Biology Commons^™

Testing For Positive Edge Responses In A Fragmented Landscape In The Eastern Tiger (Papilio Glaucus) And The Spicebush (P. Troilus) Swallowtail Butterflies, Jenna C. Siu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Landscape changes such as habitat fragmentation and habitat loss are contributing to a global decline in biodiversity. While habitat fragmentation research has mainly focused on species that avoid edges, or the boundaries between different landcover types (negative edge response), a hypothesized resource distribution model predicts that species that require complementary resources in different landcovers will be most abundant at edges (positive edge response). Adults of Eastern Tiger (Papilio glaucus) and Spicebush (P. troilus) swallowtail butterflies require forests for oviposition sites and meadows for nectar resources. I examined the relative abundance and flight orientation of both species …