Influence of canopy cover on behavioral traits of snowshoe hare - PowerPoint Presentation

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Influence of canopy cover on behavioral traits of snowshoe hare

Breanna Avery

Winter Ecology/ Spring 2018

Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

Professor Tim Kittel

Introduction

The snowshoe hare

(Lepus

americanus)Mostly found in coniferous and boreal forests of the rocky mountains Nocturnal animals that are active at dawn and dusk and spend the daylight hours grooming, napping, or avoiding predators. Hind feet act as snowshoes to help float atop of snow

background

Previous Projects: “Snowshoe behavior in different environments”

(

Paliwoda, 2016)Literature Suggests: Prefer dense understory in order to provide thermal and hiding cover. Eat aspen trees and willow trees Tend to be found where there is deep snow depth

(Ellsworth, 2006)

Research Question:

Why

do snowshoe hares behave particular ways based on the environment in which they are in?

behaviors

When looking at tracks, in order to address why a snowshoe hare might act a particular way we might ask:

Are they more predated in a particular area?

Do they have a habitat that they feel most comfortable in? Is there a type of tree they prefer to eat more during the winter months?

Different levels of canopy cover:

Willow Aspen Willow & Aspen

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis:

There will be no difference in snowshoe hare behaviors due to a given environment.

Alternative Hypothesis:There will be a difference in behaviors due to a given environment. Predictions:

Snowshoe hares will move quicker in more open areas and will move more leisurely in areas where there is a dense understory cover.

Methods

In each environment determined percentage of canopy cover in each particular area.

Laid out 20 meter transect tape.

Every 2 meters on the transect tape determined whether mammal was running, walking, or standing in place/eating. At every 2 meters also analyzed surrounding trees for signs of foraging or tracks of predators. Compared the different behaviors in all three of the locations

Methods

In order to determine snowshoe hare behavior

Walking

Less than 60cm apart from each footprintIf front feet were in front RunningGreater than 60 cm distance apartBack feet were in front of back feetStanding in place

noticeable foraging from surround trees, scat, or left over food by tracks

statistics

One- way ANOVA to analyze the data

P-Value= 0.03 which shows there is statistical significance in snowshoe hare behavior and the amount of canopy cover.

Reject Null hypothesis

Results

In areas with both aspen and willow trees, there was the lowest average distance that the snowshoe hare traveled and noticeable bark eaten from a nearby Aspen tree.

This makes sense due to more understory (more than 30 percent cover), dense canopy cover, and more protection from predation.

The snowshoe hare traveled the quickest in areas with just one type of tree, Willow trees being the fastest and aspen forests being a close second. In aspen forests especially, there is very minimal understory to provide protection (less than 30 percent cover). Snowshoe hares are more often predated in areas where they are easy to get and where they are unable to hide in the understory of the trees.

Discussion

Questions?

Further research:

Finding predator tracks such as coyotes or bobcat and determine if they more often predate on snowshoe hares in open areas or closed.

References

Boonstra

, R.,

Hik, D., Singleton, G. R. and Tinnikov, A. (1998), THE IMPACT OF PREDATOR-INDUCED STRESS ON THE SNOWSHOE HARE CYCLE. Ecological Monographs, 68: 371–394. doi:10.1890/0012-9615(1998)068[0371:TIOPIS]2.0.CO;2Ellsworth, E. and T.D. Reynolds. (2006, July 19). Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://

www.fs.fed.us

/r2/projects/

scp

/assessments/

snowshoehare.pdf

[February 19, 2018].