@article {KNZ001991, title = {Small mammals in the northern Flint Hills prairie: Overwinter changes in abundance}, journal = {Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science}, volume = {121}, year = {2018}, pages = {297 - 315}, abstract = {

It is assumed that abundance of individual species of rodents and shrews in temperate regions decrease overwinter owing to winter mortality and cessation of reproduction. We wanted to examine this autumn versus spring pattern by using a 32-year long-term dataset from seven treatment sites on Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, Kansas, although we could not examine mortality or reproduction directly. We specifically wanted to determine first whether long-term patterns for species of small mammals showed that abundance decreased from autumn to spring and secondarily whether these patterns held among years and different habitat types. The decrease from autumn to spring was supported but, for individual species, varied from a 4\% decrease to a 99\–100\% decrease. For the ten species that had at least one capture in either autumn or spring, the years in which autumn abundance was greater than that in spring varied among species; the range was from 44\% of years for thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) to 100\% for Elliot\&$\#$39;s short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga). Likewise, patterns of decrease varied considerably among habitat types when spring abundance was compared as a percent of autumn abundance in the six most common species in seven research treatments. For example, spring abundance of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), the most common small mammal, was only 52\–54\% of that in autumn for ungrazed sites that were burned annually, burned every 4 years or burned infrequently, whereas it was 105\–130\% of autumn abundance in bison-grazed sites that were burned annually or burned infrequently. Among the seven research treatments, the two least variable species decreasing in abundance from autumn to spring were Elliot\&$\#$39;s short-tailed shrews (spring populations were only 0\–2\% of those in autumn) and hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus; spring populations only 0\–15\% of those in autumn). Given the length of the study period, the high proportion of years that numbers of the common rodents increased from autumn to spring within the highly diverse mosaic of prairie studied suggests that a significant level of reproduction can occur between autumn and spring in many years, a life history trait that requires more study, especially in light of global climate change.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Annual variation, deer mice, Konza Prairie, Long-term ecological research, native tallgrass prairie, overwinter decline, relative abundance, rodents, Seasonal variation, shrews, site variation}, doi = {10.1660/062.121.0413}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.1660/062.121.0413}, author = {D.W. Kaufman and Kaufman, G.A.} } @article {KNZ002023, title = {Low biodiversity of small mammals in soybean fields in the northern Flint Hills, Kansas}, journal = {Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science}, volume = {120}, year = {2017}, pages = {175 - 182}, abstract = {

We studied small mammals in lowland soybean fields along Kings Creek on Konza Prairie during autumn 1981 and spring 1982 to assess the composition of the small mammal community in this particular cropland habitat. We also compared species composition and other community characteristics in these crop fields to those observed in native prairie, planted brome grasslands and riparian woodlands. The small mammal community in the soybean fields was dominated by seed-eating rodents as we recorded 100\% deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) during autumn and primarily deer mice (92\%) with a low proportion (8\%) of white-footed mice (P. leucopus) during spring. In upland tallgrass prairie comprised primarily of warm-season grasses, the small mammal community was dominated by deer mice (32\%), western harvest mice (30\%; Reithrodontomys megalotis) and by white-footed mice (8\%) in autumn and then by deer mice (35\%), white-footed mice (22\%) and harvest mice (21\%) in spring. The community of small mammals in soybean fields was not only different from that in native upland prairie but also from nearby brome fields. In this cool-season grass habitat, herbivorous rodents dominated as \>80\% of the small mammals were hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) during autumn and then prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and cotton rats combined in spring. The small mammal community in nearby lowland and slope prairie collected over many seasons during different years also supports the expectation that the community in soybean fields was drastically different from what would have occurred in lowland prairie habitat (most likely dominated by prairie voles, deer mice and western harvest mice) before European settlement and agricultural impacts.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Agricultural impacts, brome fields, deer mouse, Konza Prairie, native tallgrass prairie, prairie vole, rodents, shrews, western harvest mice, white-footed mouse}, doi = {10.1660/062.120.0404}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.1660/062.120.0404}, author = {D.W. Kaufman and Kaufman, G.A.} } @article {KNZ001673, title = {Plains harvest mice in tallgrass prairie: abundance, habitat association and individual attributes}, journal = {Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science}, volume = {117}, year = {2014}, pages = {167 -180}, abstract = {

The plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus) inhabits grasslands in the Great Plains, but little is known about its ecology and natural history in native tallgrass prairie. We sampled native tallgrass prairie in spring and autumn by standard traplines on the Konza Prairie Biological Station during autumn 1981-spring 2013 and for shorter time periods in woodlands and brome fields. In addition to our long-term research, we studied small mammals on a large Prairie Grid (\∼13 ha) that was trapped intensively (about every 2 weeks except in winter) during 1984\–1987. Plains harvest mice (n = 39) were captured in native prairie but not in brome fields or wooded habitats. In all prairie sites, they were found to be rare (1.1 individuals/10,000 trap nights [TN]); in 14 Core Sites sampled for 32 years, abundance was higher in autumn (1.95/10,000 TN) than in spring (0.70/10,000 TN). It was not apparent that these low abundances were related to precipitation or another weather feature. On the Prairie Grid, plains harvest mice were associated with uplands and secondarily with slopes, whereas they avoided lowlands. Furthermore, they showed a positive response to conditions that are created during the first growing season following spring prescribed fires. Overall, 44\% of individuals were males and this value did not differ from a 1:1 sex ratio. Non-reproductive females (8.7 g) were slightly larger than males (8.3 g); only females occupied the largest body size class (11.0\–11.5 g). The smallest pregnant female weighed 9.0 g, whereas the smallest female that was lactating as evidenced by conspicuous mammae weighed 7.0 g. Pregnancies were recorded in spring, summer and autumn but not in winter; about one-third of females captured were pregnant. A juvenile (5.5 g) was captured in summer. We conclude that to understand this rare species (ca. 0.1\% of the small mammal community on Konza Prairie) even studies with small sample sizes are important to elucidate the natural history and ecology of the plains harvest mouse.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ, abundance, body size, fire effects, Konza Prairie, native tallgrass prairie, Reithrodontomys montanus, reproduction, sex ratio, topography}, doi = {10.1660/062.117.0302}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1660/062.117.0302}, author = {Kaufman, G.A. and D.W. Kaufman} }