Snow depth and woody debris drive variation in small‐mammal winter seed removal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Guiden ◽  
John L. Orrock
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Seed Removal

Influence of alternative conifer release treatments on habitat structure and small mammal populations in south central British Columbia

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2023-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Runciman ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
South Central ◽  
Cut Stump ◽  
And Control

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that conifer release treatments would simplify habitat structure and reduce small mammal populations in forest plantations. A secondary objective was to examine some important demographic characteristics, for selected small mammal species, that may be affected by changes in habitat. We examined the effects of manual cutting and cut-stump applications of glyphosate herbicide on vegetation, woody debris, and small mammal populations from 1991 to 1994 in young mixed-conifer plantations of south central British Columbia, Canada. The experimental design consisted of 9 separate and independent plantations: 3 controls, 3 manual treatments, and 3 cut-stump treatments. Total volumes of herbs, shrubs, coniferous trees, and woody debris were not affected by manual or cut-stump treatments for conifer release. Both treatments reduced total volumes of deciduous trees in the first posttreatment year. However, deciduous tree volumes on manual treatments had largely returned to pretreatment levels by the second posttreatment year. There were no significant (P > 0.05) effects of manual or cut-stump treatments on the population size of deer mice (Peromyscusmaniculatus Wagner), yellow-pine chipmunks (Tamiasamoenus J.A. Allen), southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomysgapped Vigors), or long-tailed voles (Microtuslongicaudus Merriam). The response of meadow voles (Microtuspennsylvanicus Ord) was variable. Sex ratios, body weights, reproduction, recruitment, and survival of deer mice remained similar on treatment and control plantations throughout this study. Changes in habitat structure up to 2 years posttreatment did not appear to exceed the tolerance of small mammal populations for early successional change.

scholarly journals Mortality of the white pine weevil associated with silvicultural practices in jack pine plantations

1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Isabel Bellocq ◽  
Sandy M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Pissodes Strobi ◽  
Pine Weevil ◽  
Competing Vegetation ◽  
Overwintering Mortality ◽  
White Pine Weevil

A synthesis of white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck) mortality caused by predation (insects, birds, and mammalian predators), crowding of pupae, and abiotic factors, acting under different stand conditions given by the type of reforestation, depth of the duff, distance from woody debris, and presence of competing vegetation is presented, based on a four-year study conducted in northeastern Ontario. The type of reforestation (planted vs. aerial seeding) did not influence mortality to immature weevils in the leaders from either bird predation, insect predators and parasitoids or crowding of pupae, but 16% more weevils died during winter in a planted than in a seeded stand suggesting that there was an effect of site condition or small mammal predation on overwintering adults in the duff. Over all conditions, overwintering mortality averaged 76-92% with small mammal predation representing about 5-13%. Site conditions which augmented small mammal populations and predation, such as proximity to woody debris and presence of competing vegetation, had no effect on overwintering mortality of the weevils. The most important factor influencing overwintering mortality was likely the depth of duff where an inverse relationship was observed between mortality and depth. Forest managers should address conditions of duff depth and small mammal predation to increase the already significant overwintering mortality of adult weevils in young jack pine stands. Key words: Pissodes strobi, silvicultural treatments, planted and seeded stands, competing vegetation, duff layers, small mammal predation, overwintering mortality

Effect of Downed Woody Debris on Small Mammal Anti-Predator Behavior

Ethology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis M. Hinkelman ◽  
John L. Orrock ◽  
Susan C. Loeb
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Downed Woody Debris ◽  
Predator Behavior

Effects of Brush Piles on Small Mammal Abundance and Survival in Central Pennsylvania

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Goguen ◽  
Richard S. Fritsky ◽  
Gary J. San Julian
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Blarina Brevicauda ◽  
Tamias Striatus ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Central Pennsylvania ◽  
Small Mammal Population

Abstract Brush piles have long been promoted as a means to enhance wildlife habitat, yet few studies have experimentally tested the perceived benefits of these structures for wildlife or evaluated the efficacy of different arrangements of these piles within landscapes. During summers 2005 and 2006, we used a mark–recapture study to compare small mammal abundance and survival in forested habitats provisioned with brush piles vs. similar habitats without, both at sites located adjacent to agricultural edges and within the interior of forests in central Pennsylvania. Northern short-tailed shrews Blarina brevicauda, mice Peromyscus, and eastern chipmunks Tamias striatus were all frequently captured within brush piles at edge and interior sites. Peromyscus were significantly more abundant at edge vs. interior sites. The presence of brush piles, however, seemed to have little effect on small mammal abundance or survival with the only potential effect being an increased overwinter survival rate experienced by Peromyscus at brush pile sites. We hypothesize that although brush piles provide cover and foraging sites for small mammals, the large quantities of coarse woody debris that exist naturally in many forested systems may already adequately provide these habitat features, minimizing the effects of brush piles on small mammal population dynamics.

scholarly journals Fire Occurrence Mediates Small-Mammal Seed Removal of Native Tree Species in a Neotropical Savanna

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thayse Cavicchioli Cazetta ◽  
Emerson M. Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Seed Removal ◽  
Small Rodents ◽  
Neotropical Savanna ◽  
Removal Rates ◽  
Native Tree ◽  
Gallery Forests ◽  
Native Tree Species

Seed dispersal and predation are critical processes for plant recruitment which can be affected by fire events. We investigated community composition of small mammals in gallery forests with distinct burning histories (burned or not burned ∼3 years before) in the Cerrado (neotropical savanna). We evaluated the role of these animals as seed removers of six native tree species, potentially mediated by the occurrence of fire. We sampled four previously burned sites and four unburned ones. Seed removal was assessed using two exclusion treatments: exclusive access of small rodents and access of all seed-removing vertebrates. The previous burning changed the structural characteristics of the forests, increasing the density of the understory vegetation and herbaceous cover, which determined differences in species composition, richness, and abundance of small rodents (abundance in the burned forests was 1/6 of the abundance in the unburnt ones). Seed removal rates across the six species were reduced in burnt forests in both treatments and were higher for the “all vertebrates” treatment. Other vertebrates, larger than small rodents, played a significant role as seed removers for five of the six species. The effects of fire were consistent across species, but for the two species with the largest seeds (Hymenaea courbaril and Mauritia flexuosa) removal rates for both treatments were extremely low in the burned forests (≦5%). The observed decline in small rodent seed predation in the burned forests may have medium to long-term consequences on plant communities in gallery forests, potentially affecting community composition and species coexistence in these forests. Moreover, fire caused a sharp decline in seed removal by large mammals, indicating that the maintenance of dispersal services provided by these mammals (mainly the agouti Dasyprota azarae) for the large-seeded species may be jeopardized by the burning of gallery forests. This burning would also affect several small mammal species that occur in the surrounding typical savanna habitats but also use these forests. Fire events have been increasing in frequency and intensity because of human activities and climate changing. This current scenario poses a serious threat considering that these forests are fire-sensitive ecosystems within the Cerrado.

scholarly journals Succession Effects on Mammal and Inverterbrate Communities 26 Years After the 1988 huckleberry Mountain Fire

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Hayley Lanier ◽  
Andy Kulikowski ◽  
R. Seville ◽  
Zachary Roehrs ◽  
Meredith Roehrs
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Long Term Study

Fires are an important and increasingly common driver of habitat structure in the intermountain West. Through an ongoing study of burned and adjacent unburned areas along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, we examine the long-term effects of the 1988 fire season on community assembly, succession, and ecological processes. We collected mark/recapture data on rodents, removal data for insectivorous mammals and invertebrates, and habitat measurements on four grids in 2014 and combined these results with previous survey data. In 2014, 4,800 trap nights yielded 13 species of small mammals, comprising 618 individuals. Macroarthropod abundance was higher on burned grids, but diversity was higher on unburned grids. In contrast, springtail (Collembola) diversity was higher on burned grids, but abundance was highest in unburned grids. Since the beginning of this long-term study, the total number of mammal species has increased across all sites, and relative abundance in burned areas has shifted from early successional species (Peromyscus maniculatus) to those more associated with old growth forests (such as Myodes gapperi). Other than in 1991, the burned grids have harbored more diverse small mammal communities than the unburned control grids. Significant, long-term differences in vegetation based upon burn history were observed, including different ground cover, less canopy cover, and more coarse woody debris in burned sites. This work provides a unique long-term picture of the interrelationships of small mammal and invertebrate communities and correlated habitat variables as these ecosystems undergo post-fire succession.

The influence of clear-cut logging and residual leave material on small mammal populations in aspen-dominated boreal mixedwoods

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A Moses ◽  
Stan Boutin
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Boreal Mixedwoods ◽  
Live Tree

We investigated responses of populations of common small mammals to variation in the amount of standing trees and residual woody material retained during logging in aspen-dominated, boreal mixedwood forest in north-central Alberta. Experimentally manipulated levels of residual material, with two replicates per level, were (i) "zero residual": clear-cut and no woody debris (tree tops and limbs); (ii) "low residual": clear-cut and woody debris; (iii) "moderate residual": 10% basal area standing live tree retention, and woody debris; and (iv) "uncut": 100% uncut. Patterns of small mammal abundance were similar throughout the study on uncut and moderate-residual grids, where southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi Vigors) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) were numerically dominant. In contrast, C. gapperi were virtually absent from the low- and zero-residual grids during the breeding season following logging and occurred at low numbers in the following 2 years. Peromyscus maniculatus were common on low- and zero-residual grids in all years. We found no evidence that rates of reproductive activity and (or) survival in C. gapperi and P. maniculatus were affected by logging treatments. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus Ord) were uncommon on uncut and moderate-residual grids throughout the study but were abundant on both low-residual grids and one zero-residual grid, particularly in the second year following logging, when they exhibited irruptive dynamics in midsummer. In sum, relative abundances of common small mammals were most affected by intensive (clear-cut) logging, and our results suggest that the experimental retention of at least 10% basal area on cutovers may reduce some of these effects.

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