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Delheimer MS, Moriarty KM, Munro HL, Early DA, Hamm KA, Green RE. Structural complexity characterizes fine‐scale forest conditions used by Pacific martens. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Delheimer
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station 2480 Carson Road Placerville CA 95667 USA
| | - Katie M. Moriarty
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 2438 NW Professional Drive Corvallis OR 97330 USA
| | - Holly L. Munro
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | | | - Keith A. Hamm
- Green Diamond Resource Company PO Box 68 Korbel CA 95550 USA
| | - Rebecca E. Green
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station 2081 E. Sierra Avenue Fresno CA 93710 USA
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Moriarty KM, Thompson J, Delheimer M, Barry BR, Linnell M, Levi T, Hamm K, Early D, Gamblin H, Szykman Gunther M, Ellison J, Prevéy JS, Hartman J, Davis R. Predicted distribution of a rare and understudied forest carnivore: Humboldt marten ( Martes caurina humboldtensis). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11670. [PMID: 34434640 PMCID: PMC8354145 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many mammalian species have experienced range contractions. Following a reduction in distribution that has resulted in apparently small and disjunct populations, the Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) was recently designated as federally Threatened and state Endangered. This subspecies of Pacific marten occurring in coastal Oregon and northern California, also known as coastal martens, appear unlike martens that occur in snow-associated regions in that vegetation associations appear to differ widely between Humboldt marten populations. We expected current distributions represent realized niches, but estimating factors associated with long-term occurrence was challenging for this rare and little-known species. Here, we assessed the predicted contemporary distribution of Humboldt martens and interpret our findings as hypotheses correlated with the subspecies' niche to inform strategic conservation actions. METHODS We modeled Humboldt marten distribution using a maximum entropy (Maxent) approach. We spatially-thinned 10,229 marten locations collected from 1996-2020 by applying a minimum distance of 500-m between locations, resulting in 384 locations used to assess correlations of marten occurrence with biotic and abiotic variables. We independently optimized the spatial scale of each variable and focused development of model variables on biotic associations (e.g., hypothesized relationships with forest conditions), given that abiotic factors such as precipitation are largely static and not alterable within a management context. RESULTS Humboldt marten locations were positively associated with increased shrub cover (salal (Gautheria shallon)), mast producing trees (e.g., tanoak, Notholithocarpus densiflorus), increased pine (Pinus sp.) proportion of total basal area, annual precipitation at home-range spatial scales, low and high amounts of canopy cover and slope, and cooler August temperatures. Unlike other recent literature, we found little evidence that Humboldt martens were associated with old-growth structural indices. This case study provides an example of how limited information on rare or lesser-known species can lead to differing interpretations, emphasizing the need for study-level replication in ecology. Humboldt marten conservation would benefit from continued survey effort to clarify range extent, population sizes, and fine-scale habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M. Moriarty
- Western Sustainable Forestry, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Joel Thompson
- Pacific Northwest Region Data Resources Management, USDA Forest Service, Joseph, OR, United States of America
| | - Matthew Delheimer
- Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Placerville, CA, United States of America
| | - Brent R. Barry
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR, United States of America
| | - Mark Linnell
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Keith Hamm
- Green Diamond Resource Company, Korbel, CA, United States of America
| | - Desiree Early
- Green Diamond Resource Company, Korbel, CA, United States of America
| | - Holly Gamblin
- Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Jordan Ellison
- Western Sustainable Forestry, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Janet S. Prevéy
- Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Raymond Davis
- Pacific Northwest Region, USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
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Delheimer MS, Moriarty KM, Slauson KM, Roddy AM, Early DA, Hamm KA. Comparative Reproductive Ecology of Two Subspecies of Pacific Marten (Martes caurina) in California. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3955/046.094.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Delheimer
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
| | - Katie M. Moriarty
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3625 93rd Avenue SW, Olympia, Washington 98512
| | - Keith M. Slauson
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, California 95521
| | - Alyssa M. Roddy
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3625 93rd Avenue SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 and
| | - Desiree A. Early
- Green Diamond Resource Company, PO Box 68, Korbel, California 95550
| | - Keith A. Hamm
- Green Diamond Resource Company, PO Box 68, Korbel, California 95550
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Moriarty KM, Aubry KB, Morozumi CN, Howell BL, Happe PJ, Jenkins KJ, Pilgrim KL, Schwartz MK. Status of Pacific Martens (Martes caurina) on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.3955/046.093.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katie M. Moriarty
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Avenue SW, Olympia, Washington 98512
| | - Keith B. Aubry
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Avenue SW, Olympia, Washington 98512
| | | | - Betsy L. Howell
- USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest, 295142 Hwy 101 S, Quilcene, Washington 98376
| | - Patricia J. Happe
- USDI National Park Service, Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, Washington 98362
| | - Kurt J. Jenkins
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, Washington 98362 and
| | - Kristine L. Pilgrim
- USDA Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, 800 E Beckwith Drive, Missoula, Montana 59801
| | - Michael K. Schwartz
- USDA Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, 800 E Beckwith Drive, Missoula, Montana 59801
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Eriksson CE, Moriarty KM, Linnell MA, Levi T. Biotic factors influencing the unexpected distribution of a Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) population in a young coastal forest. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214653. [PMID: 31042737 PMCID: PMC6493723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacific martens (Martes caurina) are often associated with mature forests with complex structure for denning, resting, and efficient hunting. Nonetheless, a small isolated population of the Humboldt subspecies of Pacific martens (Martes caurina humboldtensis) occupies a narrow strip of young, coastal forest (< 70 years old) but not inland mature forest in the central Oregon Coast Range. We examined factors contributing to this unexpected distribution of martens by 1) analyzing marten diets using DNA metabarcoding to assess 90 scats, 2) using camera traps to assess differences in the relative abundances of prey, competitors, and predators across a coastal to inland gradient of vegetation types, and 3) quantifying differences in extent of fruit-producing shrubs and vegetation structure within vegetation types. Diets of martens were diverse (12, 10, and 3 species of birds, mammals, and amphibians respectively), and most fall and winter scats contained fruit. Voles, mice, and varied thrushes (Ixoreus naevius) were dominant prey items. Voles, mice, and most birds, but not varied thrushes, were more commonly observed in the coastal shrub-dominated forest than in inland forest. The coastal shrub-dominated forest had the highest diversity of vertebrates and potential prey overall. Bobcats (Lynx rufus), a key potential predator, were more commonly detected in inland forest. Of potential competitors, western spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis) were more commonly detected in inland forest, with gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) detected almost exclusively in coastal forests. Vegetation in coastal forests appears to provide, at least seasonally, more prey and fruit, and more overhead shrub cover compared with inland forest. Remaining plausible hypotheses for the restricted distribution of marten to coastal forests include increased prey, fruit, and overhead cover, and reduced predation risk from bobcats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Eriksson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Katie M. Moriarty
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Olympia, WA, United States of America
| | - Mark A. Linnell
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
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