Browsing by Author "Korbmacher, Michelle"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Geomys bursarius: Vegetation Variation on Gopher Mounds within a Northern Minnesota Vole Field(2010-03-10) Ihnken, Matthew; Korbmacher, Michelle; Sinton, ChristopherThe plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) lives throughout the southern 2/3rds of Minnesota. The pocket gopher is known for turning up soil and digging extensive tunnels that can aerate soils. Our study site is located near the north entrance of Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota. The goal of our study was to determine if there were distinct vegetation patches associated with the gopher mounds and if plant diversity increased around and on mounds. We used transects to sample the field for vegetation patches and the locations of old, new, and abandoned gopher mounds. We then ran a series of test to determine whether or not there was any correlation between gopher mounds and plant diversity, and then distinct vegetation patches. We determined that patches of vegetation were most likely associated with gopher mounds, and that species diversity increased on and around mounds.Item Small Mammal Diversity: Around Itasca State Park and Agassiz Prairie Habitats(2010-03-10) Korbmacher, MichelleWe compared the small mammal diversity of a forest and a prairie biome. An aspen forest, red pine forest, a burnt area, and a bog were studied in Itasca State Park and in Agassiz we studied burnt prairie both by a road and away from it, an oak prairie, and an aspen prairie. Grids were set up to live trap using Sherman, Longworth, and Russian traps for three trap nights in each biome. A total of 85 small mammals were captured. Peromyscus (deer and white-footed mouse) was consistently found in both biomes within their burnt areas. We concluded that the eastern chipmunk preferred a forest environment and the thirteen-lined ground squirrel preferred the prairie to the forest.