Hsiang Ling Chen

Road and traffic effects on movements and space use of red squirrels

Road ecology is a burgeoning field of inquiry as roadways expand in number, length and width. We know that roads fragment habitats, increase mortality, change microclimates, and can act as barriers…thus they present a challenge in the conservation of biodiversity. Roads may function as impermeable barriers to some species while being semi-permeable to others. We are examining the relative permeability of roads to two species in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona: federally endangered Mt. Graham red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) and non-native Aberts squirrels (Sciurus aberti).

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Major Questions:

• Do red squirrels avoid roads?
• If so, what factors are most influential to avoidance?
• Do they avoid forest edges created by roads, forest gaps, or traffic disturbances?

Publications

Chen, H. L. and J. L. Koprowski. 2016. Barrier effects of roads on an endangered forest obligate: influences of traffic, road edges, and gaps. Biological Conservation 199:33-40. PDF of Article

Chen, H. L. and J. L. Koprowski. 2015. Differential effects of roads and traffic on space use and movements of native forest-dependent and introduced edge-tolerant species. PLoS ONE 11:e0148121 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148121. PDF of Article

Chen, H. L. and J. L. Koprowski. 2015. Animal occurrence and space use change in the landscape of anthropogenic noise. Biological Conservation 192:315-322. PDF of Article

Where is Hsiang Ling Now?

Postdoctoral Researcher

Sustainability of Payments for Ecosystem Services in Coupled Natural and Human Systems

Department of Geography & Department of Biology

San Diego State University

5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-4493