EFFECTS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON RACCOON ECOLOGY IN A LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEM

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are ecological generalists common throughout a variety of habitats across their range. Although considered an economically important furbearer species in many regions, they are considered potentially important nest predators of certain species. Because raccoons may have a significant ecological impact on the landscape, it remains important to understand their ecology in a variety of ecosystems. We studied raccoon ecology in a longleaf pine ecosystem in southwestern Georgia, where little information for the species exists. Specifically, we assessed 269 daytime resting sites (i.e., refugia) associated with 31 radio-collared adult raccoons (18M, 13F) during 2014-2015 using an information theoretic approach. The top 2 predictive models included the variables tree diameter, tree type, presence of nearby hardwood, and distances to pine, hardwood, mixed forest and agriculture. However, tree type and diameter were the only informative variables, suggesting that for our study area, variables associated with the tree itself were more important than the landscape. Additionally, we evaluated raccoon home ranges and habitat selection on a study area in which longleaf pine forest restoration practices included substantial hardwood removal efforts spanning a 15-year time period (i.e. 1999 = pre-removal; 2015 = post-removal). Male raccoons maintained larger home ranges than females during both time periods, but there were no significant differences in home range size for either sex according to time period or the interaction. Raccoon habitat use differed by time period at 2 spatial scales. When selecting a home range (secondorder selection), mature pine forests were selected over all other habitat features before hardwood removal.

Following hardwood removal, the only habitat selected differently was immature pine forest. When selecting habitats within the home range (third-order selection), hardwood forests were selected over all other habitat features before and after hardwood removal. Raccoons selected wetlands and primary roads differently following hardwood removal. Our findings suggest that habitat manipulation conducive to promoting longleaf pine restoration may impact raccoon populations by altering their space use.