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Assessing Habitat Suitability for Squirrels on Campus

By Ivan A. Mendoza, Jason R. Courter

Assessing Habitat Suitability for Squirrels on Campus


 

Abstract

Squirrels are frequent and beloved residents of college campuses throughout the United States, but oftentimes less welcomed by campus maintenance officials who report squirrels nesting in buildings, interfering with airflow from heating and cooling units, and destroying gutters. In this laboratory case, students act as members of a fictitious “squirrel task force” appointed by their campus administrators to provide recommendations for how to manage their school’s squirrel population.  Students work in groups to assess the habitat suitability of their campus for squirrels by identifying and measuring trees that provide seasonal food for squirrels, and by identifying desirable hunting perches for common squirrel predators.  Students conduct squirrel surveys in designated campus zones to calculate the number of squirrels per acre on their campus and compare it with mean squirrel densities reported in forested areas and at a rival institution.  Students then compile and synthesize class data to provide management recommendations for university maintenance officials for either increasing or decreasing campus squirrel populations. Originally developed for an undergraduate wildlife biology course, the case could also be used in a lower-division biology or environmental studies course.

   

Date Posted

05/24/2021

Overview

Objectives

  • Identify characteristics of their campus that make it suitable for squirrels.
  • Compare ecological field data from different treatment groups and interpret statistical results.
  • Synthesize ecological field data and prepare management recommendations in a manner suitable for professional presentation.

Keywords

Squirrel; data collection; campus management; ecological assessment; habitat suitability; hawks; t-test

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Ecology
Environmental Science
Natural Resource Management
Science (General)
Wildlife Management
Zoology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

  

FORMAT

PDF, Word

   

TOPICAL AREAS

Regulatory issues

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Analysis (Issues), Laboratory

 

 

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