Effects of corridors on home range sizes and interpatch movements of three small mammal species

• Published in: Landscape ecology 2002, Vol.17 (7), p.629-636
• Main Authors: MABRY, Karen E, BARRETT, Gary W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mammals; Mice; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Population density; Small mammals
• ISSN: 0921-2973; 1572-9761
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1021545419534

Corridors are predicted to benefit populations in patchy habitats bypromoting movement, which should increase population densities, gene flow, andrecolonization of extinct patch populations. However, few investigators haveconsidered use of the total landscape, particularly the possibility ofinterpatch movement through matrix habitat, by small mammals. This studycompares home range sizes of 3 species of small mammals, the cotton mouse(Peromyscus gossypinus), old-field mouse (P.polionotus) and cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)between patches with and without corridors. The study site was in S. Carolina,USA. Corridor presence did not have astatistically significant influence on average home range size. Habitatspecialization and sex influenced the probability of an individual movingbetween 2 patches without corridors. The results of this study suggest thatsmall mammals may be more capable of interpatch movement without corridors thanis frequently assumed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]