Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Small Mammal Community Structure And Bait Preference In Missouri Prairie Patches, Sofia L. Orlando
Small Mammal Community Structure And Bait Preference In Missouri Prairie Patches, Sofia L. Orlando
MSU Graduate Theses
Ecological community studies provide insights on how species interact with biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Community assembly is dynamic and often mediated by stochastic processes or deterministic properties. Establishing patterns in community composition could help to predict the suitability of a patch, which is crucial in endangered ecosystems. Small mammals are a model indicator for community change as their populations experience perplexing fluctuations. Many mechanisms have been proposed to drive small mammal species composition, but inconsistencies in past studies warrant further investigation. A previous study on prairie patches in Missouri revealed that there was an unknown catalyst for …
Occupancy Of Small Mammals In Missouri’S Fragmented Prairies, Morgan Elizabeth Rodery
Occupancy Of Small Mammals In Missouri’S Fragmented Prairies, Morgan Elizabeth Rodery
MSU Graduate Theses
Prairies once extended across much of Missouri, but now are dwindling and often surrounded by agriculture or other developed land. This has resulted in a mosaic-like landscape made up of small patches that are often isolated and distant from other patches. The theory of Island Biogeography posits that species richness of habitat patches exists as a dynamic equilibrium between colonization and extinction rates and that larger islands should contain more species than smaller islands. The purpose of this study is to examine how occupancy of a small mammal prairie specialist, the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster, and other small mammal …