Influence of Fire and Topography on Habitat Selection by Peromyscus maniculatus and Reithrodontomys megalotis in Ungrazed Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract

Twelve species of small mammals were captured in 10 treatment areas manipulated by fire on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. The four fire classes studied were annual fire, first year after fire with previous fire ≥4 years earlier (year 1), 2–4 years since fire (years 2–4), and ≥5 years since fire (year 5+). Of the two common rodents, Peromyscus maniculatus selected year 1 sites in all seasons, whereas Reithrodontomys megalotis selected annual fire sites in spring and years 2–4 sites in summer with no differences in autumn. Based on 12 fire-topography categories (fire categories the same as above; topography categories: upland, breaks [area of the limestone outcrop at the edge of the hills], and lowland), habitat selection by P. maniculatus and R. megalotis differed significantly between autumn and summer, but could not be tested for spring. Analysis of structural features demonstrated that habitat use by P. maniculatus was related negatively to amount of litter and positively to amount of exposed soil and grass. These three features were related to time since fire; however, the lack of litter likely was the most important feature in the positive response by P. maniculatus to conditions following a fire. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between habitat features and use by R. megalotis .