ORCID
0000-0002-5170-4548 (Coster)
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.25778/fenx-2z64
Abstract
This study explored whether habitat management techniques such as forest thinning and burning promoted biodiversity. Fifteen camera trap stations were established at Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, VA across forest stands with low, medium, and high basal area. Camera traps were deployed for a total of 532 trap nights, and trap success and species diversity were calculated using Shannon’s index. At each site, the distance to trafficable roadways and water sources, vegetation composition, and the percent groundcover, canopy cover, and understory were measured. The cameras captured nine species and recorded a total of 398 trap events. Linear regression was used with an information theoretic approach to test and rank several possible models exploring the relationship between trap success and environmental factors. The best model included basal area and displayed an inverse relationship between basal area and trap success, although stands with low basal area had lower levels of diversity.
Recommended Citation
Vilgats, M. S., R. Ott, and S. S. Coster. 2021. Camera trap survey suggests forestry and prescribed burns attract wildlife, but may not enhance diversity. Virginia Journal of Science 72 (3-4): 19 pp. https://doi.org/10.25778/fenx-2z64