Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6158

Date

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Biology

Committee Chair

Michael L Kennedy

Committee Member

Michael H Ferkin

Committee Member

Esra Ozdenerol

Abstract

Interspecific association between two distantly related species, Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and raccoon (Procyon lotor), in western Tennessee was examined utilizing live-trap data collected over 6 years of work at Ames Plantation and Edward J. Meeman Biological Station. Results showed an overall neutral relationship between the two species with some common habitat features associated with the presence of both species which allows for possible prediction of their co-occurrence utilizing MaxEnt. Models produced from this study were successful in predicting areas of occurrence and co-occurrence. Contributing habitat factors to species presence were similar to those noted in previous investigations. Future work could include other possible competitors or predators of the two species, seasonal analyses, larger geographic areas, and more evenly dispersed data. It also would be interesting to utilize species that exhibit either commensalism or mutualism.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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