Effects of haying on small mammals in mixed grass prairie of centralKansas

摘要

Only a few studies have examined the effects of haying on species of small mammals ingrasslands. We assessed this effect by trapping small mammals in autumn each year in5 experimental (hayed) and 6 control (not hayed) sites in mixed grass prairie on theSmoky Hills Army National Guard Training Facility in Saline County, Kansas during1998-2000. Only 1 species, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), did not respondnegatively to the change in habitat structure that resulted from haying. The remaining8 species either occurred in lower numbers on the hayed sites or avoided themcompletely. Species richness was higher on the control sites (2.2 species per site) thanon the experimental sites (0.87). Likewise, species diversity also tended to be higher onthe control sites than on the experimental sites. Our results not only suggest thenegative impact that summer-autumn haying has on small mammal species andcommunities in native and planted grasslands, but also has implications for the practiceof mowing and baling of roadside ditches, which serve as refuges for many species ofsmall mammals in landscapes dominated by croplands and rangelands.