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Relationships between groundwater level and furbearer abundance in the Northern Arkansas Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Author(s) -
Kidd John B.,
Kissell Robert E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
ecohydrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.982
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1936-0592
pISSN - 1936-0584
DOI - 10.1002/eco.76
Subject(s) - groundwater , transect , abundance (ecology) , hydrology (agriculture) , aquifer , alluvium , relative species abundance , surface water , environmental science , alluvial fan , geology , ecology , geomorphology , oceanography , biology , geotechnical engineering , structural basin , environmental engineering
Abundances of hydrophilic furbearers, such as raccoons ( Procyon lotor ), are known to change with alterations in surface water availability. Unconfined aquifers dynamically interact with surface water, and surface water availability is often reduced when groundwater levels decline. However, the relationship between groundwater level and furbearer abundance is not well understood. Groundwater depths in the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer have increased such that critical groundwater areas have been designated in the Arkansas portion of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. We tested the effect of groundwater level on furbearer abundance using three depth‐to‐groundwater categories: shallow (<6·4 m), medium (6·4–13·99 m) and deep (≥14·0 m). In each category we surveyed furbearer relative abundance with scent station lines ( N = 40) and minimum density estimates with aerial thermal infrared transects ( N = 7). Relative abundance indices of furbearers collectively were not different ( F = 2·67, P = 0·08), nor were minimum density estimates ( F = 2·21, P = 0·22) among groundwater depths. Only relative abundance indices for Virginia opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ; F = 4·76, P = 0·01) were different among groundwater depths. More research is needed to discern if potential ecologically significant relationships exist between groundwater level and furbearer abundance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.