ORCID
0000-0002-4034-2684 (Gaff)
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.25778/DB6R-4R32
Abstract
Changes in the composition of two small mammal communities were studied during eight and nine years of ecological succession in southern Chesapeake, Virginia. Using monthly live-trapping on grids of similar size and history since their abandonment as agricultural fields, we learned that house mice were early colonists on one grid but not the other. Two species of herbivorous rodent and the granivorous eastern harvest mouse were numerically dominant on both grids across the study. Some species disappeared early on one grid but persisted to the end at the other. The two arboreal small mammals, golden and white-footed mice, were most predictable between sites, showing up at year 8, after significant woody elements were present on the grids. The greatest abundances of small mammals (and probably greatest total biomass too) were seen between years 4 and 6 of ecological succession.
Recommended Citation
Rose, R. K., R. M. Nadolny, J. Kiser, S. E. Rice, H. G. Salamone, J. Eggleston, and H. D. Gaff. 2018. Compositional Changes in Two Small Mammal Communities During Succession in Southeastern Virginia. Virginia Journal of Science, 69(1/2): 1-12. doi: 10.25778/DB6R-4R32. Available at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/vjs/vol69/iss1/2
"online ahead of print" version
Comments
This article has been copyedited and reformatted and is now in its final version. The early “online ahead of print” version is available for reference as an "Additional File" (below).