Small Mammal Diversity Comparison Between Different Biomes in North East Minnesota

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine small mammal diversity between two separate biomes within Minnesota and see if there are significant differences between areas. Biomes are made up of microhabitats, which creates different types of proffered habitat for different animal species. For example, Peromyscus leucopus selects habitat based on the complexity of the vertical structure (Kaufman et al. 1983). Small mammal sampling grids were set in order to identify the species present and in what proportions. The data will determine which of the two biomes contains a higher diversity and if there are any similarities between the two areas.