9307 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9307
• Author: Germaine, S. S.
• Title: Relationships of Birds, Lizards, and Nocturnal Rodents to Their Habitat in the Greater Tucson Area, Arizona.
• USFW Year: 1995.
• USFW - Doc Type: Phoenix, AZ.
• Copyright Material: NO

RELATIONSHIPS OF BIItDS, LIZARDS, AND NOCTURNAL RODENTS TO THEIR I IABITAT IN TUCSON, ARIZONA
Lizards. Lower Sonoran vegetation correlated
negatively with tree lizards, and positively with
whiptail lizards (Fig. 5, Table 5). Upper Sonoran
vegetation, percent undisturbed riparian, and
distance from patch each correlated with 1 of the
4 lizard species. Distance from patch correlated
positively with tree lizards, and upper Sonoran
vegetation correlated negatively with them.
Percent undisturbed riparian correlated positively
with zebra-tailed lizards. House density did not
correlate with any lizard species.
Nocturnal Rodents. All 4 house mice were
captured in alleys in the high housing density
sites, none were captured in any of the other
density levels (Fig. 6). None of the 4 native
species of rodents were captured in high housing
density sites.
A total of 19 Bailey's pocket mice
(Chaetodipus baileyi) were captured. Bailey's
pocket mice were absent from both high density
housing and the high density control. Therefore,
I did not test them in a contingency table. They
were evenly distributed between the low density
control (n = 9) and the low housing density sites
(n = 10).
White-throated wood rats were not
encountered in the high housing density sites, but
36 individuals occurred in the other 3 areas. The
distribution of individuals between high housing
density and the other areas differed (2 tailed P =
0.006). A follow up test revealed no difference in
frequency of occurrence between the remaining 3
areas (XZ = 12.67, P = 0.779).
Merriam's kangaroo rats were also absent
from high density housing. Forty individuals
were captured in the other 3 areas. Merriam's
kangaroo rats differed in abundance between all
areas (two-tailed P, = 0.030). Merriam's kangaroo
rats were also less abundant in the high density
control than in either the low density housing or
its control (XZ = 21.40, P = 0.048}. There was no
difference in number of Merriam's kangaroo rats
captured between the low density treatment and
control (n = 13 in both cases).
The desert pocket mouse was represented by
45 individuals, none of which occurred in high
housing density. The distribution of desert pocket
mice differed (2 tailed P <0.001), but there was
no difference in frequency of occurrence between
the 3 remaining sites (XL = 0.53, P = 0.766).
Nocturnal rodent species richness did not
differ between any of the 4 sites (2 tailed P =
0.576). However, total abundance was lower in
both the high housing density (Xz = 45.83, P
<0.001) and the high density control (XZ = 6.10,
P = 0.047) than in either of the low density sites.
Wildlife Community Descriptors.
Non-native bird species richness and total
abundance were positively correlated to house
density, percent paved or graded, and percent
urban-open exotic, and negatively correlated with
upper Sonoran vegetation (Table 6; see Table 1 for
full variable names). Evenness correlated
positively with house density. Non-native species
richness, total abundance, and evenness were all
positively correlated.
Native breeding bird species richness
correlated positively with upper Sonoran
vegetation and negatively with distance from
riparian. Total abundance of native birds
correlated positively with plot heterogeneity.
Evenness did not correlate with any variables.
Native breeding bird species richness was not
correlated with abundance or evenness, but
abundance was negatively correlated with
evenness.
Species richness and abundance for the
breeding bird indicator guild correlated negatively
with house density and percent urban-open exotic,
and positively with upper Sonoran vegetation.
Evenness correlated negatively with house density.
Species richness, abundance, and evenness were all
positively correlated.
The correlations between the 3 breeding bird
groups and habitat variables disappeared during
winter time. Bird species richness, abundance, and
evenness for both wintering non-native and native
bird groups were- not correlated with any habitat
descriptor. For non-native birds, the community
descriptors were all positively correlated. For
native birds, species richness and abundance were
positively correlated, but not evenness.
Lizard richness, abundance, and evenness were
not correlated with any habitat descriptors. All 3
lizard community descriptors were correlated.
Predictive Models
Breeding Birds. House density correlated with
species richness for all 3 groups of birds (Table 6).
The correlations with house density were negative
for both native birds (r = -0.47) and the native
indicator guild (r = -0.69), and positive for the
non-native group (r = 0.80). Species richness in
STEPHEN S. GERMAINE 1995 ARIZONA GAME fr FISH DEPARTMENT, TECH. REP. 20 23