When perception reflects reality: Non-native grass invasion alters small mammal risk landscapes and survival.

ABSTRACT: Modification of habitat structure due to invasive plants can alter the risk landscape for wildlife by, for example, changing the quality or availability of refuge habitat. Whether perceived risk corresponds with actual fitness outcomes, however, remains an important open question. We simultaneously measured how habitat changes due to a common invasive grass (cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum) affected the perceived risk, habitat selection, and apparent survival of a small mammal, enabling us to assess how well perceived risk influenced important behaviors and reflected actual risk. We measured perceived risk by nocturnal rodents using a giving-up density foraging experiment with paired shrub (safe) and open (risky) foraging trays in cheatgrass and native habitats. We also evaluated microh

SUBMITTER: Ceradini JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5355188 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature