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COMMUNITY ECOLOGY OF ANTHROPOGENICALLY PROVIDED SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES ON A COMMERCIAL CATTLE RANCH IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Author
Andrew Satterlee, S.
Wisely, Samantha M.
Boughton, Raoul K.
Bankovich, Brittany A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

Commercial livestock operations in subtropical Florida provide supplemental resources for domestic cattle (liquid molasses).  Operations leasing hunting rights provide additional supplemental resources for Florida wild turkey and white tailed deer (food plots).  These practices inadvertently attract non-target species such as invasive feral swine.  Three hypotheses were tested in this study: 1) different supplemental resources result in unique communities of “supplemental resource users” 2) supplemental resource stations result in communities which would not otherwise exist on the agro-ecological landscape 3) species within these communities display unique activity patterns.  Digital scouting cameras were placed at supplemental resource stations (n=10), paired non-supplemental resource station (n=10) and food plots (n=3) on Buck Island Ranch in Highlands County, south Florida to investigate species diversity, composition, and activity patterns of users.  Preliminary data collection resulted in >15,000 photos at liquid molasses stations and food plots.  At liquid molasses stations primary users were cattle and feral swine, representing up to 95% and 33% of activity peaking at 8:00am and 11:00pm respectively.  Secondary users were sandhill crane, American crow, raccoon, opossum and coyote.  At food plots primary users were feral swine, Florida wild turkey and white-tailed deer, representing up to 56%, 37% and 26% of activity peaking at 6:00pm, 4:00pm and 5:00pm respectively.  Secondary users were raccoon, armadillo, opossum and cattle.  Invasive feral swine have the potential to transmit disease to domestic species as well as native wildlife.  This study will increase our understanding of how invasive feral swine, domestic cattle and native wildlife utilize supplemental resources within an agro-ecological setting.  This information is critical in understanding disease dynamics at the landscape scale as anthropogenic activities continue to impact natural ecosystems.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts