Microhabitats in a forest-floor small mammal fauna

Journal Article · · Ecology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1936634· OSTI ID:6642776

Dueser, R D ^[1]; Shugart, Jr, H H

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor

This study examines microhabitat configurations for 3 small mammal species occupying second-growth mesic forest on Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee. Small mammal populations were sampled in oak--hickory, chestnut oak and pine forest types, with three 0.36-ha live-trapping grids per forest type. There were 255 total captures for 4 forest-floor species during 9,696 trap nights between 1 May and 16 August 1973. These captures included 2% Blarina brevicauda, 66% Peromyscus leucopus, 5% Ochrotomys nuttalli and 27% Tamias striatus. Blarina was captured most frequently in the pine forest type. Peromyscus and Tamias most frequently in the oak--hickory, and Ochrotomys exclusively in the pine. Twenty-nine variables describing proximate habitat structure were measured at each small mammal capture site. There were significant overall species differences on 18 of these variables. A subset of variables was identified for each of the 3 most frequently observed species, consisting of only the variables of particular significance for distinguishing the capture sites of that species from those of the other species collectively. Discriminant analysis of these few variables both described the average microhabitat configuration for a species and indicated the relative importance of each variable for characterizing or describing that configuration, subject to the assumptions of the analysis. The observed differences between species in microhabitat configuration are consistent with both the composition by forest type of each species sample and the literature information for each species. Microhabitat segregation among these species is discussed with reference to recent theories of habitat selection, ecological specialization and resource partitioning in equilibrium faunas.

• OSTI ID: 6642776
• Journal Information: Ecology; (United States), Journal Name: Ecology; (United States) Vol. 59:1; ISSN ECOLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BIOMASS
COMPETITION
CONIFERS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FORESTS
HABITAT
MAMMALS
MATHEMATICS
NORTH AMERICA
OAKS
PINES
PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SOUTHEAST REGION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STATISTICS
TENNESSEE
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TREES
USA
VERTEBRATES