Responses of a small mammal community to heterogeneity along forest-old-field edges
Responses of a small mammal community to heterogeneity along forest-old-field edges
复制标题
小型哺乳动物群落对森林-旧田边缘异质性的反应
DOI：
10.1023/a:1008093823391
复制
发表时间：
1999
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
C. Canham
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
R. Manson;R. Ostfeld;C. Canham
尽管边缘效应在生态系统中的重要性，动物对栖息地边缘的反应的原因和后果在很大程度上是未知的。我们用了三年的生活陷阱和陷阱站周围的植物群落的措施，以探讨白足鼠（Peromyscus leucopus），草甸田鼠（Microtus pennsylvicus），和短尾鼩（Blarina brevicauda）的森林领域的边缘在纽约州北部的反应。我们发现，捕获概率的田鼠是最高的草和杂类草为主的微栖息地，并在老领域区远离森林边缘。相比之下，白足鼠的捕获概率最高的灌木为主的微生境和森林边缘附近的区域。短尾鼩没有表现出很强的微观或宏观栖息地协会。田鼠，在我们的系统中的竞争优势，变化沿着森林领域的边缘的反应，多年来更一致的竞争劣势，白足鼠。当田鼠密度高时，小鼠不太可能使用旧场地的内部，这表明田鼠对小鼠的竞争性取代。最后，我们发现小鼠和田鼠的空间活动模式之间的协议，在老领域和他们的影响模式的生存树种子和幼苗在并行研究。这些结果表明，植物和动物群落之间存在着动态的相互作用沿着森林边缘。
Despite the importance of edges effects in ecological systems, the causes and consequences of animal responses to habitat edges are largely unknown. We used three years of live-trapping and measures of the plant community around trap stations to explore the responses of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) to forest-field edges in upstate New York. We found that capture probabilities of voles were highest in grass- and forb-dominated micro-habitats and in old-field zones distant from the forest edge. In contrast, capture probabilities of white-footed mice were highest in shrub-dominated microhabitats and in zones near the forest edge. Short-tailed shrews did not show strong micro- or macrohabitat associations. The responses by voles, the competitive dominant in our system, to variation along forest-field edges were more consistent across years than were those of the competitively inferior, white-footed mouse. Mice were less likely to use the old-field interiors when vole density was high than when it was low, suggesting competitive displacement of mice by voles. Finally, we found good agreement between the spatial activity patterns of mice and voles in old-fields and their impacts on patterns of survival of tree seeds and seedlings in concurrent studies. These results suggest that a dynamic interaction exists between the plant and animal communities along forest edges.