Browsing by Subject "mammalogy"

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A comparison of mammal diversity in prairie and forest habitats
(2011-02-09) Avendano, Javier
In this study we examined the diversity of small mammals found within various types of forest habitats in comparison to the diversity of mammals caught in prairie habitats. Through an analysis of our results we were able to determine which ecosystem was more diverse. We predicted that the prairie habitats would be more diverse than the mixed forests because the prairie ecosystem can support many more kinds of species.The mixed forests habitats consisted of a burned deciduous area, an unburned deciduous area, a burned red pine area, an unburned red pine area, an aspen area, and finally a bog area. We set a gridline of forty-eight trap nights for the different habitats, forty Sherman traps and eight Longworth traps. The gridlines consisted of four lines of traps with ten traps in each row spaced ten meters apart. Two trap spots in each line had an additional Longworth trap. These trap spots were chosen at random. Sites were checked once a day for three consecutive days. Each mammal captured was identified and individually marked, and the data was recorded and pooled into a single data set. The same method applies for the prairie location, which consisted of rush south, rush north, Coburn east, Coburn west, Waubun wet, and Waubun dry.
Comparison of Small Mammal Communities within Forested and Prairie Habitats
(2011-02-09) Sigler, Holly; Grunzke, Danielle; Rehmann, Andrew
Habitat plays a large part in small mammal diversity in any given area. Each species may be habitat selective for many different reasons, some of which are food type or supply, water levels or availability, temperature, and shelter. Each species varies in selectivity which leads to widely varying species diversity in different habitat types. In particular we wanted to look at the variation between the species found in a forested habitat versus a prairie habitat. Previous research would indicate larger species diversity to be found in the forested habitats (Dueser and Shugart 1978). In addition we are also interested in the difference in species diversity between burned and unburned sites of otherwise similar habitat. It has been shown that burned sites will typically yield larger species diversity (Krefting and Ahlgren 1974). Over the course of two weeks we collected specimen data through live-trapping at six forest sites and six prairie sites. The forest sites consisted of varying forest type throughout Itasca State Park in Park Rapids, MN; burned deciduous, unburned deciduous, burned red pine, unburned red pine, aspen, and bog. Two prairie sites were in the Coburn state wildlife management area, two were burned sites in the Rush Lake state wildlife management area, and two sites were on private property in Waubun, MN. One Waubun site was of dry soil type and the other Waubun site was of a wet habitat type.
A COMPARISON OF SMALL MAMMAL DIVERSITY IN FORESTED HABITATS TO PRAIRIE HABITATS
(2011-02-09) Vang, Na
This report, in its attempt to understand diversity, will focus on small mammals found within and close to Itasca State Park, Minnesota. The two types of habitat that were used to collect our data and to conduct our comparison included forested habitats and prairie habitats. Within the forested habitats, we had a variety of smaller biomes: burned deciduous forest, unburned deciduous forest, burned red pine forest, unburned red pine forest, aspen forest, and bog. As for the prairie habitats, it was harder to get an array of smaller biomes; therefore, we divided this habitat type by region, giving us Rush South, Rush North, Coburn East, Coburn West, Waubun Wet, and Waubun Dry. The questions we hoped to answer in this experiment were as followed: 1) Which communities, inside forest sites or the prairie sites, have more species? 2) Are there any common species to both locations? and 3) To what attributes can we see similarities or differences?
Differences in Animal Species between Forested Habitats and Prairie Habitats
(2010-12-06) Sevdy, Kim
Understanding the type of habitats that certain species need is critical to understanding how they interact with their environments. Some species prefer prairie habitats rather than forested habitats. This could be attributed to their daily diet, where they like to live, or even how their bodies are built to move in the environment. By using the Lincoln-Peterson method, we are able to identify some of the species that prefer either the forest or the prairie. Our study began with the class dividing up into six different groups and each taking a certain habitat type. We set 55 traps at each site; 45 of those traps were Shermans, five were Longworths, and five were Russians. There were 5 lines with 10 markers in each line. Nine shermans were set in each line with one marker containing a longworth and a russian. Either a select few from the class or the entire class checked these traps in the morning for three days. Data was recorded from the different animals that were found within the traps for further analysis.
