The Importance of Trees
to the North American Red Squirrel
(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus):
A Three Dimensional Home Range Analysis.

Heidi Weibe

Department of Zoology,
The University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
R3T 2N2

 

BACK to TBS THESES and RESEARCH PAPERS PAGE

 

Wiebe, H. 1996. The Importance of Trees to the North American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus): A Three Dimensional Home Range Analysis. B.Sc. Honours Thesis, University of Manitoba: 64pp.

 

Abstract

Despite being a tree squirrel, the importance of trees to the overall home range of the red squirrel has never been formally studied. A population of red squirrels was trapped, marked and observed for this purpose at Taiga Biological Station in southeastern Manitoba during the summer of 1995. The objectives of this study were to (1) track and map the movements of the population in three dimensions, (2) to describe the activities associated with tree use, (3) to test the null hypothesis that red squirrels spend equal amounts of time in trees and on the ground and (4) to compare the three-dimensional home ranges of individuals.

Despite showing an overall preference for tree use, the difference between the amount of time spent in trees and on the ground was not significant. However, those individuals which showed the greatest amount of tree use were found to be in areas of high spruce abundance while those individuals using the ground more often were in areas of low spruce abundance. Similarly, home ranges in high spruce areas were the smallest, but trees contributed a larger proportion to the overall size and volume. Home ranges in low spruce areas were larger, with trees contributing significantly less volume to the total size. These results coincide with the fact that most activities were generally performed at greater heights in spruce trees than in any other species.

 


 

This page created March 20, 1999.

 

BACK to TBS THESES and RESEARCH PAPERS PAGE

 

Copyright © 1999 Taiga Biological Station, U/M