Responses of Small Mammals and Their Predators to Military Disturbance
in Tallgrass Prairie
by
Jonathan M. Conard
B.S., Southwestern College, 2000
ABSTRACT
Small mammals and their mammalian and avian predators were studies
in grassland habitat at Fort Riley, Kansas. The impact of military
disturbance on small mammals was examined by trapping on flour plots in
heavily disturbed areas and four plots in lightly disturbed areas during
winter, spring, summer fall (2002), and winter (2003). Vegetation
was surveyed on the small mammal trapping plots for the fall (2002) and
winter (2003) seasons to determine how vegetation structure impacted small
mammal abundance and diversity. Each small mammal trapping whole
plot (300 m x 300 m) included four subplots with different trap densities.
Each subplot was 100 m x 100 m and was randomly assigned a trap density
of 9 traps stations/ha, 16 trap stations/, 25 trap stations/ha, or 36 trap
stations/ha, with two live traps at each station. Relative abundance,
species richness, Shannon diversity (H'), catch/unit effort, and community
composition of small mammals were compared between densities. Mammalian
predators were surveyed seasonally using two tracking stations baited with
fatty-acid scent tabs on each small mammal trapping plots. Avian
predators were surveyed seasonally using a 10 km road survey in the lightly
disturbed area and one in the heavily disturbed area. Species richness
was lower in the heavily disbursed area during fall and winter (2002) (P
< .05). Abundance of Peromyscus maniculatus, Reithrodontomys
megalotis, and Microtus ochrogaster did not differ between heavily
and lightly disturbed areas. Blarina hylophaga and Sigmodon
hispidus were consistently more abundant in lightly disturbed areas.
Shannon diversity (H') and species evenness (J') were not detectably different
between areas during any season. Trap density was positively related
to species richness and relative abundance, but negatively related to catch
/ unit effort. Trap density did not detectably influence estimates
of Shannon diversity (H'), seasonal population trends, or proportional
abundance of common small mammal species Coyotes (Canis latrans)
were the most common mammalian predator detected in all seasons on both
areas. Relative abundance of coyotes showed no marked differences
between areas during any season. Diurnal raptor survey indicated
generally higher raptor abundances in the heavily disturbed area during
all seasons.