Habitat Use of the Snowshoe Hare

Melissa PachecoWinter Ecology

Spring 2010

Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

Introduction

How does the snowshoe hare (lepus americanus) allocate time between different habitats?How does the spatial structure of the forest

affect the habitat use of the snowshoe hare?

IntroductionSpecifically between two environments

Semi-closed lodge pole pine forest

Semi-open aspen and willow grove

Introduction

Literature suggests:• Hare avoid open areas due to predation risks(Orr, 1982)

• Shrubs are not an important component of cover (Malaney, 2006)

• Variety of vegetative features are important (Monzón, 2004)

• In Utah, lodgepole pine habitats were used much more extensively then aspen habitats (Dolbeer,, 1975)

Hypothesis: There will be more evidence of snowshoe hare activity in the semi-closed

environment.

Introduction

• Relevance to ecology:– Snowshoe hare are essential to

ecosystems that they live in • Predators include: foxes,

coyotes, wolves, lynx, bobcats, mink, weasels, owls, mountain lions, hawks, & wolverine (Shefferly, 2007)

– considered a keystone species (Kurta, 1995) depending on ecosystem

– Gain knowledge of the ecology of important species

Methods

• Randomly selected study area with semi-open habitat bordered by semi-closed environment

• Stretched 100m field tape along border• Random number generator picked 4 values

– 9,26,71,91

• Walked either side of field tape for 10m at corresponding distances

• Recorded presence of hare tracks and depth into each environment

Methods

Semi-open Habitat

Semi-closed Habitat

– 100m field tape– 10m transect into each

microhabitat– Stream

Semi-closed Habitat Semi-open Habitat

Methods

Limitations of study design• Data collect required good weather/

snow conditions• Depth into habitat had no meaning• Study area included stream

Data

Transect Semi-closed

(m)

Semi-open (m)

1 3.5 5.4

2 6.2, 6.4 TNP

3 9.3 2.3, 8.5

4 TNP 0.8, 2.5

TNP- tracks not present

Data

Semi-open Habitat

Semi-closed Habitat

– 100m field tape– 10m transect into each

microhabitat– Stream Observed Tracks

Data

Semi-open Semi-closed

Total # Tracks

Present

4 5

Semi-open Semi-closed

Frequency .75 .75

Abundance

Frequency

Results

Results

• Difference in abundance is not significant

• Frequencies between habitats were equal

Discussion

• Frequency suggests similar distribution between habitats

• Fail to reject null hypothesis

• Both habitats are likely to contain important features

• Type of predator may influence cover required

• Complimentary habitats being used in same way

Discussion

• Spatial structure not only factor differentiating habitats

• May have found different effect in other mountain winter ecosystems

• Possible sources of error– Not enough data, need replicates– Can not tell if tracks came from same

individual or from separate SSH

Conclusion

• Frequency suggests similar distribution between habitats

• Both habitats likely include important features for snowshoe hare ecology

• Complementary habitats

Special ThanksMy Mother

&Justin D’Atri

Questions?

Literature CitedDolebeer, R. A., C. R. Willam. “Population Ecology of Snowshoe Hares

in the Central Rocky Mountains” The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jul., 1975) pp. 535-549

Kurta, A. 1995. Mammals of the Great Lakes Region. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Malaney, J. L., J. K. Frey. “Summer Habitat Use by Snowshoehare and Cottontail at Their Southern Zone of Sympatry” The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 70, No. 3 (Jun., 2006), pp. 877-883

Monzón, A., P. Fernandes, and N. Rodrigues. "Vegetation structure descriptors regulating the presence of wild rabbit in the National Park of Peneda-Gerês, Portugal." European Journal of Wildlife Research 50.1 (2004): 1-6. Print.

Orr, C., D. G. Dodds. “Snowshoe Hare Habitat Preferences in Nova Scotia Spruce-Fir Forests” Wildlife Society Bulletin, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Summer, 1982), pp. 147-150 

Shefferly, N. 2007. "Lepus americanus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 06, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lepus_americanus.html.