Forest Edge—high or Low Quality Habitat for White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus)?

Abstract

Based on evidence of negative relationships between forest fragment area and mouse density, earlier studies suggested that forest edge might be high quality habitat for white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). However, we have found lower densities of this species and higher prevalence of parasitism near woodland edges. To examine the overall effect of edge habitat, we measured food availability (tree seeds and litter invertebrates), reproductive effort, and risk of predation along edge‐to‐interior gradients in eastern deciduous forests. We also compared woods adjacent to restored prairies to woods adjacent to agricultural fields to determine if the type of habitat adjacent to the edge affected these factors. Results showed slightly higher production of tree seeds in forest interior but no edge‐to‐interior pattern in abundance of invertebrates. Reproductive effort did not differ between edge and interior either. Risk of predation, however, showed a significant increase with proximity to the woodland edge. Type of adjacent habitat did not consistently affect factors determining edge‐to‐interior patterns. Mass of tree seeds differed little between woodland edges adjacent to different habitats in spring but was greater adjacent to agriculture in fall. Invertebrate abundance did not differ between woodland edges with different adjacent habitats. Risk of predation was higher at edges adjacent to restored prairies than at edges adjacent to agricultural fields. We conclude that forest edges are generally lower quality habitat than forest interior for white‐footed mice because of increased predation, and that relatively natural edges are likely to have higher risk of predation than anthropogenic edges.

Annual Variation in Habitat Use by White-footed Mice, <em>Peromyscus leucopus</em>: The Effects of Forest Patch Size, Edge and Surrounding Vegetation Type

“…Currently, there are conflicting reports about the effects of edge habitat on the abundance and distribution of White-footed Mice (e.g., Cummings and Vessey 1994;Anderson et al 2003;Wolf and Batzli 2004). We found that P. leucopus were recaptured in the same proportion in forest edge compared to forest interior habitat in either year.…”

“…For example, Wolf and Batzli (2004) found that predation risk for P. leucopus was higher at edges adjacent to restored prairies than at edges adjacent to agricultural fields. Our findings showed that P. leucopus moved in similar proportions from the forest edge into two different matrix habitat types (i.e., corn and pasture).…”

Successional changes in feeding activity by threatened cockatoos in revegetated mine sites

“…Harris and Reed 2002;Morris et al 2010), improved accessibility to dense vegetation at the edges, or differences in predation risk between the interior and exterior of pits (e.g. Wolf and Batzli 2004;Morrison 2011). How cockatoo feeding activity or habitat is influenced by such mechanisms remains poorly understood (but see Lee et al 2013b).…”

Impact of urban factors and invasive species on white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) habitat use and foraging behavior in an urban forest park.

“…The lack of significance at the microhabitat level, accompanied by the significance of environmental factors, shows that macrohabitat factors are primarily influencing patterns in foraging effort (Bellows et al 2001). Finer-scale microhabitat factors such as CWD, an important component of predator avoidance behavior (Wolf and Batzli 2004), shaped distributions within the preferred macrohabitat types.…”

“…These features also influence foraging behavior, resulting in lower GUDs (Planz and Kirkland 1992;Orrock et al 2004;Wolf and Batzli 2004;Mattos and Orrock 2010;Hinkelman et al 2012).…”