Role of temperate forest heterogeneity in determining the population ecology of Peromyscus leucopus

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6795140· OSTI ID:6795140

Ormiston, B. G.

Population density levels of small mammals are often roughly correlated with local forest productivity. In a highly productive forest the total number of individual small mammals (all species) may exceed 100/hectare. Low productivity forests may harbor few or none at all. Thus, the potential exists for using small mammal populations as indicators of local forest composition and quality. Changes in the density levels of species used for this purpose (indicator species) may so reflect the dynamics of forest structure and productivity. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is common in temperate deciduous forests throughout the northeastern United States. Its ubiquitous distribution is a required feature for studying the effects of variation in forest components upon a representative consumer. The goal of this study was to collect baseline data on P. leucopus populations responding to spatial and temporal forest heterogeneity, and so evaluate its potential as an indicator species.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6795140
• Report Number(s): BNL-51332
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FORESTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
PRODUCTIVITY
MICE
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
POPULATION DENSITY
BNL
CORRELATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NEW YORK
ANIMALS
DATA
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
RODENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VERTEBRATES
510100* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)