Ej. Heske, MAMMALIAN ABUNDANCES ON FOREST-FARM EDGES VERSUS FOREST INTERIORS IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - IS THERE AN EDGE EFFECT, Journal of mammalogy, 76(2), 1995, pp. 562-568
Activity of furbearers, assessed by track stations, and abundance of s
mall mammals, assessed by live-trapping, were compared for 10 sites of
forest-farm edge and 11 sites of forest interior in southern Illinois
. No statistically significant difference between edges and interiors
was detected. Instead, high site-to-site variability in the abundance
of furbearers and small mammals was the dominant pattern. For many spe
cies and for a variety of reasons, edge effects may not be apparent in
highly fragmented landscapes. The generality of the edge-effect conce
pt should be considered with caution.