Barn owl diet includes mammal species new to the island fauna of the Great Salt Lake

An investigation of the diet of the Common Barn-owl ( Tyto alba ) on Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake, Utah, yielded four mammal species not previously known to occur on any island in the Great Salt Lake ( Microtus pennsylvanicus, M. montanus, Ondatra zibethicus , and a Sorex sp.). Two other species, known from other islands, were added to the list of fauna of Antelope Island ( Perognathus parvus and Reithrodontomys megalotis ). The barn owl diet on Antelope Island was remarkably like that of barn owls feeding in farmlands adjacent to the Great Salt Lake despite major vegetational differences.     

Temporal and spatial patterns of small mammal density and species composition on a radioactive waste disposal area: the role of edge habitat

Small mammal populations inhabiting radioactive waste disposal areas could be important vectors of contaminant redistribution, given sufficiently high numbers. Earlier studies conducted at the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) in southeastern Idaho found small mammal densities equaling or exceeding densities in native habitat. Our live-trapping study was conducted in 1988 and 1989 to assess the role of edge habitat (where SDA crested wheatgrass [ Agropyron cristatum ] plantings and native sagebrush habitat are separated by an earthen dike) in facilitating use of this highly modified site by small mammals. Small mammals had a significantly greater density in SDA edge habitat than in the interior. Total density of small mammals and immediately around the SDA appeared to be less variable over time than density in native sagebrush habitat for years when data were available. This phenomenon was largely attributable to steady or increasing SDA population densities of the most common species, Peromyscus maniculatus and Perognathus parvus , during 1988-89, when most small mammal species had below-average densities in surrounding areas. The variety of foraging options in edge habitat may have allowed these relatively opportunistic species to avoid widespread population declines associated with drought years in 1988-89. Movements by P. manicualtus across the boundary were common, suggesting that this species did indeed utilize both habitat types. Preferences for edge habitat could potentially be used to formulate strategies that reduce use of waste site by small mammals.     

Hip glands in a natural population of montane voles ( Microtus montanus )

Average linear movement by populations of Dipodomys ordii, Microtus montanus, Perognathus parvus, and Peromyscus maniculatus   was investigated over a 15-month period by live trapping on a low-level, radioactive waste disposal area in Idaho. No significant differences in movement among habitats were observed seasonally, excepting M. montanus in spring. Average linear movements within habitats ranged from 20 to 70 m for all species, but some patterns varied seasonally and among age classes for individual species. Although predation on contaminated small mammals from the disposal area is a vector of radionuclide transport, local movements by these rodents do not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to contribute significantly to redistribution of radioactive particles.     

Movements by small mammals on a radioactive waste disposal area in southeastern Idaho

Average linear movement by populations of Dipodomys ordii, Microtus montanus, Perognathus parvus, and Peromyscus maniculatus   was investigated over a 15-month period by live trapping on a low-level, radioactive waste disposal area in Idaho. No significant differences in movement among habitats were observed seasonally, excepting M. montanus in spring. Average linear movements within habitats ranged from 20 to 70 m for all species, but some patterns varied seasonally and among age classes for individual species. Although predation on contaminated small mammals from the disposal area is a vector of radionuclide transport, local movements by these rodents do not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to contribute significantly to redistribution of radioactive particles.     

Habitat affinities of rodents in northeastern Nevada rangeland communities

From May 1978 through September 1980, baseline data for rodent populations were collected by livetrapping in the Saval Ranch area of northeastern Nevada. The objectives of this study were to determine species composition and relative abundance of rodents for the various range sites. The 3 most abundant and uniformly distributed species were deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), Great Basin pocket mice ( Perognathus parvus ), and least chipmunks ( Neotamias minimus ). Relative abundance indices and densities reported for most species were similar to those reported in other multiyear studies at similar sites. The composition and relative abundance / density of rodent species was variable among habitats and over time. Diverse rodent species within the sagebrush ecosystem have commensurately diverse habitat requirements that should be considered when vegetation management is planned. Annual population fluctuations and differences among similar habitats should be considered when researchers propose to test rodent population responses to livestock grazing or other habitat treatments.     

Small mammals within riparian habitats of a regulated and unregulated arid land river

In northwestern Colorado, flow regulation on the Green River has created a transitional plant community that features encroachment by upland vegetation into cottonwood ( Populus fremontii )-dominated, riparian forest on topographically high floodplain sites and reduced cottonwood regeneration on low floodplain sites. To assess how these changes might have affected small mammal distributions, in 1994 and 1995 we live-trapped during periods surrounding spring flooding at 3 sites: above and below the confluence of the regulated Green River and at the ecologically similar, but unregulated, Yampa River (reference site). More species were captured at the most regulated site along the Green River above its confluence with the Yampa River. Within sites, more species were captured in riparian habitats than adjacent upland habitats. Despite river regulation-induced habitat changes, we did not detect changes in species distributions within low and high floodplain habitat for Peromyscus maniculatus or Microtus montanus , but changes may have occurred for Dipodomys ordii . The total effect of regulation-induced habitat change on small mammal populations may not be fully revealed until current, mature cottonwood forests disappear and associated woody debris decomposes.     

