing environment abiotic and biotic factors
that vary along the gradient were analyzed. These factors were later
compared to the intraspecific divergence and interspecific diversity of
species within the gradient. The paper takes an evolutionary ecologists
perspective by focusing on the benefits and costs of certain trait
variations along environmental gradients. By reviewing the cost benefit
analysis of traits within the environmental gradient the paper tries to
rationalize why certain traits are attributed to environmental changes.
Along with trait variation the paper reviews factors that limit the target
range of predator species. The paper reflects that disruptive alterations
to the gradient can result in distribution limitations leading to the
unsuitable persistence of the population, drastic alterations could
negatively impact species. I will be using this paper to analyze how
animal populations in the reserve adapted to survive within the
preserve. By looking at the populations photographed I will be able to
determine whether changes in the environmental gradient (ex;
presence of a non-native predator species) can affect the population size
and feeding habits of native species in the area. This paper will also
provide me with evidence that adaptation occurred in the preserve due
to stress factors in the environment.
6) This paper directly focuses on the adaptations made by coyotes over
the years since the 1950’s. Using their opportunistic and adaptable
foraging techniques coyotes are able to expand their target range and
overcome competition. Focusing on coyote populations in the
Adirondacks the paper compares seasonal diets of coyotes in 20092011 to those recorded back in 1950-1980’s. Comparing this data
provides insight on adaptations made by coyote’s in the area while also
listing the coyote’s preferred diet. Along with adaptations made this
study also incorporates niche partitioning showing the prey coyote hunt
may be different than other predators in the area. Since we believe
coyote are present in the eco-preserve I aim on using this paper to
better understand the predatory methodology behind coyote living in
the preserve. This paper also explains that coyote diet may not be
indicative of prey population size but rather the presence of multiple
prey species available in the area. In most situations when niche
competition is present coyote will change their target prey focusing on
species that are less threatened by other predatorial species in the area.