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Article: DO MAMMALIAN NEST PREDATORS FOLLOW HUMAN SCENT TRAILS IN THE SHORTGRASS PRAIRIE?
- Article from:
- Wilson Bulletin
- Article date:
- September 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Wilson Ornithological Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Predation has exerted a strong influence on the evolution of habitat selection and life history traits for many avian species (Martin 1993b). Research on a broad array of ecological topics requires estimates of avian fecundity. Because nest predation is the major cause of nest failure in passerines (Ricklefs 1969; Martin 1992, 1993a, b), researchers have frequently expressed concerns that monitoring might artificially increase predation rates (Mayfield 1975, Major 1990, Gotmark 1992).
Predators might be attracted to nests by visual cues, such as the presence of researchers, trampling of vegetation, increased activity of parent birds, and by olfactory cues. ...