Paul L. Leberg

Dredge islands are an important but relatively unstudied habitat for seabirds on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We characterized nest sites of Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri), least terns (S. antillarum), gull-billed terns (S. nilotica) and black skimmers (Rynchops niger) on dredge islands in the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area in Louisiana. With the exception of the least tern, seabird use of the islands has increased over the last 5 years. Generally, dredge islands were used only during the first nesting season following their creation. Forster's terns nested on...

Winter densities, age structure, and sex ratios of 9 populations ofraccoons (Procyon lotor) in western Tennessee were compared to 16 habitat variables and between aquatic-associated and upland habitats for 3 pairs of sites. Densities ranged from 0.8 to 18.3 raccoons/km2 • Highest densities and proportions of juveniles and females occurred in bottomland deciduous forests; lowest estimates were in upland, pine-deciduous forests. The proportions of females and juveniles and the density estimates were correlated with habitat variables that reflected a bottomland-upland gradient, such as the...

Monthly scent-station visitation rates, derived from 19 transects located in 4 habitat types (bottomland hardwood, bluff-shoreline, upland hardwood, and pinehardwood) in western Tennessee during May 1982 through November 1984 were evaluated as indices of raccoon (Procyon lotor) abundance. The correlation between scent-station indices and winter raccoon density estimates was assessed at 9 sites. Generally, scent-station visitation rates were high from May to October in all habitats, and moderate to low from November to April. Highest visitation occurred in June and July, and lowest in...

Removal trapping was used to study opossum (Didelphis virginiana) demography at an upland site in western Tennessee during March 1983. Monthly differences in scent-station visitation were assessed at 5 western Tennessee localities, representing upland and lowland habitats, from April 1982 to May 1983. A density of 1 opossum/ 15.6 ha was determined using removal trapping. Yearlings made up 64% of the 14 animals captured. Adult and pouch-young sex ratios were approximately 100:100. Mean litter size was 8.8 young. Monthly differences in scent-station visitation were found in lowland habitat (...