title: Carnivore use of avocado orchards across an agricultural-wildland gradient.
abstract: Wide-ranging species cannot persist in reserves alone. Consequently, there is growing interest in the conservation value of agricultural lands that separate or buffer natural areas. The value of agricultural lands for wildlife habitat and connectivity varies as a function of the crop type and landscape context, and quantifying these differences will improve our ability to manage these lands more effectively for animals. In southern California, many species are present in avocado orchards, including mammalian carnivores. We examined occupancy of avocado orchards by mammalian carnivores across agricultural-wildland gradients in southern California with motion-activated cameras. More carnivore species were detected with cameras in orchards than in wildland sites, and for bobcats and gray foxes, orchards were associated with higher occupancy rates. Our results demonstrate that agricultural lands have potential to contribute to conservation by providing habitat or facilitating landscape connectivity.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington United States of America. tnogeire@gmail.com
authors.forename: Theresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nogeire
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: Kevin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Crooks
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Boydston
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D002335:Carnivora / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005589:Foxes / Q000502:physiology; D005843:Geography; D008954:Models, Biological; D027421:Persea / Q000502:physiology*; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013045:Species Specificity