Within-Patch Structures Influence Small Mammal Abundance in Managed Forests of Northern California, USA.

Gray, Steven M; Roloff, Gary J; Dennhardt, Andrew J; Dotters, Brian P; Engstrom, Thomas T

We evaluated how forest type, vegetation structure in trapping webs, and proximate forest types influenced localized (~6.35 hectares) abundances for commonly captured small mammals in northern California, USA. We trapped from May to August of 2011–13 in 69 forest patches that represented: (1) clearcuts (3–5 years postharvest), (2) 10–20 year-old conifer plantations, (3) rotation-aged conifer stands, and (4) Watercourse and Lake Protection Zones. We captured 11 species; four in sufficient numbers for regression modeling. Our average abundance estimates for the study were 4.57 (standard error [SE] = 0.43), 0.32 (SE = 0.11), 0.90 (SE = 0.30), and 0.25 (SE = 0.09) individuals per web location (~0.75 hectares) for Peromyscus spp. Neotoma spp. California ground squirrels, and Allen's chipmunks. We found that web-level ground cover (shrubs and grass), downed wood, and types of forests containing our trapping webs best described small mammal abundances, whereas proximate forest types were not important. Our results indicated that retaining localized structures in the form of understory shrub cover and downed wood positively influences small mammal abundance in intensively managed forests of northern California.

CALIFORNIA; GROUND squirrels; SHRUBS; MAMMALS; GROUND cover plants; REGRESSION analysis; CHIPMUNKS

Forest Science, 2019, Vol 65, Issue 6, p796

0015-749X

Academic Journal

10.1093/forsci/fxz037