Dynamics of Habitat use by Small Mammals in Prairie Communities

Small mammal abundance was measured in a variety of habitats ranging from dry, sloping grasslands to moist, low-lying shrubland at Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota. These data were used to assess habitat use and to determine the specific habitat features related to species abundance. Microtus pennsylvanicus occupied the most moist sites, which included riparian shrubland, tallgrass prairie and mesic grassland. Peromyscus maniculatus was most abundant in rock outcrop-grassland in 1984 and in disturbed tallgrass prairie in 1985. Peromyscus leucopus was restricted almost exclusively to oak-ash woodland. Sorex cinereus, the most ubiquitous species, occupied all habitats. Associations between small mammal species' abundances and habitat variables were dynamic through time and space. The two-level approach (macro and micro scale) to habitat studies would be enhanced by examining seasonal and annual changes in small mammal abundance.