The Effects of Spring Burning on Rodent Populations in a Brush Prairie Savanna

Abstract

Small mammals were collected on six study areas, three of which had been burned (two, four, and 11 times) during the past 15 years and three of which had not been burned for 35 years. Each area was equally productive but the species composition varied, indicating a specific preference for either the brush prairie savanna (created and maintained by burning) or the oak forest (resulting from lack of fire). Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis and Clethrionomys gapperi gapperi were common in the unburned forest, and Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii and Spermophilus tridecemlineatus tridecemlineatus responded to the prairie created by burning. Burning of the forest did not significantly reduce the numbers of rodents present.