Effects of edges and habitats on small mammals in a prairie ecosystem

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 2020-2025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pasitschniak-Arts ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Edge Effect ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Microtus Pennsylvanicus ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
South Central ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Prairie Ecosystem

To investigate the abundance and distribution of small mammals relative to edge in a fragmented prairie landscape, small mammals were trapped in south-central Saskatchewan from 1991 to 1993 in four different habitat types: idle pasture, delayed hay, dense nesting cover, and rights-of-way. In total, 995 small mammals, representing nine species, were captured on 14 182 trap-nights. No edge effect was recorded in idle pasture or dense nesting cover; however, an edge effect was observed in delayed hay fields. Edge effect across all habitats was dependent on season: relative abundance of small mammals was significantly higher along edges in spring but not in summer. Of the two most common species captured, Peromyscus maniculatus showed no affinity for edges, while Microtus pennsylvanicus was significantly more abundant along edges than in the habitat interior. Relative abundance of small mammals was highest in dense nesting cover, intermediate in delayed hay and along rights-of-way, and lowest in idle pasture. Relative abundance was also lower in spring than in summer. Species richness was higher along edges than in the habitat interior and was also greater in summer than in spring. Species diversity showed no edge or season effect.

scholarly journals Structure of three subtropical bat assemblages (Chiroptera) in the Andean rainforests of Argentina

Mammalia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano S. Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Guild Structure ◽  
Trophic Guild ◽  
Long Tail ◽  
Mist Net ◽  
Yungas Forests

AbstractI evaluated bat assemblages in terms of species richness, relative abundance, trophic guild structure, and seasonal changes at three sites along of the Southern Yungas forests. A total of 854 individuals were captured, representing 25 species of three families, with an effort of 27,138 m of mist net opened per hour. Subtropical assemblages showed a similar structure to those from tropical landmark, with a dominance of frugivorous Phyllostomid; in addition, a few species were abundant, followed by a long tail of less common species. However, subtropical sites differed due to the dominance of the genus

Relative abundance, richness, and diversity of small mammals at induced forest edges

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1432-1437 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Sekgororoane ◽  
T. G. Dilworth
Keyword(s):  
Edge Effect ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Clethrionomys Gapperi ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Blarina Brevicauda ◽  
Napaeozapus Insignis ◽  
Sorex Cinereus ◽  
The University

To determine whether small mammals show "edge effect" at induced forest edges created by harvest cutting, small mammals were snap-trapped from 1990 to 1992 at 5 sites harvested 0–10 years previously in the University of New Brunswick Forest, Fredericton. Nine species were captured in 8686 trap-nights. There was edge effect in older (6–10 years) but not in recent (0–5 years) cuts. This was shown by both high relative abundance for all species combined and species diversity in the ecotone (from 10 m into the harvest cut to 10 m into the forest). Species richness did not show any edge-related pattern. Edge effect with respect to relative abundance was largely due to Peromyscus maniculatus and Clethrionomys gapperi. Peromyscus maniculatus reached the highest relative abundance 10 m in the forest and was not captured beyond 10 m in the harvest cut. Clethrionomys gapperi made use of the forest side of the ecotone and was not captured beyond 5 m in the harvest cut. Napaeozapus insignis, Zapus hudsonius, and Soricidae (Blarina brevicauda, Sorex cinereus, and S. fumeus) showed no attraction to, or avoidance of, the edge.

scholarly journals Trophic categories in a mammal assemblage: diversity in an agricultural landscape

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graziela Dotta ◽  
Luciano M. Verdade
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Sugar Cane ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Key Species ◽  
High Degree

Mammals play an important role in the maintenance and regeneration of tropical forests since they have essential ecological functions and can be considered key-species in structuring biological communities. In landscapes with elevated anthropogenic pressure and high degree of fragmentation, species display distinct behavioral responses, generally related to dietary habits. The landscape of Passa-Cinco river basin, in the central-eastern region of São Paulo State, shows a high degree of anthropogenic disturbance, with sugar cane plantations, eucalyptus forests, native semideciduous forest remnants and pastures as the key habitat types in the region. We surveyed medium to large mammals in those habitats and determined species richness and relative abundance for each of the following trophic categories: Insectivore/Omnivores, Frugivore/Omnivores, Carnivores, Frugivore/Herbivores and Herbivore/Grazers. Differences in species richness and relative abundance among habitats were tested using one-way analysis of variance, followed by Tukey test, considering 1) each of the trophic categories individually and 2) the set of categories together. Between July 2003 and June 2004, 284.4 km were walked and 22 species were recorded (20 native and two exotics). Analysis of variance did not detect differences in species richness for any of the trophic categories or for the assemblage. Considering relative abundance, the analysis detected significant differences only for the whole assemblage, with the assemblage being more abundant in sugar cane plantations compared to pastures. Our results indicate that the heterogeneous landscape of the study area is dominated by generalist species adapted to use different habitat types and food items.

