Comparative demography of Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus oregoni populations after logging and burning of coastal forest habitats

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the abundance and related demographic attributes of Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus oregoni populations in successional burned and unburned cutover areas. These populations were livetrapped in three habitats at Maple Ridge, British Columbia, from March to October 1978. The average densities of deer mice and Oregon voles per hectare on the burned area were 27.6 and 11.6, and on two unburned areas were 19.1 and 16.0, and 21.9 and 10.4, respectively. There was little variation in the proportion of breeding animals among habitats for either species. Male deer mice survived better on the burned area than in either of the other two habitats; there was little variation in survival among females. Males and females of M. oregoni survived equally well. Deer mice generally had greater proportions of reproductive animals and survived better than Oregon voles on all study areas. However, juvenile voles had 1.7 times higher survival than young deer mice. Demographic parameters within populations of P. maniculatus and M. oregoni tend to be similar in successional burned and unburned habitats 4–5 years after logging.