Reproduction of three species of pocket mice ( Perognathus ) in the Bonneville Basin, Utah

Data on reproduction of three species of pocket mice ( Perognathus ) occurring in northern Utah are summarized. Perognathus parvus and P. formosus bred in spring but not the remainder of the year. This occurred despite mild fall and winter temperatures and shallow snowcover. Litter sizes for P. parvus and P. formosus were similar to those reported by previous investigators. A small sample of P. longimembris indicated they may have much larger litters (averaging 5.78 young) than previously reported for laboratory populations. Adult body mass was positively correlated with testis mass in all species, and with litter size in P. parvus .     

Population structure and ecological effects of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus in Castle Lake, California

The recent appearance of the ""California crayfish,"" Pacifastacus leniusculus , in Castle Lake, California, and interest in its potential impacts on the lake ecosystem provided motivation for a study of the population structure and habitat use of this species and its effects on aquatic macrophytes. Mark-recapture studies indicated that the total number of adult (3 + yr or older) crayfish in the lake was ca 10,100 individuals, yielding an estimate of lakewide crayfish density in preferred crayfish habitats of 0.13 adults m -2 . Using mean body mass of individuals, we estimated that ambient biomass density was 5.9 g m -2 . Length-weight relationships determined for captured individuals were sex dependent, with males having greater body mass for a given carapace length. Length-frequency and weight-frequency diagrams indicated that P. leniusculus reaches larger sizes in Castle Lake than do populations of P. leniusculus in ultraoligotrophic Lake Tahoe. Population-wide, males were significantly larger in both carapace length and body mass than females. We also examined sex dependence of interhabitat differences in crayfish body size by comparing animals trapped in rocky areas with those from areas with macrophytes and soft sediments. No significant differences in overall body size were found between habitats, but a significant habitat-sex interaction term occurred because the sex-dependent size differences were more pronounced in sediment than in rocky areas. Exclosure and enclosure experiments indicated that crayfish had large but differential impacts on Castle Lake macrophyte species, as the abundance of two of the dominant species ( Chara sp., Potamogeton richardsonii ) declined in the presence of crayfish and, in one case, increased in exclosures. These effects occurred via both consumptive and nonconsumptive mechanisms. These studies indicate that and expanding population of P. leniusculus in Castle Lake may be producing sizable impacts on the littoral zone habitat.     

Influence of experimental habitat manipulations on a desert rodent population in southern Utah

This paper addresses how habitat manipulations in a black sagebrush ( Artemisia nova ) -dominated area, John's Valley of southern Utah, affected resident desert rodent populations. Rodents studied included the deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), Great Basin pocket mouse ( Perognathus parvus ), sagebrush vole ( Lagurus curtatus ), Ord's kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys ordii ), and least chipmunk ( Eutamias minimus ). The experimental design involved analyses of treatment and control (nontreatment) plots rather than pre- and posttreatment of all plots. Habitat manipulations emphasized cutting of shrubs (rotobeating), treatment of plants with a herbicide (2,4-D), and reseeding with a mixture of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Posttreatment trapping indicated the deer mouse was the most abundant rodent in treatment and control plots. Data indicate the prescribed habitat treatments had no significant negative affects on the deer mouse demes on the control or treatment plots. Habitat treatments may have negatively impacted recruitment in pocket mice. Least chipmunks were not captured in plots treated by rotobeating. Our habitat manipulations may have contributed to interspecific competition in this rodent community through the reduction of both food and cover.     

Helminth parasites of the Wyoming ground squirrel, Spermophilus elegans Kennicott, 1863

Helminth parasites of the Wyoming ground squirrel, Spermophilus elegans Kennicott, 1863, were surveyed from two environmentally different habitats within Wyoming. A total of four helminth species were identified. Three helminth species were found in 419 hosts collected in a mesic habitat including one species of adult cestode, Hymenolepis citelli, and two species of nematodes, Citellinema bifurcatum and Syphacia citelli. Only larval cestodes ( Taenia taxidiensis ) were found infecting 335 Wyoming ground squirrels collected from a xeric habitat.     

