Thesis
Landscape ecology of rodents in a no-till agriculture system
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2005
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/316
Abstract
No-tillage agriculture provides year-round ground cover and food for rodents and potentially may increase rodent numbers on farms by allowing colonization of these agricultural habitats. Consequently, rodents may periodically cause crop damage, particularly during high phases of population cycles. I investigated the landscape ecology of rodent species, primarily deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in a no-tillage agriculture system in the Palouse Prairie region of Washington from 2003 through 2004. I established 600 trapping sites on the 200-acre Palouse Conservation Field Station (PCFS) to evaluate seasonal dynamics of populations and environmental factors influencing rodent distribution. Capture probabilities were calculated, using indicator kriging, and mapped over the study area using ArcGIS. I then used classification and regression tree (CART) and stepwise logistic regression analyses to evaluate and model the ecological factors that predict rodent distribution in this no-tillage landscape. Permanent non-agricultural grass cover type, and elevation were the most influential landscape variables predicting rodent capture probabilities and distribution over the farm. Grass cover generally had a positive impact on rodent capture rates, while elevation had mixed relationships. It is apparent that although a no-tillage cropping system leaves year-round cover, allowing colonization of some agricultural habitats, rodents still tend to occur in higher abundance in permanent non-agricultural grass areas.
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Details
- Title
- Landscape ecology of rodents in a no-till agriculture system
- Creators
- Jason L. Capelli
- Contributors
- Rodney D. Sayler (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525117401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis