Dissertation Research: Effects of Territory Quality and Resource Distribution on Movement and Space Use of Meadow Voles

9700900所罗门，无论是个体还是种群都应受到生境质量的强烈影响。反过来，栖息地的质量可能会受到许多因素的影响，如食物的丰度和分布、覆盖范围以及潜在配偶或竞争对手的存在。种群中的个体通常不会利用所有可用的栖息地。个体每天使用的栖息地部分被称为他们的家园范围，如果这个空间得到保护，它被称为他们的领土。本研究的目的是确定土地质量和资源分布对草甸田鼠活动和空间利用的影响。雌性草甸田鼠在繁殖季节是地域性的，占据的范围相对较小。雄性草甸田鼠一年四季都是非属地的，它们占据的范围比雌性田鼠大几倍。有人假设，相对于低质量的栖息地，雌性在高质量的栖息地中的领地地位应该更加明显，当资源聚集而不是均匀分布时，雌性领地应该更加明显。我们将通过检查女性领地之间的重叠模式来检验这些假设；重叠程度低表明属于领地，而重叠程度高表明非领地行为。如果高质量生境的重叠低于低质量生境的重叠，而丛生资源的重叠低于均匀分布的资源，则这些假说将得到支持。在高质量地区出生的后代比在低质量地区出生的子女更有可能留在出生地。此外，离开高质量领地的后代应该比离开低质量领地的后代年龄更大。我们将通过检查成年后留在出生区的后代比例和离开出生区的个体的年龄来检验这些假设。了解草甸田鼠如何对领土质量和资源分布做出反应是很重要的，因为这些动物可以改变植物群落，从而影响生态演替，是许多捕食者的重要捕食物种，并被认为是一种重要的农业害虫。因此，确定草甸田鼠对栖息地质量和资源分布的反应可能有助于更好地理解生态演替，捕食者组合如何对资源和猎物的丰度和分布做出反应，并有助于设计有助于减少田鼠损害的新农业实践。

9700900 Solomon Both individuals and populations should be strongly influenced by habitat quality. In turn, habitat quality can be influenced by many factors, such as the abundance and distribution of food, cover, and the presence of potential mates or competitors. Individuals within a population usually do not utilized all available habitat. The portion of habitat that individuals use on a daily basis is referred to as their home range and if this space is defended, it is referred to as their territory. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of territory quality and resource distribution on movement and space use of meadow voles. Female meadow voles are territorial during the breeding season and occupy relatively small ranges. Male meadow voles are non-territorial throughout the year and occupy ranges several times larger than female ranges. It has been hypothesized that female territoriality should be more pronounced in high-quality habitat relative to low-quality habitat and should be more evident when resources are clumped rather than evenly distributed. We will test these hypotheses by examining patterns of overlap among female territories; low levels of overlap indicate territoriality whereas high levels indicate non-territorial behavior. If overlap is lower in high-quality habitat than in low-quality habitat and lower on clumped than evenly distributed resources these hypotheses will be supported. Offspring born on high-quality territories are more likely to remain in the natal area than offspring born on low-quality territories. Additionally, offspring that leave high-quality territories should be older than offspring that leave low-quality territories. We will test these hypotheses by examining the proportion of offspring that remain in the natal area as adults and the ages of individuals that leave the natal area. Understanding how meadow voles respond to territory quality and resource distribution is important since these animals can alter pla nt communities thus influencing ecological succession, are an important prey species for many predators, and are known to be an important agricultural pest. Determining how meadow voles respond to habitat quality and resource distribution could therefore lead to a better understanding of ecological succession, how predator assemblages respond to resource and prey abundance and distribution, and help design new agricultural practices that can help reduce vole damage.