Invasive Vegetation Effect On Small Mammal Abundance

1. Invasive Vegetation Effect On Small Mammal Abundance Roxann Steelman Dr. William E. StoneDr. Luben D. Dimov July 23, 2010

2. Introduction and Justification • Invasive vegetation is abundant and outcompeting native vegetation • Inadequate knowledge exists on: • the impact invasive plants have on small mammal abundance • the effect of removing the invasives on the small mammal population • Relationship between overstory stand attributes and small mammals in the presence of invasive understory plant species

3. Research Objectives • Does removal of all invasive vegetation have an impact on the abundance of small mammals? • Do overstory attributes and elevation have an impact on small mammal abundance?

4. Study Location • Two Control Plots • Two Treatment Plots • 10 traps on each plot

5. Study Location • 3 Gradient/ Transect Lines; 20 traps per transect, 5 paces apart • Each line moved up in elevation

6. Study Location • Relationship of plots to each other & to AAMU

7. Study Plots and Transect Lines Treatment Control Gradient

8. Traps Sherman Box Trap Tomahawk Live Trap

9. Trap Nights & Weather • Total of 1,037 trap nights • 617 on control/treatment plots • 220 on transect line 1 • 140 on transect line 2 • 60 on transect line 3 • Weather unusually hot • Average during study – June - 92°F • July – 96°F • Normal monthly averages – June – 87°F • July – 89°F

10. Fla Bait and Flagging Peanut Butter & Oates Flagging Tape Black Oil Sunflower Seeds http://portraitxpress.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/peanut_butter.jpg http://rayssupplycompany.com/images/specials/presco_flag_tape.jpg http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Oat%20Flakes.JPG http://www.hippocratesgreenhouse.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/Grass_Steps_031.jpg

11. Invasive Vegetation Removed bush honeysuckle (Loniceraspp) multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) privet (Ligustrumsinense) http://plants.usda.gov

12. Small Mammals Trapped Eastern Chipmunk (Tamiasstriatus)

13. Small Mammals Trapped White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscusleucopus)

14. Small Mammals Trapped Eastern Woodrat (Neotomafloridana )

15. Mammal Processing Weigh Measure Mark Record

16. Tree Measurements – Point Sampling • 10-factor Prism used to determine if tree was “in” or “out” of study plot • DBH tape used to measure tree diameter

17. Total Trapped

18. Results p-value: 0.82 p-value: 0.36 (head/body) p-value: 0.87 (tail)

19. Total Trapped

20. Results p-values = 1 & 2=0.56 1 & 3=0.95 2 & 3=0.86 p-values = 1 & 2=0.56 (head/tail) 1 & 3=0.95 2 & 3=0.86 p-values = 1 & 2=0.21 (tail) 1 & 3=0.27 2 & 3=0.88

21. Total Trapped

22. Results

23. Results

24. Results

25. Conclusions C • Invasive vegetation removal did not appear to play a role on Peromyscusleucopusabundance • Invasive vegetation removal resulted in a decrease in abundance of Tamiasstriatus

26. Conclusions C • There was a strong positive correlation between Peromyscusleucopusabundance, the predictor variables TPA, and white oak basal area, but strong negative correlation with red oak basal area • There were not enough Neotomafloridanacaptured to make conclusions about this species

27. Acknowledgements I would like to thank: • My mentors, Dr. William E. Stone, for all of his guidance and the use of all of his trapping supplies, and Dr. Luben D. Dimov, for all of his guidance and support during my research • Na-Asia Ellis; DalisaKendricks; Bahjah Anderson;Nick Treusch; James Owen; and, William Smith for their help out in the field • Partial support for this study was provided by the Alabama A&M REU 2010 Summer Internship Program, funded by the National Science Foundation

28. Literature Cited Brooks, R. T., H. R. Smith, and W. M. Healy. 1998. Small-mammal abundance at three Elevations on a mountain in central Vermont, USA: a sixteen-year record. Forest Ecology and Management, 110:181-193. Brown, J. H. 2001. Mammals on mountainsides: Elevational patterns of diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, Special Issue: Diversity patterns in small mammals among elevational gradients, 10:101-109. Davies, T. J., R. Grenyer, and J. L. Gittleman. 2005. Phylogeny can make the mid-domain effect an inappropriate null model. Biology Letters, 1:143-146. Elkinton, J.S., W. M. Healy, J. P. Buonaccorsi, G. H. Boettner, A. M. Hazzard, H. R. Smith, and A. M. Liebhold. 1996. Interactions among gypsy moths, white-footed mice, and acorns. Ecology, 77:2332-2342. Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 304. Jones, C. G., R. S. Ostfeld, M. P. Richard, E. M. Schauber, and J. O. Wolff. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science, 279: 1023-1026. Kirkland, Jr., G. L. 1977. Responses of small mammals to the clearcutting of Northern Appalachian Forests. Journal of Mammalogy, 58:600-609. Lomolino, M. V. 2001. Elevation gradients of species-density: Historical and prospective views. Global Ecology and Biogeography, Special Issue: Diversity patterns in small mammals among elevational gradients, 10:3-13. McCain, C. M. 2005. Elevational gradients in diversity of small mammals. Ecology, 86:366-372. McCain, C. M. 2007. Area and mammalian elevational diversity. Ecology, 88:76-86. M’Closkey, R. T., and D. T. LaJoie. 1975. Determinants of local distribution and abundance in white-footed mice. Ecology, 56:467-472. Morris, D. W. 1979. Microhabitat utilization and species distribution of sympatric small mammals in Southwestern Ontario. American Midland Naturalist, 101:373-384. Wolff, J.O. 1996. Population fluctuations of mast-eating rodents are correlated with production of acorns. Journal of Mammalogy, 77:850- 856.

29. Questions?