02786nas a2200241 4500008004100000245010400041210006900145300001300214490000800227520206500235653001402300653001402314653001702328653001802345653002902363653002902392653001702421653001402438653001502452100001802467700001802485856004102503 2014 eng d00aPlains harvest mice in tallgrass prairie: abundance, habitat association and individual attributes0 aPlains harvest mice in tallgrass prairie abundance habitat assoc a167 -1800 v1173 a
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.
10aabundance10abody size10afire effects10aKonza Prairie10anative tallgrass prairie10aReithrodontomys montanus10areproduction10asex ratio10atopography1 aKaufman, G.A.1 aKaufman, D.W. uhttps://doi.org/10.1660/062.117.030202685nas a2200265 4500008004100000245010400041210006900145300001300214490000800227520188700235653001402122653002902136653001402165653002302179653001802202653002302220653001702243653002502260653001702285653002202302100001802324700001802342700001802360856004102378 2011 eng d00aAbundance and spatiotemporal distribution of the non-native house mouse in native tallgrass prairie0 aAbundance and spatiotemporal distribution of the nonnative house a217 -2300 v1143 aWe have sampled small mammals on the Konza Prairie Biological Station, in eastern Kansas, from autumn 1981 through the present. One part of this effort has involved sampling rodents and shrews on 14 permanent traplines (20 stations, 15-m interstation intervals and 4 consecutive nights) situated in native tallgrass prairie during each of 29 autumns and 29 springs as well as 6 summers. In these permanent sites, house mice (Mus musculus) were extremely uncommon as illustrated by average abundances of 0.023 mice/100 trap nights (TN) in autumn, 0.022 mice/100 TN in summer and 0.000 mice/100 TN in spring. Precipitation in summer influenced autumn use of tallgrass prairie by house mice; captures only occurred in autumn when precipitation was ≥300 mm in the previous summer. House mice were slightly more likely (though not significantly) to be captured in lowland than upland or hill slope prairie. The distribution of occurrence was not influenced by fire (burned or unburned) or grazing history (grazed or ungrazed). Over our total trapping efforts on Konza Prairie (sampling on the permanent traplines plus other traplines and grids), we captured only 36 house mice or about 0.01 individual/100 TN. Overall, more males (64%) than females were captured; males, on average, were larger (14.0 g) than females (10.5 g) in body size; females typically were non-reproductive (only one of 13 was pregnant) and individuals typically were trapped only once. Captures were distributed broadly in both space and time and lacked predictability (i.e., exhibited an “anti-nested” distribution of captures). These and other patterns suggest that most house mice were transients in the tallgrass prairie. Distribution and abundance of house mice also imply that this introduced species is extremely uncommon and likely will never be invasive in native tallgrass prairie.
10aabundance10aanti-nested distribution10abody size10aintroduced species10aKonza Prairie10alimestone outcrops10aMus musculus10aplanted brome fields10areproduction10awoodland habitats1 aKaufman, D.W.1 aKaufman, D.M.1 aKaufman, G.A. uhttps://doi.org/10.1660/062.114.030302405nas a2200253 4500008004100000245006400041210005900105300001100164490000800175520171900183653001401902653001401916653002001930653000901950653001201959653002501971653001701996653002202013653001802035653002102053100001802074700001802092856004102110 2011 eng d00aThe least shrew on Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas0 aleast shrew on Konza Prairie Biological Station Kansas a47 -580 v1143 aWe report specific locations and attributes of least shrews (Cryptotis parva) captured over a 29-year period on the Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas. We used large, nonfolding Sherman live traps to survey small mammals in native tallgrass prairie habitats (by traplines and grids), woodland habitats (by traplines and grids) and planted brome fields (traplines only). Eighty-seven least shrews were captured over the 29 years of surveys (ca. 350,000 trap nights). Almost all captures (98%) occurred in prairie habitat; 80% of all captures occurred on a prairie grid during a 5-year period. Least shrews on prairie traplines were captured in a variety of topographic positions (upland, hillside slope and lowland) and in burned and unburned prairie, but not in prairie grazed by bison. We captured individuals that ranged in body size from 2.5–8.0 g. The mean body mass of all captured least shrews was 4.7 g (excluding pregnant females) and, when only adults were included (excluding pregnant females), it was 5.1g. We noted 13 pregnancies among 12 females; the earliest pregnancy was recorded in mid-April and latest in mid-October. Most pregnancies (ca. 70%) were recorded in two months, July and September. Lactating females that were not pregnant were larger in size (5.5 g) than non-reproductive females (4.4 g). Response of least shrews to live traps was not neophobic; and, in fact, about 30% of the shrews were captured on day 1 of a 4-day trapping period on prairie sites. Our data add information about attributes of least shrews living in natural habitats, such as the tallgrass prairie, and support two previous studies, which suggested that least shrews are rare on Konza Prairie.
10aabundance10abody size10aCryptotis parva10afire10aGrazing10aplanted brome fields10areproduction10atallgrass prairie10atrap response10awoodland habitat1 aKaufman, G.A.1 aKaufman, D.W. uhttps://doi.org/10.1660/062.114.010401874nas a2200205 4500008004100000245007300041210006800114300001300182490000800195520120400203653001401407653002301421653002501444653002201469653002201491653002001513100001801533700001801551856009901569 2010 eng d00aThe meadow jumping mouse on Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas0 ameadow jumping mouse on Konza Prairie Biological Station Kansas a209 -2160 v1133 aWe report specific locations, habitat associations and attributes of meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius) captured over a 28-year period on the Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas. We used large Sherman live traps to survey small mammals in native tallgrass prairie habitats (by traplines and grids), woodland habitats (by traplines and grids) and planted brome fields (traplines only). Fifteen meadow jumping mice were captured over the 28 years of surveys (a total of >300,000 trap nights). Nine males and six females were captured between late June and October; only a single male was scrotal and no females were visibly reproductively active. Furthermore, meadow jumping mice were from young adult-to-adult body size (13.5–21.0 g), except for a 9.5 g male trapped in mid-October. In terms of habitat association, more meadow jumping mice were captured in woodland habitats than in native prairie (standardized to trapping efforts in each habitat). No jumping mice were captured in brome fields. We conclude that overall the meadow jumping mouse is rare, but might be locally common in some years, on Konza Prairie, which lies near the southwestern edge of its current range distribution.10aabundance10alimestone outcrops10aplanted brome fields10atallgrass prairie10awoodland habitats10aZapus hudsonius1 aKaufman, G.A.1 aKaufman, D.W. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/meadow-jumping-mouse-konza-prairie-biological-station-kansas02819nas a2200193 4500008004100000245009000041210006900131300001300200490000700213520214500220653001402365653003402379653003002413653001402443653001502457100001802472700001802490856011702508 2005 eng d00aAbundance and possible functions of the root-colonising dark septate endophytic fungi0 aAbundance and possible functions of the rootcolonising dark sept a173 -1890 v533 aA comparison of published estimates of mycorrhizal and dark septate endophyte (DSE) colonisation from various ecosystems suggests that DSE may be as abundant as mycorrhizal fungi as judged by the proportion of host plants colonised in mixed plant communities, or by the extent of colonisation in sampled root systems. While many strides have been made in understanding the ecological significance of the mycorrhizal fungi, our knowledge about the role of DSE fungi is in its infancy. In order to provide a framework of testable hypotheses, we review and discuss the most likely functions of this poorly understood group of root-associated fungi. We propose that, like mycorrhizal symbioses, DSE-plant symbioses should be considered multifunctional and not limited to nutrient acquisition and resultant positive host growth responses. Admittedly, many mycorrhizal and endophyte functions, (e.g. stress tolerance, pathogen or herbivore deterrence) are likely to be mediated by improved nutritional status and increased fitness of the host. Accordingly, it is pivotal to establish whether or not the DSE fungi are involved in host nutrient acquisition, either from inorganic and readily soluble sources, or from organic and recalcitrant sources. Facilitation by DSE of the use of organic nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur sources by plants is a topic that warrants further attention and research. Even in the absence of a clear nutrient uptake function, the extensive DSE colonisation that occurs is likely to pre-emptively or competitively deter pathogens by minimising the carbon available in host rhizosphere environment. The DSEs' high melanin levels and their potential production of secondary metabolites toxic or inhibitory to herbivores are also likely to be factors influencing host performance. Finally, the broad host ranges speculated for most DSE fungi thus far suggest that they are candidates for controlling plant community dynamics via differential host responses to colonisation. We emphasise the need for simple experiments that allow unravelling of the basic biological functions of DSE fungi when they colonise their hosts.10aabundance10aDark septate endophytes (DSE)10amultifunctional symbioses10amutualism10amycorrhiza1 aMandyam, K.G.1 aJumpponen, A. uhttp://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/abundance-and-possible-functions-root-colonising-dark-septate-endophytic-fungi