Rodent populations, biomass, and community relationships in Artemisia tridentata, Rush Valley, Utah

Three desert Artemisia tridentata communities in Rush Valley, Utah, were trapped for small rodents during the summer of 1970, and population densities were estimated for each population category using Lincoln's index. Animals were weighed and rodent biomass calculated by species throughout the summer. Population, biomass, and other data were then analyzed to gain an understanding of the community relationships of the three study areas to each other as well as to the A. tridentata community types of the Great Basin. Peromyscus maniculatus, Eutamias minimus, and Reithrodontomys megalotis were common to area 1, whereas P. maniculatus, E. minimus, and Perognathus parvus were common to areas 2 and 3. The peak estimated standing crops were 182.8 (74.0). 143.1 (57.9), and 129.7 g/acre (52.5 g/ha) for areas 2, 1, and 3 respectively. The population and biomass of area 2 peaked in midsummer, area 1 early summer, and area 3 late summer.     

Vegetative and edaphic factors affecting abundance and distribution of small mammals in southeast Oregon

The relationships between vegetative and edaphic habitat factors and the local distribution and abundance of small mammals on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon, were examined between July 1973 and June 1975. Of 16 species of small mammals captured, deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), montane voles ( Microtus montanus ), Great Basin pocket mice ( Perognathus parvus ), and least chipmunks ( Eutamias minimus ) comprised 90.1 percent of the individuals. The physiognomy of the vegetation was a factor in the distribution of rodent species other than deer mice. Pocket mice and chipmunks were restricted to the communities dominated by sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) or greasewood ( Sarcobatus vermiculatus ). Population densities of pocket mice and chipmunks were significantly related to edaphic factors such as soil depth, texture, and strength, which may have affected the construction and stability of burrows. Montane voles occurred only in marsh or grassland communities. Population densities of voles were directly correlated with the amount of cover and inversely correlated with its patchiness. Deer mice were the most common species encountered and occurred in all but the grassland communities. The density of this species was related to vegetative or edaphic factors only seasonally or in certain habitats, and few generalizations could be made.     

Spatial distribution of three snail species, including the invader Potamopyrgus antipodarum , in a freshwater spring

The highly invasive New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum , may compete with and displace native North American macroinvertebrates in freshwater systems wherever it becomes established. Densities and spatial distributions of 3 snail species including P. antipodarum and the threatened Taylorconcha serpenticola were compared among 3 adjacent habitat types (run, edge, and vegetation) in Banbury Springs, a tributary of the Snake River, near Hagerman, Idaho, USA. In all 3 habitats P. antipodarum was the most abundant snail species. All 3 species densities were highly variable within habitats, suggesting a nonrandom distribution pattern. Densities of P. antipodarum were significantly greatest in the vegetation habitat type, while densities of T. serpenticola were similar among habitats. Smallersized P. antipodarum were less abundant in the run habitat with its associated higher water velocities, and their densities were negatively correlated with velocity. Densities of P. antipodarum also were negatively correlated with distance from the highly infested, man-made Morgan Lake, while T. serpenticola densities were positively correlated with distance from Morgan Lake. Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a potential competitor with native aquatic species, although its colonization into some freshwater habitats may be limited.     

Distribution of vertebrates of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

During a survey of the vertebrates in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, 46 mammal, 210 bird, 9 reptile, 5 amphibian, and 28 fish species were found. Habitat structure and moisture were two environmental variables associated with species numbers across this 1,820-ha area. Eight distinct habitats were evaluated. In coniferous forests, 27% of the birds and 54% of the mammals were observed. Sagebrush/grasslands and upland shrublands were very arid and had relatively few vertebrates. Five introduced game birds occurred in sagebrush habitat. Riparian and wetland habitats had the largest number of unique vertebrates, 38 and 77 respectively. The establishment of Bighorn Lake in 1968 influenced the fisheries in streams and rivers as 10 introduced fish species are now there.     

Evaluating plant invasions from both habitat and species perspectives

We present an approach to quantitatively assess nonnative plant invasions at landscape scales from both habitat and species perspectives. Our case study included 34 nonnative species found in 142 plots (0.1 ha) in 14 vegetation types within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. A plot invasion index, based on nonnative species richness and cover, showed that only 16 of 142 plots were heavily invaded. A species invasive index, based on frequency, cover, and number of vegetation types invaded, showed that only 7 of 34 plant species were highly invasive. Multiple regressions using habitat characteristics (moisture index, elevation, soil P, native species richness, maximum crust development class, bare ground, and rock) explained 60% of variation in nonnative species richness and 46% of variation in nonnative species cover. Three mesic habitats (aspen, wet meadow, and perennial riparian types) were particularly invaded (31 of 34 nonnative species studied were found in these types). Species-specific logistic regression models for the 7 most invasive species correctly predicted occurrence 89% of the time on average (from 80% for Bromus tectorum , a habitat generalist, to 93% for Tamarix spp., a habitat specialist). Even with such a modest sampling intensity (<0.1% of the landscape), this multiscale sampling scheme was effective at evaluating habitat vulnerability to invasion and the occurrence of the 7 most invasive nonnative species. This approach could be applied in other natural areas to develop strategies to document invasive species and invaded habitats.     

