Meeting Abstract
Many animals utilize refuge to avoid predation, buffer themselves from ambient conditions (e.g.,to improve thermoregulation), or both. Yet, the decision to use refuge is complex and can vary due a range of factors—from species-specific life histories and interspecific interactions to time and abiotic factors. Thus, we surveyed terrestrial vertebrate communities under four arrays of artificial cover objects (n=108 cover boards) 1-2 times per month for two years in Beaufort County, S.C. while accounting for temperature, season, and habitat characteristics (e.g., canopy cover and distance to nearest edge). In the second year of surveying, we excluded the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) from half of the cover boards across all arrays via regular administration of Amdro® to determine how this prominent invasive species influenced the community dynamics of refuge use. We observed nearly 1,300 individual vertebrates spanning 18 genera and all four classes of terrestrial vertebrates. We will present results related to how increasingly relevant abiotic and biotic factors (e.g., temperature and invasive species, respectively) influence animal abundance and the biodiversity of communities across seasons.
