Indirect predation management in a longleaf pine ecosystem: Hardwood removal and the spatial ecology of raccoons

•Hardwood removal from open-pine dominated forests affected raccoon habitat selection.•Raccoons selected young pine stands and wetlands more and roads less following hardwood removal.•Hardwood removal may affect patterns of nest predation by raccoons. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are native and ubiquitous throughout much of the continental United States and are invasive in many countries around the world. Where they occur, raccoons are a known predator of ground-nesting birds and herpetofauna. Raccoons often are associated with hardwood trees; therefore, hardwood reduction in open pine (Pinus spp.) forests of the southeastern U.S. may reduce raccoon use while providing suitable habitat for upland ground-nesting species. As a result, some have suggested removal of undesirable hardwoods as a means to manage nest predation by altering raccoon behavior. However, effects of operationally removing hardwoods from an open pine matrix on raccoon home range size and habitat selection are unknown. We compared home range sizes and habitat selection of adult raccoons in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) dominated forest before and after large-scale, operational hardwood removal. Male raccoons had larger (P