Diversity and species composition of Araneidae,Tetragnathidae and Nephilidae in different levels of disturbed habitats in Trinidad,West Indies

ABSTRACT

An increasing amount of natural vegetation is being cleared in the tropics, prompting the questions of how disturbance influences the fauna, and the possible value of disturbed habitats as a means to conserve biodiversity. Three habitat types experiencing difference levels of disturbance farmland (most disturbed), cocoa plantations, and secondary forest (least disturbed) were examined in this study. Six localities of each of three disturbed habitat types were sampled for the spider families Araneidae, Tetragnathidae and Nephilidae, and compared to previous data from 46 localities of 16 natural habitats. Observed and estimated species richness, evenness and dominance of orb-weaving spiders differed significantly among the disturbed habitat types, with secondary forest having greater diversity than the mean for natural habitats in all these measures. Overall, disturbed habitats were not significantly different from natural habitats in species richness, evenness and dominance, and were therefore of conservation value.     

Brood parasitism and nest survival of Brown-headed Cowbird hosts at high-elevation riparian sites in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California

Deciduous riparian ecosystems in the western United States provide habitat for a higher density of breeding birds than reported for any other avian habitat type and provide habitat for more breeding bird species than adjacent uplands. On the east slope of the Sierra Nevada, riparian ecosystems make up Molothrus ater )&mdash;an obligate brood parasite that forages on bare ground and feedlots but typically commutes to distinct shrubland or woodland habitats for breeding. We examined nest survival, brood parasitism, breeding phenology, and causes of nest failure for birds at North Lake and Rock Creek: 2 high-elevation (>2500 m) riparian breeding habitats adjacent to recreational development and within cowbird commuting distance to additional potential foraging sites. Nest survival tended to be higher for host species at Rock Creek than for those at North Lake, but parasitism rates were not significantly different between plots. Of 21 open-cup nesting species, 12 were parasitized. We found the highest rate of parasitism (92%) for Warbling Vireos ( Vireo gilvus ) at North Lake, and parasitism contributed to lower total nest survival there (14%). For nearly all species, parasitized nests were less successful and produced fewer young than nonparasitized nests. However, predation was the leading cause of complete nest failure across all species and contributed to the lowest total nest survival estimates for Western Wood-Pewees ( Contopus sordidulus, 11%) and Dusky Flycatchers ( Empidonax oberholseri, 15%) at North Lake and for Dark-eyed Juncos ( Junco hyemalis, 15%) at Rock Creek. Nest survival was relatively high for Western Wood-Pewees (41%) at Rock Creek and for Yellow Warblers ( Dendroica petechia, 47%) at North Lake. We noted whether the arrival of pack animals at pack-station corrals contributed to variation in cowbird numbers at corrals or in parasitism rates at the 2 sites. Cowbirds occupied corrals before and after pack-stock arrival, and most host clutches were completed prior to pack-stock arrival at nearby corrals, suggesting that the presence of pack animals did not directly affect cowbird host species.     

Composition and habitat use of small mammals in old-growth mountain forests

Old-growth mountain forests in the Pyrenees have natural gap dynamics, a well-developed shrub layer and a large amount of dead wood. Small mammal communities in two types of old-growth forests, silver fir and mountain pine, were studied in July and September in 2006 and 2007. Four species were trapped: bank vole (Myodes glareolus), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) and common shrew (Sorex araneus). Bank voles and wood mice were most commonly trapped (78% of all captures). There were no differences in community composition in the two forest types, although the bank vole was more often captured in the silver fir than in the mountain pine forest. Mammals were more frequently captured at trap stations with high shrub cover, high tree regeneration cover and low herbaceous cover. Our results show that forest structure and, to a lesser extent, forest type determine small mammal community structure, and specifically fine-scale occurrence patterns, in these old-growth forests.     

Habitat characteristics of small mammals in southeastern Utah

We describe habitat characteristics of 8 small mammal species occurring in the Manti-LaSal National Forest in southeastern Utah. Thirty-seven grids across 7 vegetation types were sample by live-trapping from May through October 1994 and 1995. Logistic regression models of habitat measurements correctly classified small mammal presence 36%-87% of the time. Except for 1 instance, 4 Peromyscus species present in a specific vegetation type were negatively associated with forb or grass cover. Microtus montanus was present primarily on mesas and was positively associated with tall tree and low shrub cover. Neotoma mexicana was present only in canyons and was found primarily in the pinyon-juniper ( Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma ) vegetation type. Tamias spp. was present in all vegetation types. Our results allow better management of these species by providing greater understanding of their use of habitat within vegetation types.