Two years of research have been completed and a minimum of five more years is planned. For instance, the mating system and age at first reproduction are unknown. Many additional ecological questions exist, and the problems are magnified at the physiological level. This project is intended to answer basic life history questions, and to interrelate physiological and ecological data to develop a picture of how the external and internal environments of flying squirrels influence their reproduction and demography. Flying squirrels readily nest in artificial nest boxes and a network of 100 boxes is in place on the upper tract.
Censuses are underway and laboratory tests are beginning.
The Upper tract is a heterogeneous mixture of primarily hardwood trees with several species of conifers. As an outgrowth of the flying squirrel study, a long term project to monitor the ongoing changes within sections of the upper tract forest has begun. At this point 1,753 trees in a 12 hectare plot have been identified, measured and permanently marked. Our plan to answer these questions is to recensus and map the sites every 5 years for the next 20 years to determine disturbance frequency, tree growth rates, mortality patterns and in the end community change. Recent international conferences have established that there is a global decline in amphibian populations.