Project Background
Why Study Fox Squirrels?
In the last several years, urban sprawl has increased dramatically in the United States. As a result, natural resource agencies are faced with new challenges in the management of urban wildlife populations. In some cases, wildlife species such as white-tailed deer, squirrels, raccoons, and pigeons adapt within or adjacent to urban landscapes. The effectiveness of management strategies for urban wildlife populations can be increased by gaining an understanding of how species adapt to these environments. The population ecology of fox squirrels in urban landscapes are of interest to wildlife biologists (e.g., animal damage control issues, aesthetic values); however, little is known about urban squirrels in the eastern United States with no studies in Texas. An understanding of urban fox squirrel ecology can provide wildlife biologists, urban planners, animal damage control officials, homeowners, and squirrel enthusiasts with information to successfully manage squirrel populations in urban landscapes.
The preparation of undergraduate students pursuing careers in wildlife management is becoming more difficult. Limited teaching budgets and more demanding time schedules decrease the amount of field experience opportunities available for wildlife undergraduates. Wildlife programs are often criticized by natural resource agencies because of the lack of necessary field experience exhibited by their graduates. Involving undergraduates in wildlife research projects has been proposed as a method to bridge the gap between formal academic training and providing field or "real-world" experiences to undergraduates.
Research Project Objectives
A unique opportunity to combine wildlife research with academic training (theory and the application in the field) for wildlife undergraduates is available at the Texas A&M University (TAMU) campus. Specifically, studies of fox squirrel ecology on campus would provide (1) basic information needed to manage squirrel populations in urban landscapes throughout the state, and (2) an effective teaching medium for students learning about the population dynamics of wildlife species in the classroom. Thus, the objectives of our study are as follows:
- Gain an understanding in the population ecology of urban fox squirrels including survival, mortality, recruitment, dispersal, ranges, and habitat use.
- Demonstrate basic wildlife techniques including radio-telemetry, census methodology, trapping, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and database analyses to wildlife undergraduates.
- Reinforce and demonstrate principles in population ecology (i.e., survival, fecundity, and population growth) to undergraduates in wildlife science.