Habitat use by small mammals on early-growth clear-cuttings in western Oregon

Abstract

Abundance and habitat relationships of small mammals were studied on two early-growth clear-cuttings in the Oregon Coast Range. Ten species were captured in 3 years of study; Peromyscus maniculatus accounted for the majority (64%) of captures. Six other species were captured frequently enough for habitat analyses: Microtus oregoni (15%), Eutamias townsendii (11%), Zapus trinotatus (3%), Sorex vagrans (3%), Sorex trowbridgii (2%), and Sorex pacificus (2%). The small-mammal community was composed of a single, numerically dominant habitat generalist (Peromyscus) and several numerically subordinate species that showed varying degrees of habitat specificity. An overall significant difference in habitat use among the seven species was demonstrated with discriminant function analysis; this separation was based primarily on differences in the use of forb and grass cover. However, there was high overlap in microhabitat associations among species, which was likely due to the environment in regenerating coniferous forests.