Abstract
Tree islands in the Everglades prairie provided a unique opportunity to study how patch dynamics affect population processes in two small mammal species, the marsh rice rat and hispid cotton rat. We assessed the effect of island size and water on density, survivorship, reproduction, and movement in both these species. Rice rats had the highest densities on the small islands, while survivorship and reproductive activity was not affected by island size. Cotton rats had the highest densities and reproductive activity on large islands, while survivorship and reproduction was not affected by island size In both species, the highest proportion of animals moved from small islands.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andreassen, H. P. Hertzberg, K. and Ims, R.A. 1998. Space-use responses to habitat fragmentation and connectivity in the root vole Microtus oeconomus. Ecology, 79: 1223–1235.
Bowers, M.A., and Matter, S.F. 1997. Landscape ecology of mammals: relationships between density and patch size. Journal of Mammalogy 78: 999–1013.
Davis, S.M., Gunderson, L.H., Park, W.A., Richardson, J.R. and Mattson J.E. 1994. Landscape dimension, composition, and function in a changing Everglades ecosystem. In: Davis, S.M., and Ogden, J.C. eds. Everglades: The Ecosystem and its Restoration. Delray Beach, FL. St. Lucie Press, pp. 419–444.
Diffendorfer, J.E., Slade, N.A., Gaines, M.S., and Holt, R.D. 1995. Population dynamics of small mammals in fragmented and continuous old-field habitat. In: Lidicker, W.Z. ed. Landscape Approaches in Mammalian Ecology and Conservation. Minneapolis MN: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 175–199
Dooley, J.L., Jr. and Bowers, M.A. 1996. Influences of patch size and microhabitat on the demography of two old-field rodents. Oikos, 75:453-462
Gaines, M.S., Foster, J., Diffendorfer, J.E., Sera, W.E., Holt, R.D. and Robinson, G.R. 1992a. Population process and biological diversity. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. 57: 252–262.
Gaines, M.S., Robinson, G.R., Diffendorfer, J.E. Holt, R.D. and Johnson, M.L. 1992b. The effects of habitat fragmentation on small mammal populations. In: McCullough, D.R. and Barret, R. H. eds. Wildlife 2001: Populations. London, UK. Elsevier Applied Science, pp 875–885.
Gunderson, L.H. 1994. Vegetation of the Everglades: determinants of community composition. In: Davis, S.M., and Ogden, J.C. eds. Everglades: The Ecosystem and its Restoration. Delray Beach, FL. St. Lucie Press, pp. 323–240.
Hansson, L., Fahrig, L. and Merriam, G. 1995. Landscape Mosaics and Ecological Processes London, UK. Chapman and Hall.
Harrison, S. 1999. Local and regional diversity in a patchy landscape: native, alien, and endemic herbs on serpentine. Ecology, 80: 70–80.
Hestbeck, J.B., Nichols, J.D., and Malecki, R.A. 1991. Estimates of movement and site fidelity using mark-resight data of wintering Canada geese. Ecology, 72: 523–533.
Johnson, M.L. and Gaines, M.S. 1987. The selective basis for dispersal of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. Ecology, 68: 684–694.
Johnson, M.L. and Gaines, M.S. 1990. Evolution of dispersal: theoretical models and empirical test using birds and mammals. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 21: 449–480.
Joule, J. and Jameson, D.L. 1972. Experimental manipulation of population density in three sympatric rodents. Ecology, 53: 653–660.
Krebs, C.J. 1989. Ecological Methodology. New York. Harper and Row.
Krebs, C.J. 1999. Ecological Methodology. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin/Cummings.
Kunz, T.H., Wemmer, C. and Hayssen, V. 1996. Sex, age, and reproductive condition of mammals. In: Wilson, D.E., Cole, F.R. Nichols, J.D. Rudran, R. and Foster, M.S. eds. Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity. Standard Methods for Mammals. Washington D.C. Smithsonian Institution Press., pp 279–290.
Ostfeld, R.S., Prickett, S.T.A. Shachak, M. and Likens G.E. 1996. Defining the scientific issues. In: Pickett, S.T.A., Ostfeld, R.S. Shachak, M. and Likens, G.E. eds. The Ecological Basis of Conservation: Heterogeneity, Ecosystems, and Biodiversity. New York. Chapman and Hall, pp 3–10.
Robinson, G.R., Holt, R.D., Gaines, M.S. Hamburg, S.P. Johnson, M.L. Fitch, H.S. and Martinko, E.A. 1992. Diverse and contrasting effects of habitat fragmentation. Science, 257: 524–526.
Smith, A.T. 1980. Lack of interspecific interactions of Everglades rodents on two spatial scales. Acta Theriologica, 25: 61–70.
Smith, A.T. 1982. Population and reproductive trends of Peromyscus gossypinus in the Everglades of south Florida. Mammalia, 49: 467–475.
Smith, A.T. and Vrieze, J. M. 1979. Population structure of everglades rodents: responses to a patchy environment. Journal of Mammalogy, 60: 778–794.
Spendelow, J. A., Nichols, J. D., Nisbet, I. C., Hays, H., Cormons, G. D., Burger, J., Safina, C., Hines, J. E. and M. Gochfeld. 1995. Estimating annual survival and movement rates of adults within a metapopulation of roseate terns. Ecology, 76: 2415–2428.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gaines, M.S., Sasso, C.R., Diffendorfer, J.E., Beck, H. (2002). Effects of Tree Island Size and Water on the Population Dynamics of Small Mammals in the Everglades. In: Sklar, F.H., Van Der Valk, A. (eds) Tree Islands of the Everglades. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0001-1_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0001-1_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6490-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0001-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive