Animal Activity and Tree Well Width

Animal Activity and Tree Well Width

Erin Kinney

Winter Ecology 2011

Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

Erin Kinney

Winter Ecology 2011

Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

Common Animal Species to be Found

Common Animal Species to be Found

Moose Snowshoe Hare Squirrel Vole Weasel Bird

Moose Snowshoe Hare Squirrel Vole Weasel Bird

Types of ActivityTypes of Activity

Entrance/Exit Holes Resting Tree to Tree Eating

Entrance/Exit Holes Resting Tree to Tree Eating

Importance of Tree WellsImportance of Tree Wells

Cover and Protection Heat Transfer Formation

Cover and Protection Heat Transfer Formation

What is the Correlation to Animal Activity and Tree Well

Size and Quality?

What is the Correlation to Animal Activity and Tree Well

Size and Quality?

MethodsMethodsField

Observationsgoing from tree well to tree

well, activity under tree, resting area, entrance/exit hole Measurements

width of tree well, area of track, area of hole

FieldObservations

going from tree well to tree well, activity under tree, resting area, entrance/exit hole Measurements

width of tree well, area of track, area of hole

MethodsMethods

Data AnalysisClassification

3 categories (tree to tree, hole, resting)

Comparative Graphstrack or hole area vs well widthaverage track or hole area with and

without cover

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficientrange of -1 to 1

Limitationsweather, snow fall

Data AnalysisClassification

3 categories (tree to tree, hole, resting)

Comparative Graphstrack or hole area vs well widthaverage track or hole area with and

without cover

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficientrange of -1 to 1

Limitationsweather, snow fall

Correlation Negative PositiveNone −0.09 to 0.0 0.0 to 0.09

Small −0.3 to −0.1 0.1 to 0.3Medium −0.5 to −0.3 0.3 to 0.5Large −1.0 to −0.5 0.5 to 1.0

Entrance/Exit HolesEntrance/Exit Holes

Area vs Well Width

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Area (in^2)

Wel

l Wid

th (

in)

Average Area

10.88 in^2

Average Tree Well Width

4.12 in

Correlation

-0.0065

Entrance/Exit HolesEntrance/Exit HolesAverage With Cover

9.37 in^2

Average Without Cover

12.18 in^2

Correlation

0.198

Area With and Without Cover

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Are

a (

in^

2)

No Cover

Cover

Average Area

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1

Are

a (

in^

2)

Cover

No Cover

Resting AreasResting AreasArea vs Tree Well

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0 50 100 150 200

Area (in^2)

Tre

e W

ell

(in

)

No CoverCover

Average Area

120in

Correlation -0.56

Average Tree Well Width

2.75

Resting AreasResting AreasCover and No Cover

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1 2 3

Are

a (

in^

2)

Correlation

-0.53

Average Area With and Without Cover

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1

Are

a (

in^

2)

Cover

No Cover

Tree to TreeTree to TreeArea vs Tree Well Size

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

0 5 10 15 20

Area (in^2)

Tree W

ell

Wid

th (

in)

Average Area

14.02 in

Average Tree Well Width

6.38 in

Average Differences

3.0 in

Correlation

0.0246

Blue-Cover

Red-No Cover

Area vs Tree Well Size

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

0 5 10 15 20

Area (in^2)

Tree W

ell

Wid

th (

in)

Tree to TreeTree to TreeCover vs No Cover

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Are

a (

in^

2)

Cover

No Cover

Correlation

-0.379Average Track Size

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1

Are

a (

in^

2)

Cover

No Cover

DiscussionDiscussion

Cover Tree Well Size Area of Tracks Area of Holes Areas of Improvement and New Study

Cover Tree Well Size Area of Tracks Area of Holes Areas of Improvement and New Study

ConclusionsConclusionsAnimals out in Winter

Specializations, Limitations, Active

Tree WellsFormation, Cover and Protection

MethodsObservations, Measurements, Data Analysis, Pearson Product -1 to 1

Animals to Tree Well SizeNo Correlation

Animals to Amount of Cover Correlation

Animals out in WinterSpecializations, Limitations, Active

Tree WellsFormation, Cover and Protection

MethodsObservations, Measurements, Data Analysis, Pearson Product -1 to 1

Animals to Tree Well SizeNo Correlation

Animals to Amount of Cover Correlation

References References Kelsall, John. "Structural Adaptations of Moose and Deer for Snow." Journal

of Mammology. 50.2 (1969): 302-310. KORSLUND, L. and STEEN, H. “ Small rodent winter survival: snow

conditions limit access to food resources.” Journal of Animal Ecology(2006): 75: 156–166.

Mohr, Carl, and William Stumpf. "Comparison of Methods for Calculating Areas of Animal Activity." Journal of Wildlife Management. 30.2 (1966): 293-304.

Murie, Olaus Johan. "A Field Guide to Animal Tracks." Google Books. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BwVw6YpLyDkC&oi=fnd&pg=PT13&dq=animal tracks&ots=15OgSGjc2A&sig=KaxjItEV4X1OCi2TsNoEYFnDUnE#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Strum, Matt. "Snow Distribution and Heat Flow in the Taiga." Arctic and Alpine Research. 24.2 (1992): 145-152.

Kelsall, John. "Structural Adaptations of Moose and Deer for Snow." Journal of Mammology. 50.2 (1969): 302-310.

KORSLUND, L. and STEEN, H. “ Small rodent winter survival: snow conditions limit access to food resources.” Journal of Animal Ecology(2006): 75: 156–166.

Mohr, Carl, and William Stumpf. "Comparison of Methods for Calculating Areas of Animal Activity." Journal of Wildlife Management. 30.2 (1966): 293-304.

Murie, Olaus Johan. "A Field Guide to Animal Tracks." Google Books. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BwVw6YpLyDkC&oi=fnd&pg=PT13&dq=animal tracks&ots=15OgSGjc2A&sig=KaxjItEV4X1OCi2TsNoEYFnDUnE#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Strum, Matt. "Snow Distribution and Heat Flow in the Taiga." Arctic and Alpine Research. 24.2 (1992): 145-152.