Assistant Professor University of Missouri, United States
Abstract: Grasslands, such as prairies, are one of the most endangered habitats in North America (1-3 percent remaining) and only four percent are protected worldwide. Prairies are important because of their role in nutrient cycling and biodiversity from native vegetation. Because of this, there is an ongoing question concerning how to manage restored prairies to maximize benefits for all organisms without disrupting the natural balance of this ecosystem. The primary management strategy is burning due to its ability to increase vegetation complexity over time while decreasing plant litter. Prescribed fires that happen too frequently, however, have been associated with a decrease in native vegetation.
Though there is substantial research about the effects of burning regiments, there is still inconsistent evidence on how much time there should be in-between burnings. Small mammals are a suitable group to further investigate how much time there should be in-between burnings because of their sensitivity to habitat changes. While there has been evidence of overall changes in small mammal population demographics in response to burning, it is apparent that these responses are based on species-specific habitat preferences. Deer mice have been found to prefer less dense vegetation. Prairie voles and white-footed mice, on the other hand, prefer more dense vegetation.
My study aimed to investigate the species-specific effects of burning on small mammals. This was done by comparing the amount of time since the last burning using small mammal abundance and vegetation cover. I also compared a remnant and restored prairie using small mammal abundance and vegetation cover. The capture and release of small mammals took place in central Missouri at Tucker Prairie and Prairie Fork Conservation Area. Demographic information was recorded for all captured small mammals. I used analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to evaluate the small abundance for time since fire, represented by individual plots at each site, and vegetation cover. Similarly, I used an ANCOVA to assess small mammal abundance for vegetation cover at each site. My findings show that we may be able to predict when small mammal abundance will be the highest for each species based on the amount of plant litter available post-burn. Findings from this research can be used to improve prairie restoration and management by better understanding the behavior of Deer Mice, White-footed Mice, Prairie voles as well as other generalists that reside in prairies.
