LE3 .A278 2007

2007

Taylor, Phil
Warkentin, Ian G.

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

Understanding how individuals respond to landscape heterogeneity is crucial to the study of landscape ecology. I investigated how landscape structure at multiple scales influenced space use and movement patterns of habitat specialist male northern waterthrushes ('Seiurus noveboracensis') and generalist male blackpoll warblers ('Dendroica striata') in Newfoundland over two breeding seasons using radiotelemetry. Waterthrush territory area and movement rates were influenced by landscape-scale forest harvest, suggesting an influence of broad-scale structure on habitat use through territorial resource availability. Relationships between blackpoll home range area and forest harvest at neighbourhood and landscape scales varied between years, while movement rates were influenced by local-scale structure. Blackpolls appear to respond to factors influencing food availability. This study indicated species- and scale-specific responses to landscape structure and the potential for disturbance to modify passerine behaviour. Both a habitat specialist and generalist appear to be resilient to moderate levels of anthropogenic disturbance in naturally-heterogeneous boreal forest landscapes.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2857