Chadwick Rittenhouse Ph.D. cdr6cf [at] mizzou
[dot] edu (573)
884-5245 Advisors: Millspaugh
and Thompson Validation of
landscape-level habitat suitability models using demographic information The development of
forest-wildlife management plans involves determination of vegetation
change and wildlife response to that change for large landscapes. Inherent in this process is the
assumption that habitat suitability is a surrogate for demographic response
and that changes in habitat suitability produce corresponding changes in
wildlife populations. The objectives
of this project are two-fold. First,
we developed habitat suitability models for 10 wildlife species and applied
the models to simulated future forest conditions under 5 management
alternatives on the Hoosier National Forest, Indiana as part of the HNF
Forest Planning process. Second, we
are validating habitat suitability models for two of the species, wood
thrush and yellow-breasted chat, using a 10-year data set of nest success,
territory density, and abundance information from the Missouri Ozark Forest
Ecosystem Project. The model validation
effort will provide insight as to which type(s) of wildlife response may be
captured with habitat suitability models. M.S., Wildlife
Science, University of Publications Rittenhouse,
C. D., J. J. Millspaugh, M. W. Hubbard, S. L. Sheriff, and W. D. Dijak. 2008. Resource selection by translocated three-toed box turtles in Rittenhouse, C. D., J.
J. Millspaugh, A. B. Cooper, M. W. Hubbard, S. L. Sheriff, and R. A. Gitzen. 2007. Modeling resource selection using polytomous logistic regression and kernel density
estimates. Environmental and Ecological Statistics: 14(4): In press. Rittenhouse, C. D., W. D. Dijak, F. R. Thompson, III, and J. J. Millspaugh. 2007.
Development of landscape-level habitat suitability models for ten wildlife
species in the Central Hardwoods Region. General
Technical Report NRS-4. Rittenhouse,
C. D., J. J. Millspaugh, M. W. Hubbard, and S. L. Sheriff. 2007. Movements of translocated and resident three-toed box turtles.
Journal of Herpetology: 41:114–120. Millspaugh, J. J., R.
M. Nielson, L. McDonald, J. M. Marzluff, R. A. Gitzen, C. D. Rittenhouse, M. W. Hubbard, and S. L.
Sheriff. 2006. Analysis of resource selection using utilization
distributions. Journal of Wildlife Management: 70(2):384–395. Rittenhouse,
C. D., B. E. Washburn, J. J. Millspaugh, and M. W. Hubbard. 2005. Effects of radiotransmitters on fecal glucocorticoid
metabolite levels of three-toed box turtles in captivity. Wildlife Society
Bulletin 33(2):706–713.
