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Small Mammals in Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima)–Invaded and Native Riparian Habitats of the Western Great Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

William S. Longland
William S. Longland*
Affiliation:
Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 920 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: longland@unr.edu
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Abstract

Invasive saltcedar species have replaced native riparian trees on numerous river systems throughout the western United States, raising concerns about how this habitat conversion may affect wildlife. For periods ranging from 2 to 11 yr, I used live-trapping to monitor small mammal populations in paired saltcedar and native riparian woodlands at four sites in western Nevada and eastern California. Heteromyid rodents, such as Merriam's and Ord's kangaroo rats, were more likely to occur in saltcedar habitats, but other rodent species, particularly the montane vole and western harvest mouse, occurred more often in native habitats, and this balanced species richness in habitat comparisons. The most common species at all sites, the deer mouse, did not show any consistent differences in abundance or in mean body mass between the two habitat types. However, the ratio of captured male to female deer mice was higher in saltcedar than native habitats at two sites. Deer mice as well as Ord's kangaroo rats also had higher rates of being recaptured following initial capture in native habitats, which may have been due to fewer transient individuals occurring in these habitats. By contrast, Merriam's kangaroo rats may have been more transient in native habitats because they were more likely to be recaptured in saltcedar. Individuals of two species, pinyon mouse and white-tailed antelope ground squirrel, had greater mean body mass in native habitats than they did in saltcedar, implying that they may have maintained superior condition in native habitats.

Keywords

Saltcedar, Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.Heteromyidaenativenonnativeriparian woodlandsrodents
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , June 2012 , pp. 230 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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