Weather and Populations of Small Mammals: A Twenty Year Study
Location
CSU
Student's Major
Biological Sciences
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
Brock R. McMillan
Mentor's Department
Biological Sciences
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
This study investigated the relation between weather and population dynamics of small mammals. Prior studies have shown that changes in weather can alter population size by affecting mortality and fecundity rates. A twenty-year data set was used to detect correlations between weather factors and year-to-year fluctuations in population sizes of Feromyscus leucopus and Microtus pennsylvanicus. During the study (1977 to 1997), the field site underwent succession from a grassland to a forest. Annual population size was estimated using a mark-recapture trapping method in the fall of each year. Interannual variation in population size was analyzed using winter temperature, winter snowfall amount, summer temperature, and summer rainfall amount as independent variables. The analysis of weather effects also accounted for long-term habitat change. The implications of these results for the understanding of population fluctuations of small mammals are discussed.
Weather and Populations of Small Mammals: A Twenty Year Study
CSU
This study investigated the relation between weather and population dynamics of small mammals. Prior studies have shown that changes in weather can alter population size by affecting mortality and fecundity rates. A twenty-year data set was used to detect correlations between weather factors and year-to-year fluctuations in population sizes of Feromyscus leucopus and Microtus pennsylvanicus. During the study (1977 to 1997), the field site underwent succession from a grassland to a forest. Annual population size was estimated using a mark-recapture trapping method in the fall of each year. Interannual variation in population size was analyzed using winter temperature, winter snowfall amount, summer temperature, and summer rainfall amount as independent variables. The analysis of weather effects also accounted for long-term habitat change. The implications of these results for the understanding of population fluctuations of small mammals are discussed.
