Comparison of Diversity of Small Mammals In and Around Itasca State Park Inside Forested and Prairie Areas

Abstract

In a series of three trap nights, we collected data from trapped small mammals in a group of eight separate grids in stands of pine, aspen, bog, oak savannah, and burned prairie. The purpose of these trappings was to determine the abundance and diversity of small mammals in each of the eight trapping stations, and then compare these data to determine which, if any, are the more diverse areas in and around Itasca State Park. Many factors could be at play with the distribution and diversity of these small mammals, including edge effect, differential trappability, and most notably, habitat. The main data I used to compare diversity were number of species, total number of mammals, and recapture percentage.