Modeling Habitat Suitability for Small Mammals in Chihuahuan Desert Foothills of New Mexico

Abstract

Desert arroyos make up only 2-4% of the desert landscape but may be unique habitat for some wildlife species. Habitat suitability models for small mammals could indicate habitat condition in these uncommon areas and, through monitoring, provide a tool for arid lands wildlife management. During 1993 and 1994, we modeled habitat associations for 18 species of small mammals in 6 habitats associated with desert foothills in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. Habitat associations of small mammals remained relatively consistent through time, although community abundance decreased 34% from spring 1993 to fall 1994. These habitat associations allowed us to use discriminant analysis to model habitat associations based upon designation of habitat as capable of supporting high, moderate, or low relative abundance. The procedure successfully classified 80-93% of habitats as supporting high, moderate, or low abundance of 13 species of heteromyid and murid rodents. Murid rodents (Peromyscus, Reithrodontomys, Neotoma, Sigmodon) were found primarily within arroyos where shrub diversity, canopy cover, and height were greatest compared to surrounding habitats. The modeling approach described herein should be useful to managers because stochastic temporal change in the relative abundance of small mammals is effectively removed from consideration.