Reden et al. 2024. Effects of habitat disturbance on wildlife activity and diversity in Blind Brook Forest
By David Reden (primary author), Diana Reyes, Benjamin Sherry, Dr. Allyson Jackson
Abstract
Human activity is the primary cause of wildlife disturbance, impacting both the abundance of species and their evenness across habitats. When looking at areas recently disturbed by man-made activities, patterns of species abundance and wildlife diversity can be assessed to describe changes that can occur due to man-made boundaries between two habitats. In Blind Brook Forest at Purchase College State University of New York (SUNY), an area recently impacted by an installed sewer pipeline, three trail cameras were set up across the disturbed areas and the adjacent undisturbed forest. Trail cameras were set to capture wildlife activity over two weeks to compare species richness and the Shannon Diversity Index across the two habitats. My results proposed that undisturbed areas had higher levels of species richness compared to disturbed areas, suggesting an overall greater use of forest habitat type by wildlife. However, disturbed regions had a higher Shannon Diversity Index, showing a more even species distribution. The species with the highest occurrences overall were chipmunks, white-tailed deer, and raccoons. The species with the lowest abundance were striped skunks, bobcats, and coyotes. My finding highlights that wildlife utilizes disturbed and undisturbed areas differently. This information can guide forestry practices to reduce habitat fragmentation, protect species dependent on undisturbed habitat, and promote adaptation of wildlife to human disturbance.