LB 10-138 - The impacts of disturbed habitat gradients on field mice occupation and distribution

Thursday, August 18, 2022

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Located in: ESA Exhibit Hall

Presenting Author(s)

Danielle Lee

Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois, United States

Coauthor(s)

BK

Bethany Kassebaum

Instructor
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois, United States
HG

Hannah-Beth Griffis

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois, United States
BS

Benjamin Schuette

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois, United States
AA

Alexis Acoff

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
MM

Megan Morrow

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
JR

Jack Richards

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
KP

Kevin Peoples

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States

Background/Question/Methods:

We studied the species diversity and richness of various field mice in natural habitats along a peri-rural and peri-urban gradient. Commensal and native wild species of mice are able to live and thrive across a continuum of natural to human-modified landscapes and disturbed habitats. Specifically, we live-trapped and released locally occurring mice (Mus, Zapus, Microtus, and Peromyscus) across old field and brownfield habitats in a peri-rural-urban landscape that experience low levels of disturbance. Old fields are characterized as open tracts of grassland growing fallow with self-recruited vegetation, whereas brownfields are open tracts that experienced past major contamination from buildings and machinery. We compared the capture frequency of mice species at field sites within old field and brownfield habitats. We also asked if species frequency and abundance were influenced by the surrounding landscape.

Results/Conclusions:

Microtus (voles) were found in both old and brownfields, and had higher capture frequencies than all other observed species. They were captured in higher frequencies in field sites with more open grasslands. Peromyscus were exclusively trapped in the brownfields, but captured at higher frequencies in field sites adjacent to wooded corridors. For Mus (house mice) and Zapus (jumping mice) the surrounding areas were more indicative of habitat than the field type, although both species were captured in old and brown fields. Specifically, jumping mice were only caught in tall grasses along the edges of the field sites that bordered ponds and wooded areas; whereas house mice were captured primarily in fields adjacent to outbuildings. This suggests surrounding environment and habitat features do seem to contribute to species differences in occurrence and abundance. Additionally, temporal differences in capture frequency between species indicate possible population cycling events. Taken together, our results indicate that space, place, and time matter for field mice population and community maintenance.