Global Ecology and Conservation (Nov 2022)
Habitat productivity and anthropogenic development drive rangewide variation in striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) abundance
Abstract
Non-charismatic species are often understudied, despite having unique ecological roles that are important to understand and value for ecosystem integrity, function, and health. Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are one such species, as they are stigmatized and feared due to their noxious smell and potential for spreading rabies. Yet this species often co-occurs with humans, occupying a distinct but poorly understood ecological niche. To better understand this understudied species and its unique niche, we used a Bayesian N-mixture model to estimate factors driving the local abundance of striped skunks at a continent-wide scale using data from the Snapshot USA programs in 2019 and 2020. In our modelling approach, we included factors that we a-priori hypothesized would affect striped skunk local abundance, including habitat, agriculture, primary productivity, and anthropogenic factors. We found that skunks were most abundant in more productive and anthropogenically affected areas. The factors driving abundance (in order of effect) were primary productivity, impervious surface, cultivated land, and cultivated-wetland edge cover. While our results underscore striped skunks’ role as a synanthropic species that co-occurs with humans, they are more of a synanthropic misanthrope, as their close relationship with people often causes them to suffer persecution and death. But their relationship with highly productive areas also highlights how striped skunks are habitat generalists that exploit resources in many different types of habitats. Our analysis highlights the importance of programs like Snapshot USA that collect standardized data across large geographic areas and allow broad-scale studies for evaluating the local abundance of understudied species. Using these data, we were able to provide foundational information on the relative importance of the major factors affecting the local abundance of striped skunks, with implications for the management and conservation of this unique and understudied mesocarnivore across its range.
