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ASSOCIATIONS OF EASTERN REDCEDAR AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SMALL MAMMALS
Citation:
Horncastle, V. J., E. C. Hellgren, P. M. MAYER, AND D. M. Leslie. ASSOCIATIONS OF EASTERN REDCEDAR AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SMALL MAMMALS. Presented at Oklahoma Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Stillwater, OK, February 27, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Increased abundance of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginianas), a native but invasive species in the Great Plains, has been associated with several changes in ecosystem function. It can lead to a reduction in herbaceous biomass in the canopy zone, alter species composition, and reduce understory light and soil water content. By altering the landscape and local vegetation, cedar likely is changing the suitability of habitat for small mammals. We theorize that overall diversity of small mammals will be lower where eastern redcedar is prevalent as a result of reduced understory plant biomass and cover. We examined effects of eastern redcedar invasion on landscape and community structure of small mammals by trapping small mammals in tallgrass prairie, old-field invaded by cedar, and cross timbers forest habitats. Trapping grids (180 m x 180 m) were sampled in the 3 vegetation types. Each grid was divided into 225, 12-m x 12-m cells with 2 traps in each cell. Small mammals were sampled seasonally from May 2001 to August 2002, using Sherman live traps and mark-recapture techniques. During the first 3 sampling periods, 111 individuals of 6 species were captured 228 times in the tall grass prairie site, 34 individuals of 5 species were captured 67 times in the cedar old-field site, and 32 individuals of 4 species were captured 94 times in the cross timbers habitat. Peromyscus leucopus was the dominant species in the cedar old field and cross timbers site and Sigmodon hispidus was the dominant species in the tall grass prairie site. Preliminary results show that diversity and abundance of small mammals was lower in the cedar old-field and the cross timbers site where eastern redcedar is more prevalent.