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18 December 2017 Differential Response of Native Arizona Gray Squirrels and Introduced Abert's Squirrels to a Mosaic of Burn Severities
Shari L. Ketcham, John L. Koprowski, Donald A. Falk
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Abstract

Disturbance events can alter habitat properties, leading to species displacement, isolation, and/or local extinction. Therefore, understanding the interactions of potential ecological drivers on native and introduced wildlife species post-fire is critical to understand influences on distribution. We studied native Arizona gray squirrels (Sciurus arizonensis), which are believed to favor dense riparian habitat, and introduced Abert's squirrels (S. aberti), which prefer open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. We examined how uncommon native Arizona gray squirrels and introduced Abert's squirrels used areas previously burned by widespread fires more than a decade prior to our study. To determine how past fire may affect squirrel habitat, we examined squirrel use and occupancy within fire altered habitats and used distance sampling to determine squirrel distribution, feeding, and nest use within a mosaic of burn severities. Occupancy and habitat use indicated that introduced Abert’s squirrels readily used post-fire conditions more than native Arizona gray squirrels, likely due to the opening of a dense understory. Arizona gray squirrels remained in unburned riparian areas; therefore, fire affected riparian areas can be directly targeted for management to increase abundance of the native species.

© The Mammal Society of Japan
Shari L. Ketcham, John L. Koprowski, and Donald A. Falk "Differential Response of Native Arizona Gray Squirrels and Introduced Abert's Squirrels to a Mosaic of Burn Severities," Mammal Study 42(4), 1-12, (18 December 2017). https://doi.org/10.3106/041.042.0407
Received: 29 April 2017; Accepted: 28 October 2017; Published: 18 December 2017
KEYWORDS
dreys
feeding sign
habitat
occupancy
wildfire effects
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