FROM COASTLINES TO MOUNTAIN CRESTS - REGIONAL FORAGING PATTERNS OF A SMALL CARNIVORE | |||
Marie E Martin; marie.martin@oregonstate.edu; Matthew S. Delheimer, Alyssa M. Roddy, Katie M. Moriarty, Charlotte Eriksson, Micaela Szykman Gunther, Jennifer Allen, Jennifer Hartman, Heath Smith, Taal Levi | |||
Dietary plasticity can reveal species’ responses to changes in resource availability due to changes in competition and landscape structure. Small-bodied carnivores occupy a unique trophic position, needing to consume relatively large amounts of prey to meet energetic requirements while also avoiding intraguild conflict from larger predators. Often, this results in foraging plasticity, with facultative variation among individuals and populations rather than obligate dependence on certain prey. Pacific martens (Martes caurina) are small-bodied carnivores who occupy a subordinate trophic role and are considered sensitive to changes in land use, cover, and climate. Despite their perceived sensitivity to change, they are considered dietary generalists that meet energetic needs from varied prey. Here, we examined the foraging patterns of martens in four sampling areas in the coastal and montane forests of western Oregon and northern California. Using DNA metabarcoding, we detected 59 prey species in 400 scats. Coastal sites exhibited marginally higher prey richness than montane sites, but several prey items, including red-backed voles (Myodes californicus), deer mice (Peromyscus spp.), and chipmunks (Tamias spp.) were consistently observed across sampling areas. Preliminary results suggest foraging patterns were associated with land cover composition and sampling location, with potential implications for effects of future landscape change. | |||
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