SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.13 issue2An aproximation to the fauna associated with oak forests of Guantiva- La Rusia - Iguaque corridor (Boyacá-Santander, Colombia)Identification of phytopathogenic fungi associated with oak (Quercus humboldtii Bonpl.), in the municipalities of Encino (Santander), Arcabuco and Tipacoque (Boyacá) author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


Colombia Forestal

Print version ISSN 0120-0739

Abstract

SMITH, Carl G.; HAMEL, Paul B.  and  FUZARO GULLO, Manoelle. EVALUATING SMALL MAMMAL RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISTURBANCE AND RESTORATION IN OAK ECOSYSTEMS IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY. Colomb. for. [online]. 2010, vol.13, n.2, pp.335-346. ISSN 0120-0739.

Oak species form a conspicuous and often dominant component of bottomland forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. The extent of these forests has been drastically reduced as a result of clearing for agri culture in the past two centuries. Patterns of clearing have reduced the distribution of remaining forest patches to a much more flood-prone subset of the landscape than was historically the case, reducing the diversity of oak species currently present on the landscape. Intensive harvesting has further changed the composition of the remaining stands. Small remnant patches of primary forest continue to exist as Research Natural Areas on the Delta National Forest in Sharkey County, Mississippi. In particular, the Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) and Redgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Research Natural Areas pres ent substantial components of the trees for which the areas were named, as well as Quercus nuttallii and smaller components of other species. Recent interest in afforestation has produced a resurgence of interest in restoration of oak forest to abandoned farmland in the region. We have studied small mammal response to restoration on an extensive experiment near the Delta National Forest since 1995. We have also ex amined small mammal response to a tornado that disturbed approximately half of the Overcup Oak Research Natural Area in 2008. We use these studies to demonstrate how population estimates of small mammals can be obtained from capture-recapture studies, employing different designs, and utilizing Program Capture for population estimation. Small mammal communities in these stands are more species-rich in early succession than in primary forest. The study of response to tornado damage to the Overcup Oak Research Natural Area is complicated by the fact that this particular forest type is very flood-prone, creating obstacles to colonization by small mammals. Analysis of capture-recapture data with robust methods illustrated in this study permits extraction of more information from the same field effort expended in time-consuming small mammal trapping studies that have been subjected to less de tailed analysis. Our work may prove useful to others interested in study of small mammals in oak forest systems in Central and South America.

Keywords : disturbance; population estimation; sampling methods; Peromyscus; disturbance; program capture; Quercus.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in English     · English ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License