New England cottontail research highlighted by The Young Forest Project and NewEnglandCottontail.org
The research of Ph.D. student Amanda Cheeseman was featured in an article on habitat restoration at Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area in eastern New York. The article was cross-posted on websites for the Young Forest Project, dedicated to conservation issues for early-successional forest, and NewEnglandCottontail.org which focuses on this imperiled species. Amanda's study examines the relative importance of habitat quality, including invasive plant species, and competition with naturalized Eastern cottontails in driving populations of New England cottontails. She will be able to look at the response of the rabbits to newly-created habitat, such as the restored areas within Cranberry Mountain.