Presenter(s)

Elizabeth Divish

Comments

3:00-4:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

Five Rivers Metroparks offer a vast array of recreational nature preserves for people around Dayton, Ohio, as well as a habitat for wildlife. Many species in the parks are essential for many ecosystem services and habitat quality. The objective of this study was to examine how the temporal activity of mammals compared in areas of high, medium, and low trail density. Our mammal species of interest were: white-tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus), squirrels (Sciurus sp.), and northern raccoon (Procyon lotor ) through the use of camera traps and analysis of species detections and activity abundance. We surveyed the locations, placing 23 cameras 50 meters from the nearest trail from September to November of 2023, and 9 cameras at the same parks 100 meters from the closest trail during the same months in 2024. Preliminary results from 2023 indicate that the responses are species-specific, meaning some species change their behaviors in response to higher humana activity while others do not. Our results will help inform best management practices at Five Rivers Metroparks and to encourage sustainable actions for the public.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Mariela Gantchoff

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Community

Walk On the Wild Side: Human Activity Influence on Mammal Activity Within Metroparks

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