Effects of dormant vs. growing season burns on small mammal captures at Cooper Farm in Muncie, Indiana

Abstract

Prescribed burning is an important method for maintaining tall-grass prairies. Done in the growing season (late summer) or the dormant season (late fall or early spring), burning alters nutrient cycling and clears dead plant material from the prairie. Due to the different plant types promoted by each burn type, growing and dormant season burns have different effects on small mammal species composition This objective of this study was to determine differences in small mammal captures in prairie plots subjected to growing season burns and prairie plots subjected to dormant season burns. Small mammals were captured at Cooper Farm from September 2nd until November 6th, 2014 in 10 three-day trapping sessions with a total of 2,000 trap nights. Fifty Sherman traps were set in grid formations in two systematically selected prairie plots per trapping session. A two-sample t-test revealed that there was no difference in number of captures between growing and dormant season burn plots. This is the beginning of a long-term study; future studies may better see the long-term effects of the burns. The long-term effects of the burns may change number of captures, better reflecting importance of burn type on small mammal communities. Also any changes in study design that would increase trap success, such as lengthening the trapping season and number of trap nights would improve the accuracy of the results and better reflect the effects of burn type on small mammals.