Habitat exposure negatively linked to wildlife activity on Purchase College campus
By Uri Sarig
Abstract
One of the resources required by wildlife in habitat selection is concealment from predation risks; and fragmented habitats with limited plant coverage may threaten that necessity. I studied the relationship between forest habitat exposure and wildlife abundance at Purchase College via two physical “exposure” characteristics: trail width and vegetation coverage. A correlation was found between thinner trails and wildlife abundance (particularly among prey species), and greater vegetation coverage and abundance – although the former to a greater extent. These correlations seem to underscore the importance of vegetation and habitat contiguity for wildlife populations on campus and beyond.