Effects of Human Populated Areas on Rodent and Bird Activity

• Anna Lord

  Juniata College

  Author

• Kara Stringfellow

  Juniata College

  Author

This study investigates the influence of human-populated areas on the observed levels of presence of two common wildlife groups: rodents and birds. Observations were conducted across two different sites varying in levels of human activity. Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel) and Turdus migratorius (American Robin) were the main focal species of our survey, although other species were also recorded if seen. We hypothesized that rodent activity should be greater in areas with dense foliage and less human disturbance, while bird activity should be less impacted or even increase in urban settings due to adaptation to human environments. Standard visual scans were performed across 200-foot segments in selected sites, and sightings were recorded and compared. However, due to visual difficulties in dense foliage and weather conditions, we were unable to collect useful data from one of the sites. We were able to obtain some supplemental data that shows behavioral differences between the sites. We changed our hypothesis to test if there is a relation between Sciurus carolinensis and Turdus migratorius. We found that there is no correlation between the two.

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