EFFECTS OF REMOVAL OF RED SQUIRRELS, TAMIASCIURUS-HUDSONICUS, AND EASTERN CHIPMUNKS, TAMIAS-STRIATUS, ON NEST PREDATION IN A NORTHERN HARDWOOD FOREST - AN ARTIFICIAL NEST EXPERIMENT

Quail-egg-baited artificial nests were placed 50 m apart at densities of 16 per 2.25 ha. Number of nests depredated on each plot differed significantly for each treatment, but did not differ significantly between removal and control plots. The latter finding is attributed to the combined effects of compensatory mortality due to a larger-than-expected variety of nest predators and to patchy nest predation resulting from variable predator distribution. Several taxa, in addition to red squirrels and chipmunks, may be important nest predators. -from Authors