Human pathways are barriers to beavers damaging trees and saplings in urban forests |
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| Authors: | Robert E Loeb Samuel King James Helton |
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| Institution: | 1. Pennsylvania State University, DuBois, PA 15801, USA;2. Radnor Lake State Natural Area, Nashville, TN 37220, USA;3. Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN 37204, USA;1. College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China;2. Administration Bureau of Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Luoshan, Henan Province 464236, China;1. Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071 USA;2. Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA;3. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 USA;4. Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA;1. Lab. de Mamíferos, Dept. Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, Brazil;2. Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas—IESB, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Folha 31, Lote 07, Nova Marabá, 68000-500, Marabá, PA, Brazil;1. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205, USA;2. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;3. Forterra, 901 5th Avenue # 2200, Seattle, WA 98164, USA |
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| Abstract: | Urban North American beaver (Castor canadensis) damage of trees and saplings was compared between shore forests and forests uphill of macadam, wood chip, and raised wood board human pathways used daily in Radnor Lake State Natural Area, Nashville, TN. Also, comparisons of beaver damage were made between shore forests and forests uphill of bare earth deer paths used less than once a month by humans and the forests were on 5% and 30% slopes. Means, standard deviations, and t-tests (P ≤ 0.05) were calculated for percent beaver damage, which included undamaged stems, beaver-cut stems, and beaver-cut stumps. Significant differences in beaver damage of trees and saplings were found between forests uphill of the human pathways used daily and the respective shore forests. Beaver damage of trees and saplings was not significantly different between the shore forests and forests uphill of the deer paths used less than once a month by humans for the 5% slope forest; however, the differences were significant for the 30% slope forest. Beaver damage of trees and saplings was significantly greater in the uphill of the deer paths forests than the uphill of the human pathways forests for comparable slope forests. Human scent on the pathways used daily made of macadam, wood chips, and raised wood boards was interpreted to be the barrier sensed by beavers to not cross over or under the human pathways to damage trees and saplings. This research suggests utilizing human pathways as an odor fence to spatially limit beaver damage, which provides a whole forest management alternative to individual tree protection for management of beaver damage in the urban forest. |
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| Keywords: | Barrier to beaver damage Human scent on pathways North American beaver Odor fence Urban beaver management Whole forest management alternative |
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