Small mammal populations in a eucalypt forest affected by fire and drought. I. Long-term patterns in an era of climate change

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry F. Recher ◽  
Daniel Lunney ◽  
Alison Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Murid Rodents ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Antechinus Agilis

This paper reports a study of ground-dwelling, small mammals in coastal eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia from 1970 through 2005. During this time, the study area burnt in an intense fire in December 1972 and was partially burnt in November 1980. Both fires were associated with prolonged drought. The mammals studied comprised two dasyurid marsupials, Antechinus agilis and A. swainsonii, two native murid rodents, Rattus fuscipes and R. lutreolus, and the introduced house mouse Mus musculus. After intensive sampling throughout the year from 1970 through 1972 to establish basic ecological and population parameters of the small mammal community, populations were sampled annually during late autumn and early winter before the onset of breeding. There were marked differences in the annual (autumn/winter) abundances of all species; numbers of A. agilis ranged from 4 to 142 individuals; A. swainsonii 0 to 43; R. fuscipes 4 to 54; R. lutreolus 0 to 11; M. musculus 0 to 23. Following the 1972 fire, numbers fell to the lowest level recorded during the study and each population subsequently disappeared from the plot between the 1973 and 1974 winter censuses. The less intense 1980 fire did not lead to extirpation, but numbers of A. agilis, A. swainsonii and R. fuscipes declined as drought conditions persisted through 1983. R. lutreolus occurred consistently only following the fires, when a grassy ground vegetation favoured by this species developed. Similarly, M. musculus colonised within two years of the fires and persisted on the plot for 3–4 years before disappearing. Following the fires, populations of the omnivorous R. fuscipes recovered first followed by the scansorial, insectivorous A. agilis and last by the fossorial, insectivorous A. swainsonii. Two primary conclusions emerged from this study. First, the intense fire of 1972 did not kill all the animals immediately, but led to the disappearance of each species from the plot over 18 months. Thus, intense fire had a delayed but catastrophic impact on small ground-dwelling mammals. The fluctuations in population levels, covering more than an order of magnitude, demonstrate that factors other than fire, such as rainfall and drought, drive the population dynamics of these small mammals. As stability and recovery are not features of local populations, long-term studies of benchmark populations are necessary to manage forest biodiversity.

scholarly journals Metapopulations of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus), and Hantavirus and Plague in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 52-56
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Study Sites

The purpose of the long-term research begun in 1971 on metapopulations of voles is to enumerate patterns in survivorship, reproduction, and morphology across the sections of the metapopulations. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact. The purpose of the research on plague begun in 1995 is to test the long-standing hypothesis that voles are a reservoir in the intervals between plague outbreaks among ground squirrels.

scholarly journals Metapopulations of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus), and Hantavirus and Plague in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Study Sites

The purpose of the long-term research begun in 1971 on metapopulations of voles is to enumerate patterns in survivorship, reproduction, and morphology across the sections of the metapopulations. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact. The purpose of the research on plague begun in 1995 is to test the long-standing hypothesis that voles are a reservoir in the intervals between plague outbreaks among ground squirrels.

scholarly journals Metapopulations and Feeding Selectivity of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles Microtus montanus and M. Longicaudus, and Hantavirus in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 52-55
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Feeding Selectivity ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Study Sites

The purposes of the long-term research on metapopulations of voles begun in 1971 are to enumerate patterns in survivorship and reproduction across the sections of the metapopulations, and concomitant variation in morphology. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research begun in 1989 is to ascertain how selectively Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus feed, and to assess vegetation as a factor in demographic processes of the two species. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact.

Effects of trap position, trap history, microhabitat and season on capture probabilities of small mammals in a wet eucalypt forest

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 657 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
C. MacGregor ◽  
S. Barry ◽  
A. Welsh
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Temporal Data ◽  
Binary Responses ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
History Of ◽  
Antechinus Agilis ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Trapping Grid

In this study, we use data drawn from a series of trapping events on four 0.5-ha trapping grids surveyed in the wet eucalypt forests of central Victoria, south-eastern Australia, to identify relationships between capture probabilities and several factors of interest for three species of small mammals that are common throughout the forests of this region: the agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), the dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes). The design of our study – four regular trapping grids – generated spatio-temporal data with binary responses and many covariates. We used powerful and relatively new statistical methodology to deal with the spatio-temporal dependence patterns in the data – analytical problems that are common in trapping data such as these modelled here. Although A. agilis, A. swainsonii and R. fuscipes are among the best studied mammals in Australia, our data analysis produced new perspectives on their probability of being captured. In particular, we quantified how capture probability is affected by trap position within a trapping grid, day of capture in a sequence of trapping days, history of trap occupancy over time by different species and sexes of those species, time of the year or season, and microhabitat attributes. Our insights are discussed in terms of their consequences for trapping protocols that might be applied in the field.

