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.

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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.