Occurrence and Relative Abundance of Small Mammals Associated With
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AN ABSTRACT OF TEE TEES IS OF Mark Steven Hinschberger for the degree of Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife esented on May Li, 1978 Title:OCCURRENCEAND RELATIVEABUNDANCE OFSMALL MAMMALS ASSOCIATED $ ALONG TEE COLUMBIARIVER Abstract approved: Redacted for Privacy Dr. E. C} les Meslow A small mamma]. inventory of occurrence and relative abundance was conducted in riparian and upland habitats in six segments along the lower Columbia River from the river mouth to. MeNary Dam (river mile 292) during 19714. and 1975 by removal trapping on standardized trap lines. Analysis of variance was used to compare capture per 100 trap-night indices of abundance of a species or group of species among habitats within a segment and among segments ci' the study area. Of the 59 species of small mannials purported to occur near the Columbia River, 39were encountered.Many ofthespecies not encounter- ed. occur at elevations higher than the study area or are rare. Although 23 species were captured in standardized. traps, the deer mouse (Peromys- cus maniculatus) and vagrant shrew (Sorex va'ans.) comprised 814..9 per- cent of the.total catch. The deer nouse, the most abundant species, occurred in all 38 hab- itats except Russian olive (Elaeagnus antifolia) and increased in abundance from west to east. Insectivores, mainly vagrant srews, were most abundant in the west and. decreased in abundance along the decreasing moisture adient from west to east as did voles (Microtus spp.). Occ.z'rence and Relative Abundance of Small Manin-ials Associated with Ri.r±an and Upland Habitats Along The Columbia River Mark Steven Hinschberger A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in rtial fulfill-rient. of the reauirements for the degree of Master of Science Commencement June 1978 APPROVED: Redacted for Privacy Associafe Professor 6f'Fjtsheries and Wildlife in charge of major Redacted for Privacy Head of Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Redacted for Privacy Dean of Graduate School Date thesis is presented May Lij,1978 Typed by Mark Steven Hinschberger for Mark Steven Hinschberger TABLE OF CONTTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. STUDY AREA 3 Climate 3 Description of Segments 3 Intensive Sampling Areas 10 III. NETHODS 12 Sampling 12 Index of Abundance 14 Analysis 17 Iv.RULTS AND DISCUSSION 18 Segment 1 18 Segment 2 22 Segment 3 26 Segment 4 29 Segment 5 33 Segment 6 33 Geoaphic Distribution 39 V. LITERATURE CIT 46 VI. APPENDIC 51 LIST OF TA3L Table Page 1. Small mammals occurring along the Columbia River. Study area segments listed after species represent range accor- ding to various authors. Underscoring denotes occurrence during this study. 19 2. Total number of individuals of each mammalian species captured in standardized gmound traps in intensive sampling areas of the Columbia River study area in fall 1974 and spring 1975. 20 3. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 1 of the Columbia River study area. 21 4. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 2of the Columbia River study area. 23 5. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 3 of the Columbia River study area. 27 6. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 4 of the Columbia River study area. 30 7. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 5 of the Columbia River study area. 8. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in habitats inventoried in segment 6 of the Columbia River study area. 35 9. Mean index of abundance (captures per 100 trap-nights) values of small mammals in segments of the Columbia River study area during 1974, 1975. 41 Appendix Tables Page A Intensive sampling areas established in the Columbia River study area, 1974-1975. 51 B Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive samplingareas inven- toried. during fall 1974 and spring 19'75 in segment 1 o± the Columbia River study area. 57 C Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried in segment I of the Columbia River study area. 58 D Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive samplingareas inven- toried during fall 197L1. and, spring 1975 in segment 2 of the Columbia River study area. 59 E Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried. in segment 2 of the Columbia River study area. 61 F Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive samplingareas inven- toried during fall 1974 and spring 1975 in segment 3 of the Columbia River study area. 63 G Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried