EFFECT OF DISTANCE TO FOREST ON MESOCARNIVORE ACTIVITY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL DUNES

Claire Bortot; Humboldt State Univ; cmb1139@humboldt.edu; Lauren Enriquez, Colleen Herr, Sean Ihle, Steven Jensen, Matthew Johnson, Elizabeth Meisman, Mark Sampson

The Ma-le'l coastal dunes of northern California have been affected by the invasion of dense European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria). In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have removed beachgrass in an attempt to restore native ecosystem function. Mesocarnivores play vital roles in trophic webs, and previous research has suggested that they are more active in restored dunes than in areas with dense beachgrass. However, distance to nearby coastal dune forests could affect mesocarnivore activity and may have confounded previous work. We conducted an observational study using remote cameras and found the detection rate mesocarnivores declined with distance to forest. Our most frequent detections were of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and feral cats (Felis catus). Our findings suggest management of the coastal dune ecosystem should recognize both the density of cover of invasive grass and the proximity to forested habitat that may serve as den or resting sites for mesocarnivores.

Student Paper