Diversity of Habitats within Itasca State Park
(2011-02-09) Hekrdle, Winonna M.
Small mammals are found throughout Minnesota in various habitats. The six different habitat sites used for data collection within Itasca State Park includes: burned deciduous, unburned deciduous, burned red pine, unburned red pine, aspen, and bog. At each habitat site 40 Sherman traps and eight Longworth traps were used. They were set up as a 4 x 10 grid with each column having ten Sherman traps and two randomly placed Longworth traps. The Longworth worth traps were set close to a Sherman trap at a particular point. Traps were checked for three mornings in a row.
Diversity of small mammal communities across forest and prairie habitats in and near Itasca State Park, MN
(2010-12-01) Kalmoe, Molly
Mammal community dynamics are determined by local geography, climate, vegetation and other fauna. The state of mammal populations can also actively exert effects on the changing state of species interactions in terrestrial ecosystems (Tyliankis, et al., 2008). Understanding mammal diversity is an important step towards realizing the complexity of ecosystem ecology as well as informing wildlife managers and conservationists. In this study, we examine twelve sites in and near Itasca State Park, Minnesota to analyze the richness and species composition of each. Expecting higher diversity among prairie (rather than forest) and burned (rather than unburned) sites, we used standard small mammal trapping techniques, to survey each site for three consecutive nights, then identified, marked and released all captured mammals. A higher number of small mammals were trapped in forest sites, but the prairie grids demonstrated greater total species richness. Species diversity is distributed differently across the two site types, but both habitats produced the same mean species diversity. Most species were unique to either forest or prairie habitat, but overlap did occur with two species known to inhabit various landscapes: Blarina brevicauda and Peromyscus spp.. We conclude that habitat is a major determinant of small mammal populations in and around Itasca State Park, MN.
Diversity of Small Mammals in Six Different Habitats in Itasca State Park
(2011-02-09) Stedman, Kathryn
In order to gain information about the diversity of small mammals present in six different habitats located in Itasca State Park, we captured and marked mammals in these habitats over the course of three days. We found the unburned red pine forest to be the most diverse habitat surveyed. The distribution of the majority of species captured was consistent with their distributions in previous years.
Diversity of Small Mammals within Prairie and Forest Grids in North-Central Minnesota
(2010-12-06) Lindsay, Erik
We examined the abundance of small mammals in two different areas, 6 prairie grids and 6 forest grids. In the prairie there were two grids that were considered wet and the other four were considered to be dry, being no standing water in large amounts. The forest grids included a bog which was almost completely water but for a few dry spots within the grid. We used the live trap (Sherman) method to capture and release different species of small mammals. The objective was to see if the presence or absence of woody vegetation would alter the diversity in either of the areas (Matlack 14). Also the density was determined through this study of both the prairie and the forest. The locations were visited and traps checked 3 times. Each time checked the traps that had been tripped were checked and the mammals that had been trapped were handled and recorded.
The Diversity of Small Mammals Within Small Communities of Prairie Sites Near and Forest Sites Around Itasca State Park
(2010-12-01) Halberg, Amber
Our experiment looked at the diversity of species within the small communities of forest and prairie sites near and around Itasca State Park. We wanted to see how the species of small mammals varied and was similar to other habitats within the forest sites as well as in prairie sites. We were also looking for possible patterns of certain species dominating one or two habitats over the others as well habitats they wouldn’t be found in at all. For this experiment we chose six different habitats for both the forest and prairie diversity grids. For the forest diversity grid, we chose a Burned Deciduous, Unburned Deciduous, Burned Red Pine, Unburned Red Pine, Aspen and Bog habitat. For the prairie diversity grid we chose a burned and unburned section of the protected prairie, Frenchman’s Bluff, as well as Waubun Wet and Dry, and the North and South region of Rush. For each habitat we needed 45 Sherman, five Longworth and five Russian shrew traps. The class split into six groups with three to four students setting up traps for one habitat. Each group set up a 5x10 trap-station grid, which consisted of nine Sherman, one at each trap location, then one Russian and one Longworth trap placed randomly at one of the locations on each line. Each trap station was spaced ten meters apart. We then went back for three consecutive days to check the traps in all six locations and recorded the rodent species found in the traps, marked them by cutting off their toes, and then released them. Two weeks after collecting the traps from the forest sites, the class then split up into two groups and followed all the same procedures for setting up the grid and checking the traps for the six prairie sites.
