The Flint Hills ecoregion is the largest remaining tract of native tallgrass prairie in North America. Contemporary landscape change (e.g., urbanization, agricultural production) in this region is likely affecting native biodiversity; however, we have a limited understanding of how these changes might affect carnivores. We used camera traps distributed across urban‐rural land‐use gradients, and multiseason occupancy models, to investigate the influence of landscape structure and composition on habitat occupancy dynamics of 3 native carnivores (coyote [Canis latrans]; bobcat [Lynx rufus]; and striped skunk [Mephitis mephitis]) and 1 nonnative carnivore (domestic cat) in the Flint Hills, Kansas, USA, during 2016–2017. Additionally, we assessed the potential for coyotes, the apex predator in the Flint Hills, to mediate habitat occupancy of domestic cats. We also examined the relative influence of landscape factors on native carnivore species richness and diversity. As predicted, coyotes were less likely to occupy and colonize sites, and more likely to leave sites, surrounded by urban landcover. Habitat occupancy by bobcats was positively associated with forest landcover and edge densities; however, bobcats seemed insensitive to urban landcover. Additionally, bobcats were more likely to colonize sites with more grassland and row‐crop agriculture landcover. Surprisingly, striped skunk occupancy and colonization rates at sites were negatively related to urban landcover. As expected, domestic cats were more likely to occur at and colonize sites with increased urban landcover and less likely at sites with high coyote occupancy probabilities. Carnivore species diversity and richness were negatively related to the urban landcover. Our results suggest that urban landcover may limit the spatial distributions of some native carnivores in the Flint Hills and contribute to reduced carnivore diversity. Moreover, urban landcover in the Flint Hills may provide domestic cats with refugia from intraguild pressures by coyotes. Our results provide wildlife managers with insights into how contemporary landscape change in this imperiled ecosystem may affect biodiversity conservation and maintenance. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

The Flint Hills represent the largest tract of tallgrass prairie in North America and is located near the western edge of the native range of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). This region is undergoing rapid landscape changes (e.g., urbanization, agriculture, woody encroachment) that are negatively affecting mammal communities. Although previous research has revealed northward distributional expansions of Virginia opossums facilitated by urban development, no studies have assessed how landscape change affects distribution patterns along the western edge of their geographic range. During 2016–2018, we monitored site (n = 74) occupancy along urban–rural transects in the Flint Hills to assess the influence of landscape change (i.e., urban, grassland, agriculture, woody encroachment) and water availability on the distribution of Virginia opossums. Sites surrounded by urban land cover had greater initial occupancy probabilities and lower extinction rates. Sites closer to permanent water sources experienced greater colonization rates and lower extinction rates. In addition, site extinction rates were lower in areas surrounded by woody encroachment. Our results concur with other studies suggesting that growing urban areas may expand opossum distributions along the edges of their geographic range. Our study also suggests that woody encroachment into tallgrass prairies may provide an alternative pathway for future distributional expansions. Future research must consider the potential for landscape change, along with dynamic water availability, in models predicting the distribution of Virginia opossums.

No abstract

No abstract