Browsing by Author "Bischoff, Karl"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Effects of the Plains Pocket Gopher on Plant Diversity
    (2011-02-09) Bischoff, Karl; Hekrdle, Winnona M.; Maloney, Connor
    The Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) plays a significant role in the prairie ecosystem. Researchers have identified direct and indirect effects of their activity on the plant communities in which they reside. Surveys of gopher activity and plant diversity were conducted in an experimental plot established 9 km NW of Lake Itasca, Minnesota USA. The purpose was to determine the impacts these fossorial mammals were having on the plant community on site. Statistical analysis indicated a correlation between distinct vegetation patches and the presence of gopher mounds. The short and long term effects of gopher activity include the availability of light and nutrients as well as active browsing of woody vegetation, respectively. Our findings bolster the growing body of literature on the subject, and provide further evidence that fossorial mammals may be considered the “ecosystem engineers” of the prairie biome.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Small Mammal Diversity Across Habitat Types in Northern Minnesota
    (2011-02-09) Bischoff, Karl
    The structure and composition of a small mammal community is largely shaped by that of the plant communities in which they reside. Even closely related species may have substantially different requirements or preferences for food and cover. Northwestern Minnesota has a variety of habitats in relatively close proximity. The prairies and forests merge most noticeably in what is sometimes referred to as a vegetation tension zone; an approximately 90km wide band that runs up through the state (Eggers&Reed1997). The tension zone’s eastern edge just reaches Itasca State Park. Glacial activity and the subsequent effects of hydrology and climate have created this wide spectrum of plant communities. These include, but are not limited to: dry, mesic, and wet prairies, deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests, swamps and bogs, as well as riverine and shallow water aquatic habitats. Not surprisingly many species of small mammals have found niches within these varied habitats.