A case for multiscale habitat selection studies of small mammals.

Habitat information for small mammals typically consists of anecdotal descriptions or infrequent analyses of habitat use, which often are reported erroneously as signifying habitat preference, requirements, or quality. Habitat preferences can be determined only by analysis of habitat selection, a behavioral process that results in the disproportionate use of one resource over other available resources and occurs in a hierarchical manner across different environmental scales. North American chipmunks ( and ) are a prime example of the lack of studies on habitat selection for small mammal species.