Swamp rabbits as indicators of wildlife habitat quality in bottomland hardwood forest ecosystems |
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| Affiliation: | 1. CSIRO Land and Water, EcoSciences Precinct, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia;2. School of Natural Resources & the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;3. Udall Center for Studies of Public Policy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;4. U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA;5. Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria;6. United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI 54603, USA;7. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada;1. Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal;2. Department of Geography David Turpin Building University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada;1. Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan;2. Department of Soil and Water Conservation, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan;3. Water Systems Analysis Group, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA;4. UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany;5. Université de Toulouse, UPS, INPT, EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), Toulouse, France;6. CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia;1. Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Box 6109 SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA;2. WildWood Environmental Credit Company, LLC., 4704 Picadilly Place, Tyler, TX 75703, USA;1. CERIS – Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal;2. CICS.NOVA – Centro Interdisciplinar de Ciências Sociais, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal;3. CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/InBIO – Associate Laboratory, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, Ponta Delgada 9501-801, The Azores, Portugal;4. MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal;5. CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & Azorean Biodiversity Group, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | Reforestation of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forests has occurred within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV), USA, to support a wide range of ecosystem services, but especially wildlife habitat enhancement. As ecosystem restoration efforts proceed in BLH ecosystems, managers and policymakers are seeking criteria to evaluate wildlife habitat enhancement goals. Specialist wildlife that evolved within forest ecosystems can be sensitive to the composition, structure, and function of an ecosystem in relation to the system's natural or historical range of variation and thereby serve as indicators of habitat quality. The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is a specialist species of BLH forests throughout the LMAV and therefore may be an appropriate indicator species for this ecosystem. To address this, we reviewed peer-reviewed literature to evaluate the utility of swamp rabbits as an indicator species according to three commonly-used criteria: habitat factors defining swamp rabbit relationships to BLH forests, the importance of swamp rabbit habitat to other wildlife, and the efficiency of swamp rabbit monitoring. We conclude that the swamp rabbit is a suitable indicator of wildlife habitat quality in BLH ecosystems in the LMAV because they evolved and remain endemic to the ecosystem, use habitat that integrates desirable characteristics that positively influence wildlife biodiversity, and are easy to monitor routinely. |
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| Keywords: | Swamp rabbit Indicator species Bottomland hardwood forest Restoration Habitat Monitoring |
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