Diversity Paper (untitled)
(2011-02-09) Peterson, Julie
Species diversity, the number of species present in a community, is relatively easy to quantify but can be very difficult to explain. Mostly this is because through various sampling methods you can determine how many individuals of which species are present in an area. But to determine why those species are there in those proportions you need to know many details of the species and individual needs as well as how the factors interrelate. Three major factors thought to influence patterns of diversity are the physical structure of the habitat (vegetation, objects, soil), the climate and climatic stability of the habitat, and the productivity of the habitat as a whole and of individual resources (MacArthur, 1972). Our experiment examined the small mammal communities of various sites in both forest and prairie habitats. We wanted to determine which habitat type has greater species diversity and whether there are species present in both habitats.
Diversity within Small Mammal Communities of Forested Sites around Itasca State Park and Nearby Prairie Sites
(2011-02-09) Curry, Jessica
Biodiversity is a hot topic in science today because we are in a time of great urbanization and wild populations of animals are being threatened every day. Defined, biodiversity is the study of species richness (Blake et al. 2008). Fraser and Currie (1996) examine some hypothesizes that affect biodiversity. Those factors include area, available energy, environmental stress, environmental stability, disturbance, biological interactions and history factors. This experiment was designed to compare nine different habitats including burned deciduous, unburned deciduous, burned red pine, unburned red pine, aspen, bog, and three different prairies Rush, Coborn and Wauben DNR wildlife management area sites with two trap grids per prairie. Information recorded at every trap site included trap station, type of species, mass, sex, and individual marking for recapture purposes. A variety of forested habitats were chosen in order to observe any differences the environments might have on biodiversity.
Diversity within Small Mammal Communities of Forested Sites Around Itasca State Park and Nearby Prairie Sites
(2010-12-06) Stanley, Alison
Our experiment aimed to determine if there was a difference in species richness between forested areas within Itasca State Park and nearby prairie sites. We set up six different diversity grids within each habitat type (forest or prairie) and checked the traps for three consecutive days. Caught species were noted. We found there to be greater species diversity in the prairie sites compared to the forest sites. The forest sites had greater productivity than the prairie sites. We concluded that the prairie has greater species diversity. We also concluded that individual sites within each habitat type also had different levels of species diversity.
DIVERSITY WITHIN SMALL MAMMAL COMMUNITIES OF FORESTED SITES AROUND ITASCA STATE PARK AND NEARBY PRAIRIE SITES
(2011-02-09) Etheridge, Robert
The purpose of this study was to examine the diversity of small mammals found within various forest habitats within or near Itasca State Park and to compare and contrast those communities with prairie sites. I hypothesized that the greatest amount of species diversity would be experienced in the prairie habitat. Data was collected through a group effort of the students of Field Studies in Mammalogy (Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities). All captured small mammals were identified, individually marked and released at the point of capture. The collected data was pooled into a single data set for analysis. Peromyscus, referring to either maniculatus or leucopus, were found at both prairie and forest sites while other species were found at one or the other (mutually exclusive). There were a total of seven species captured between the six forest sites and a total of ten species for the six prairie sites. Concurrent with my predictions, the prairie habitat exhibited the greatest level of small mammal diversity.
Mammalogy Diversity Paper (untitled)
(2010-12-06) Sievert, Adam
Typically, forested and prairie habitats can actually vary greatly from other similar habitats. Itasca state park is made up of several different types of forests and other prairie type habitats have been managed in the past with controlled burns. Data from Itasca State Park, mostly located in Clearwater County, Minnesota were taken by; determining six different types of habitat and setting small mammal traps to determine both the total number of species present, and also what type of species are residing in each type of habitat. Graphing the data showed differences in both the total number of species caught, and also the number of species residing in these particular habitat types.
