Effects of microsite selection on predation of artificial ground nests

We studied the effects of microsite selection on depredation of artificial ground nests in central Pennsylvania from May-July 1996. Our objectives were to compare depredation of artificial ground nests in relation to the type of structure (tree vs log) adjacent to a nest and the direction (north vs south) of a nest from the structure. Sixty nests were placed in each of five trials with 20 nests each placed in contiguous forest, forested patch, and forested corridor habitats. Eighty-eight (29%) of the 300 artificial nests were disturbed during five trials. The number of disturbed nests did not significantly vary (P > 0.05) with time period (trial). Nest fate differed significantly among the three habitats (P = 0.001), with 20%, 43%, and 25% of the nests disturbed in the contiguous forest, forested patch, and forested corridor habitats, respectively. These rates of nest predation corresponded to those reported in previous studies of artificial ground nests at the same study site in central Pennsylvania. Nest fate was not associated with the type of structure at the nest site (P > 0.05) or with the direction of the nest from the structure (P > 0.05). We conclude that neither the type of ground-level structure near which artificial ground nests are placed nor the direction of nests from these structures influences nest fate.