in segment 3 of the Columbia River study area. 65 H Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive samplingareas inven- toned d.uning fall 1974 and spring 1975 in segment 4 of the Columbia River study area. 67 I Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried in segment 4 of the Columbia River study area. 69 J Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive samplingareas inven- toried during fall 1974 and spring 1975 in segment 5 of the Columbia River study area. 71 K Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and. species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried in segment 5 of the Columbia River study area. 72 Appendix Table Page L Mean index of abundance values (captures per 100 trap- nights) in small mammal intensive sampling areas inven- toried during fall 197/+ and spring 1975 in segment 6 of the Columbia River study area. 7/4 M Small mammal captures per 100 trap-nights and. species diversity index values by trap station type in habitats inventoried in segment 6 of the Columbia River study area. 76 LIST OF FIGUR Figure Page 1. Segments of the Columbia River study area, 1974-1975. 4 2. Small mammal trap placement at trap stations 1-16 located at 33-rn intervals along a 500-rn transect in intensive sam- pling areas of the Columbia River study area, 1974-1975. 15 OCCURRTCE AND RTIVE ABUNDANCE OF SMALL MA?ALS ASSOCIAT WITH RARIAN AND UPLAND HABITATS ALONG THE COLLTh2IA RIVER 1TRODUCTION Flooding of riparian habitat to create the existing hydroelectric generating plants on the Columbia and. Snake Rivers drastically reduced riparian wildlife habitat (Eicher 1968, Gibson and. Buss 1972, Lewke and Buss 1.977). Currently the principalower supply system of the Pacific Northwest is hydroelectric.Plans for the future power supply incorpo- rate a thermal system for base power needs and. employ existing hydroelec- tric plants for peak power demands. Use of hydroelectric plants for power peaking demands will increase the frequency and severity of water fluctuations. This modification further threatens wildlife resources associated with the remaining r±parlan habitat of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (Johnsgard. 195, Stanford. Research Institute 1971, Clarie et al. 1971). The. Wildlife Work Group, established by the U.S. Army Corns of Engineers to coordinate wildlife research as it relates to water regula- tion of the Columbia and. Snake Rivers, determined that an inventory of riparian hab1.tats and associated wildlife populations was the first research priority. The area of interest was the Columbia River from its mouth to the Canadian border and. the Snake River unstream to and, includ- ing Brownlee Reservoir. The portion of the study on the Columbia River from its niouth to McNaxy Dam was conducted by the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at Oregon State University (Tabor 1976).ALthough the base study involved 2 all wild. vertebrates excluding fish, only Information on small mammals is presented in this paper. Numerous sources of information on ma.mmalian occurrence and. distri- bution in Oregon and WashIngton axe available (Bailey 1936, DaJ4uist 19L.8, Hall and Kelson 1959, Burt and. Grossenheider 1964.,Ingles 1965, Gordon 1966, Lauckhart 1970, Larrison 1970, Maser and Storm 1970, 1lerts 1971, Olterman and. 1lerts 1972). Field. collections by the Bureau of Biol- ogical Survey (Bailey 1936) supplied most of the intial informationon occurrence and distribution of niaminals in Oregon and, along the Columbia River. Current information that is available concerning mammalian fauna along the Columbia River, however, is limited and general, and restricted primarily to economically important game species and furbearers (Ives and Saltzman 1970, Stanford. Research Institute 1971, Suring 1975).Small mammals and other non-game species have received little attention (Gordon 1966, Stanford Research nstitute 1971, Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories 197k', Hedluzid. and. Rickard. 1976). The present study was initiated with the following objectives: (1) to examine small mammaloccurrence and. distribution in riparian and upland habitats of the lower Columbia River; (2) to determine whether the abundance of certain species and oups of species varied among habitats within a senent of the study aa; and (3) to determine whether the abundance of certain species and. oups of species varied among segiients of the study area. 3 STTJDY AREA Climate The study area extended from. the seaward end of the Columbia River jetties to McNary Dam, a distance of approximately292river miles.