Space use behavior and multi-scale habitat selection of American marten (Martes americana) in northeastern Minnesota

Abstract

Track counts and anecdotal reports indicate that the American marten population in Minnesota has declined over the past 10 years. We deployed radiocollars on 170 marten from 2008-2012 and used location data to describe space use behavior, estimate home range size, and assess habitat selection at landscape and stand scales. Marten selected mature forest, but individual marten showed preference for different forest cover types. Rest sites and reproductive dens facilitate recruitment and protect marten from predators and inclement weather during periods of inactivity. We located 200 rest sites and 31 reproductive dens and measured vegetative characteristics at 31 reproductive dens, 62 rest sites, and 102 random sites. Marten selected dens and rest sites in mature, structurally complex forest stands. Collectively, our results suggest that forest management practices aimed at supporting marten populations should retain stands of mature, structurally complex forest to maintain suitable habitat across the landscape.