Changes in small mammal communities after logging in north-central Ontario

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 970-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur M. Martell
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
North Central ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Mammal Communities

Changes in small mammal communities following logging were monitored in clear-cut and strip-cut upland black spruce (Picea mariana) stands and in selectively cut mixed wood stands in north-central Ontario. Clear-cutting and subsequent scarification essentially eliminated the vegetative cover. Much of the ground cover recovered within 5 years and shrubs within 12 years, but mosses and lichens took much longer. The small mammal community in both clear-cut and strip-cut stands changed over the first three years after logging from one dominated by southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) to one dominated by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and then remained relatively stable for up to 13 years after harvest. That shift was not apparent in selectively cut mixed wood stands where the composition of the small mammal community was similar between uncut stands and stands 4–23 years after harvest. There was relatively little change in total numbers of small mammals after logging. In general, the diversity and evenness of small mammals increased or remained stable in the first 1–3 years following harvest, decreased on older (3–16 years) cuts, and then increased to values similar to those in uncut stands on the oldest (19–23 years) cuts.

The short-term responses of small mammals to wildfire in semiarid mallee shrubland, Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke T. Kelly ◽  
Dale G. Nimmo ◽  
Lisa M. Spence-Bailey ◽  
Michael F. Clarke ◽  
Andrew F. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Resource Requirements ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
And Function

Context. Wildfire is a major driver of the structure and function of mallee eucalypt- and spinifex-dominated landscapes. Understanding how fire influences the distribution of biota in these fire-prone environments is essential for effective ecological and conservation-based management. Aims. We aimed to (1) determine the effects of an extensive wildfire (118 000 ha) on a small mammal community in the mallee shrublands of semiarid Australia and (2) assess the hypothesis that the fire-response patterns of small mammals can be predicted by their life-history characteristics. Methods. Small-mammal surveys were undertaken concurrently at 26 sites: once before the fire and on four occasions following the fire (including 14 sites that remained unburnt). We documented changes in small-mammal occurrence before and after the fire, and compared burnt and unburnt sites. In addition, key components of vegetation structure were assessed at each site. Key results. Wildfire had a strong influence on vegetation structure and on the occurrence of small mammals. The mallee ningaui, Ningaui yvonneae, a dasyurid marsupial, showed a marked decline in the immediate post-fire environment, corresponding with a reduction in hummock-grass cover in recently burnt vegetation. Species richness of native small mammals was positively associated with unburnt vegetation, although some species showed no clear response to wildfire. Conclusions. Our results are consistent with the contention that mammal responses to fire are associated with their known life-history traits. The species most strongly affected by wildfire, N. yvonneae, has the most specific habitat requirements and restricted life history of the small mammals in the study area. The only species positively associated with recently burnt vegetation, the introduced house mouse, Mus domesticus, has a flexible life history and non-specialised resource requirements. Implications. Maintaining sources for recolonisation after large-scale wildfires will be vital to the conservation of native small mammals in mallee ecosystems.

Mistletoes increasing in eucalypt forest near Eden, New South Wales

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Turner ◽  
Peter Smith
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
New South ◽  
Natural Cycle ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Boom And Bust

Mistletoe proliferation has contributed to eucalypt decline in rural lands in south-eastern Australia, but has seldom been recorded within forests. We report here on mistletoes increasing deep inside extensive eucalypt forest near Eden. Mistletoes (chiefly Amyema pendula (Sieber ex Spreng.) Tiegh., some Muellerina eucalyptoides (DC.) Barlow) were counted in 180 plots in various logging and burning treatments within a long-term experimental area. In 141.4 ha, there were 516 mistletoes in 1990–1991, and 1478 mistletoes in 2004–2006. The number of trees with mistletoes increased (doubling in logged coupes and almost tripling in unlogged coupes), and the number of mistletoes per tree increased (by ~30%). However, mistletoe prevalence remained low in 2004–2006 (2.7% of trees in logged coupes and 3.7% in unlogged coupes). Intensive logging limited the increase in mistletoe-bearing trees, probably because there were fewer trees available in logged coupes, but had no significant effect on the increase in mistletoes per tree. Low-intensity prescribed burns had no significant effect on mistletoe numbers, even with a high frequency of burning, probably because of their low scorch heights. We suggest that the observed increase in mistletoes in this forest, rather than indicating an ecological imbalance, is part of a natural cycle of boom and bust, with populations crashing in severe wildfires.

The Response of Small Mammals to Clearing and Burning of Eucalypt Forest in South-eastern Australia

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Pine Plantation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Population Turnover ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were to be permanently retained under native forest. Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer, the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within 1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately following windrow burning.

scholarly journals Long-term data from a small mammal community reveals loss of diversity and potential effects of local climate change

2016 ◽  
pp. zow109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Santoro ◽  
Cristina Sanchez-Suarez ◽  
Carlos Rouco ◽  
L. Javier Palomo ◽  
M. Carmen Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Local Climate Change ◽  
Loss Of Diversity ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Term Data
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