Mammalogy Diversity Paper (untitled)
(2010-12-01) Knight, Jonathan
Throughout the course of the summer session, the mammalogy class set traps in two types of locations, both of which were unrelated in habitat and topography styles. The two different types of locations were in prairie and in forest communities. These traps were checked often to monitor common trends in diversity themes in each location. The traps were set in a variety of forest types including deciduous and coniferous, as well as more dry and more wet areas. The class also set traps in varied locations including prairies with both wet and dry plots. When initially observing the data of the different communities of both the forest and the prairie, my assumption was that the forest would have a larger diversity of species due to the cover that is provided and the different types of food that I would thought would be more readily available in that environment. After examining and comparing the data that we collected in both the prairie and forest locations, the community with the larger number of species that we collected was the prairie. In the prairie community, we collected a total of eight different species. In comparison, we collected a total of six different species in the forest community. Although the prairie community had a larger species diversity, the forest locations produced 35 more total animals.
Prairie and Forest Rodent Diversity
(2011-02-09) Featherstone, Bryan
Minnesota has three biomes; deciduous, coniferous and prairie. Itasca State Park, Located in the NW part of Minnesota has both deciduous and coniferous biomes while being about an hour away from the prairie biome. Each biome has unique vegetation which supports a diversity of rodents. Rodents play an important role in an ecosystem by creating diversity, eating vegetation, and supporting other animals by giving them nutrients. Our study consists of mark recapture methods located in each of the three biomes. Our objective for this study is to compare the biomes in their diversity and amount of individuals. Two questions were asked in this study: (1) Which biome has more species diversity and (2) which biome has more individuals. I hypothesized that the deciduous and coniferous biomes would have more species diversity and individuals because these biomes have more cover to protect the rodents and the forest would provide quality food. In the prairie the rodents would be prone to predators and would have a difficult time finding food.
Small Mammal Community Diversity Within Nearby Prairie Sites and Forested Sites Around Itasca State Park
(2010-12-06) Swisher, Nick
Diversity and species richness of mammals were tested at two different habitats near Itasca State Park, a prairie and a forest. We thought that each of these would be similar between the two habitats. Traps were set and checked for three days to get data to test our hypothesis. We found that the prairie had greater species richness, but the forest had more diversity. A prairie site and a forest site both have a certain amount of diversity in and between each of them. We hypothesize that each site will have a number of animals that is in one or the other and some animals that live in both habitats. We also suspect that both habitats will have a similar amount of diversity. We set traps at each site and checked them for three days each to measure the differences in diversity of each habitat.
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.
Small Mammal Diversity at Burned and Unburned Sites within Itasca State Park and nearby Prairie
(2010-12-06) Thomes, Reggie
Many factors may influence small mammal diversity including other animals present, disruptions, and habitat. In our data collection, we were looking at the factors of habitat and disruption. Fire was the main disruption examined, and prairie habitat was compared to forest habitat. Each trap site had 45 Sherman, 5 Russian, and 5 Longworth traps. The traps were checked for three consecutive days at all sites except Frenchman’s Bluff where by law it was required that we check them twice daily. Diversity indexes were calculated using the Shannon-Weaver Diversity Index equation [H=-ΣPi*ln(Pi)], where Pi is the proportion of species i and H is the diversity index.
Small Mammal Diversity between Forested Areas and Prairies
(2011-02-09) Knoeck, Matthew
An experiment was performed in order to determine which ecosystem had greater small mammal diversity, forested areas of prairie areas. This was done by setting mammal traps in both areas, and comparing trap results. Prairies had one more species caught than forests, but this can not be conclusive that prairies have greater diversity. Intro: ` Forests and prairies are quite different from each other, all the way through the vegetation to the soil. These differences create different niches that animals exploit. Every possible resource is used in order to promote the maximum amount of life sustainable. Our experiment of trapping small mammals at these two ecosystems was preformed in order to show us which site has a greater diversity.

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