Small mammals of a northern salt-affected grassland

Abstract

Abstract While many studies have characterized small mammals of the southern and central Great Plains (USA), far fewer have documented small mammals of the northern Great Plains which differ dramatically in plant structure and composition. We examined the presence and distribution of small mammals captured at a salinity-affected grassland in northeastern North Dakota (2018–2021). We captured 12 species from 8 genera including Microtus pennsylvanicus (n = 724), Peromyscus (maniculatus) sonoriensis (n = 114), Sorex cinereus (n = 54), and Zapus hudsonius (n = 43). We evaluated the extent to which these species varied with plant and environmental characteristics. M. pennsylvanicus was positively associated with plant cover and soil moisture and P. (maniculatus) sonoriensis was positively associated with forb cover and negatively associated with litter and elevation. Z. hudsonius was negatively associated with forb cover and soil moisture and S. cinereus was positively associated with cover and negatively associated with salinity. These species associated with their environments differently than their more southern counterparts and reinforce the notion that not all areas, even in relatively intact grasslands, are available to all species. Future studies are needed to further examine more infrequently captured species, including a Sorex hoyi, an Onychomys leucogaster, and eight Myodes gapperi in this region.