Using metacommunity theory, I investigated the mechanisms of meta-assemblage structure and assembly among medium- to large-bodied mammals in North Texas. Mammals were surveyed with camera-traps in thirty property units of the LBJ National Grasslands (LBJNG). In Chapter II the dispersal and environmental-control based processes in community assembly were quantified within a metacommunity context and the best-fit metacommunity structure identified. A hypothesis-driven modelling approach was used in Chapter III to determine if the patterns of species composition and site use could be explained by island biogeography theory (IBT) or the habitat amount hypothesis (HAH). Islands were defined as the LBJNG property unit or the forest patch bounded by the property unit. Forest cover was selected as the focal habitat for the HAH. Seasonal dynamics were explored in both chapters. Metacommunity structure changed with each season, resulting in quasi-nested and both quasi and idealized Gleasonian and Clementsian structures. Results indicated that the anthropogenic development is, overall, not disadvantageous for this assemblage, that community assembly receives equal contributions from spatial and environmental factors, and that the metacommunity appears to operate under the mass effects paradigm. The patterns of species composition and site use were not explained by either IBT or HAH. Likely because this assemblage of generalist, dispersal-capable mammals are utilizing multiple habitat types both in the protected land and in the private land. This research highlights the versatility of these species and the potential value of rural countryside landscapes for wildlife conservation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1944350 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | McCain, Wesley Craig Stade |
| Contributors | Jimenez, Jaime E., Hoeinghaus, David J., Castro-Arellano, Ivan |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, McCain, Wesley Craig Stade, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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