Usefulness of funnel traps in catching small reptiles and mammals, with comments on the effectiveness of the alternatives

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham G. Thompson ◽  
Scott A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments

Funnel traps were used in conjunction with pit traps (PVC buckets and pipes), Elliott traps and cage traps at 10 sites in southern Western Australia to examine sampling bias of trap types. Funnel traps seldom catch small mammals but catch more of the medium-sized and large terrestrial, diurnal snakes and some of the widely foraging, medium-sized skinks, medium-sized dragon lizards and arboreal geckos that climb out of PVC pit traps. For pit traps, buckets catch more reptiles, particularly smaller ones, than pipes. However, pipes catch more mammals than buckets. Elliott traps catch the same suite of small mammals as pipes plus some of the large, trappable species, such as Rattus spp. Cage traps are useful for trapping Tiliqua spp. and medium-sized mammals such as possums and bandicoots that are unlikely to be caught in pit and funnel traps. Funnel traps, pit traps and cage traps should be used in surveys of small terrestrial vertebrates to determine species richness and relative abundance in Western Australia and probably elsewhere. However, as cage traps are mostly useful for catching Tiliqua spp. and medium-sized mammals, they need only be used in faunal surveys undertaken for environmental impact assessments specifically targeting these species.

scholarly journals Pollinator habitat plantings benefit wild, native bees, but do not necessarily favor rare species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Cariveau ◽  
Michael Roswell ◽  
Tina Harrison ◽  
Mark A. Genung ◽  
Jason Gibbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Null Model ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Geographic Range Size ◽  
Habitat Enhancement ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Installing pollinator habitat is a ubiquitous conservation tool, but little is known about which pollinator taxa require support, or which benefit from habitat installations. We studied the response of rare and common bees to pollinator habitat enhancement. We used independent regional datasets to designate bee species as common or rare based on their rank according to one of three metrics: a) site occurrence frequency, b) local relative abundance, and c) geographic range size. We asked whether the abundance or richness of rare and common bees were greater in pollinator habitat, relative to old-field controls. Because we used an arbitrary, quantile-based cutoff to categorize species rarity, we conducted sensitivity analysis and controlled for rarity classification errors with a null model. With this null model, we determined whether rare and/or common species responded to pollinator habitat disproportionately, compared to the expectation for "typical" bee species. We found that the number of individuals and of species designated as rare based on local relative abundance was greater in pollinator habitat enhancements. The number of individuals from bee species designated as rare based on site occurrence was lower in pollinator habitat enhancements, but the number of species was not clearly different between habitat types. We did not find a clear positive nor negative effect of habitat enhancement for species designated rare based on geographic range size. For all three rarity metrics, common species increased in abundance and richness in pollinator habitat relative to controls. Null models indicated that in most cases, neither rare nor common species disproportionately benefited from pollinator habitat. Synthesis and Applications: Our results suggest that pollinator habitat can lead to an increase in the abundance and richness of bees, including species that are rare and that are common. However, rare species appeared to respond differently than typical species, and depending on how species were classified as rare, could display muted or even negative responses to habitat enhancement. Targeting rare species with specific floral resources or unique habitat types may lead to better outcomes for rare and threatened species.

Habitat selection and use of edges by striped skunks in the Canadian prairies

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Larivière ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mephitis Mephitis ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
South Central ◽  
Striped Skunks ◽  
Ground Nesting

During 1993-1994, we radio-tracked 21 female and 5 male striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada, to assess their patterns of habitat selection. Home ranges of both sexes contained more areas managed for nesting waterfowl and less woodland than the overall study area. When foraging within their home ranges, striped skunks used more wetland and woodland and less cropland relative to other habitat types (managed nesting areas, rights-of-way, farmsteads). Patterns of habitat selection by striped skunks were significantly but weakly correlated with abundance of insects and small mammals. Striped skunks selected undisturbed habitats where ground litter can accumulate, possibly because such habitats also harbor a greater abundance of prey. Our results support the restoration of grasslands for nesting waterfowl. Furthermore, the use of large habitat patches by striped skunks decreased away from edges, suggesting that large patches may serve as refuges for ground-nesting birds.

Aquatic and semi aquatic Hemiptera community of Sonebeel, the largest wetland of Assam, northeastern India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 12792-12799
Author(s):  
Anupama Saha ◽  
Susmita Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Northeastern India ◽  
Ecological Roles

Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera bugs play significant ecological roles, and they are important indicators and pest control agents.  Little information is currently available concerning its populations in southern Assam.  This study assessed hemipterans in four sites of Sonebeel, the largest wetland in Assam (3458.12 ha at full storage level), situated in Karimganj District.  The major inflow and outflow of the wetland are the rivers Singla and Kachua, respectively (the Kachua drains into the Kushiyara River).  Samples were trapped with pond nets and were seasonally recorded.  This study recorded a total of 28 species of aquatic and semiaquatic hemipterans belonging to 20 genera under nine families.  Population, geographical and environmental data (e.g., rainfall) were used to assess the relative abundance of species, species richness and different diversity indices, and species distribution. 

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