Spatial Variation in Density of White-footed Mice Along Edges in Fragmented Habitat

Abstract

Abstract The influence of forest fragmentation and associated habitat edges differentially affects forest-dependent organisms, particularly when certain species are able to use resources from surrounding matrix habitats. The white-footed mouse is a forest habitat generalist and is known to disperse among adjoining farmland habitats, including agricultural matrix, in fragmented agro-ecosystems. However, little is known about spatial variation in population density within adjoining farmland habitats or how this relationship varies seasonally. In addition quantifying the extent to which white-footed mice use agricultural matrix as habitat is important for inferring potential ecosystem services (predation of weed seed and waste grain) rendered within row-crop fields. We used spatially explicit capture-recapture models to estimate density of white-footed mice along a gradient of patch (forest fragment) interior to matrix (crop field) interior that spanned fragmented habitat edges. Spatial variation in populati...