Relative abundance, richness, and diversity of small mammals at induced forest edges

Abstract

To determine whether small mammals show "edge effect" at induced forest edges created by harvest cutting, small mammals were snap-trapped from 1990 to 1992 at 5 sites harvested 0–10 years previously in the University of New Brunswick Forest, Fredericton. Nine species were captured in 8686 trap-nights. There was edge effect in older (6–10 years) but not in recent (0–5 years) cuts. This was shown by both high relative abundance for all species combined and species diversity in the ecotone (from 10 m into the harvest cut to 10 m into the forest). Species richness did not show any edge-related pattern. Edge effect with respect to relative abundance was largely due to Peromyscus maniculatus and Clethrionomys gapperi. Peromyscus maniculatus reached the highest relative abundance 10 m in the forest and was not captured beyond 10 m in the harvest cut. Clethrionomys gapperi made use of the forest side of the ecotone and was not captured beyond 5 m in the harvest cut. Napaeozapus insignis, Zapus hudsonius, and Soricidae (Blarina brevicauda, Sorex cinereus, and S. fumeus) showed no attraction to, or avoidance of, the edge.