Food selection and central place foraging of beaver, Castor canadensis, in northern lower Michigan.

One facet of behavioral ecology is optimal foraging in central-place foragers. Models have been constructed to predict foraging patterns that are adapted under specific conditions and to predict the effect these adaptations will have on the larger community. Beaver (Castor canadensis), a central place forager, provides an ideal subject for testing the principles of central-place foraging models. This study used two locations in northern lower Michigan to test whether species preference were detectable in sites of high beaver activity. We also investigated whether the density of cut trees, diameters of cut trees, or selectivity of tree size was related to distance from open water. We found that beaver showed a signficant preference for alder (Alnus spp.) and aspen (Populus spp.) when available (X2=29.17, d.f.=10, p