Surrogate habitats for urban mammals: quantifying survival and occupancy in constructed wetlands

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2014-02-07

Department

Towson University. Department of Biological Sciences

Program

Citation of Original Publication

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Copyright protected, all rights reserved.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.

Subjects

Abstract

Land management plans require the construction of stormwater ponds to mitigate the effects of urbanization on streams. Stormwater ponds temporarily retain polluted runoff from impervious surfaces, allowing contaminants to settle before the water recharges ground water. With intentions to maintain natural hydrology, temperature, and nutrient inputs, stormwater ponds also attract wildlife. Some stormwater ponds might better support or attract urban wildlife when their hydrology, size, and vegetation are considered. I surveyed the small, meso-, and large mammal community in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA to determine the use of stormwater ponds by mammals. My results suggest that stormwater ponds are being utilized extensively by mammals in urban landscapes and that small changes in management could improve the quality of these surrogate habitats.