2021/08/23 by Burdette, Anne, Klaassen, Anna Catherine, Rodriguez, Mario +1
#Marmota flaviventris #habitat isolation #habitat size #microhabitat preference #scat survey
paper · doi:10.21973/n3kt0v
The occupation of habitat by animals depends on their habitat preference as well as the accessibility of the space. Knowing how specific animals choose habitats, not only at large scales but also at micro scales, is critical to their conservation. We studied how yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) in the White Mountains, CA, choose between different rock outcrop microhabitats, using scat as a proxy for marmot abundance and density. We found that yellow-bellied marmots have no preference for rock outcrops that are close together versus isolated, and that more marmots occurred on larger rock outcrops but at a decreasing density. Our findings provide evidence that yellow-bellied marmots have habitat preferences not only on large scales, but also on microhabitat scales. Because animal habitat decisions are closely related to animal conservation, obtaining a more complete understanding of habitat preferences allows for more successful animal conservation.