Small mammals were trapped annually in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, from 1978 to 1993. Canaan Valley is located at 1,000 m elevation in the Appalachian Mountains and contains an unusual interspersion of ecological communities. Snap-trapping was conducted for 4 consecutive nights each September in each of 11 habitat types: alder, aspen, conifer, grassland, grassland/ecotone, hayfield, young hardwoods, mature hardwoods, muskeg, shrub/ecotone, and spiraea. The most abundant species captured were deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, 2.0 captures/ 100 trapnights), short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda, 1.6), meadow vole {Microtuspennsylvanicus, 1.1), masked shrew (Sorex cinereus, 0.8), and red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi, 0.3). Mean annual trap success for all sites combined varied significantly within years, ranging from 1.7 to 10.6 captures/100 trapnights in the 16-year period. Mean annual trap success within habitat types for all species combined ranged from 2.8 (shrub/ecotone) to 8.3 captures/100 trapnights (aspen). Significant differences in captures occurred among community types within years, ranging from no captures to 22.0 captures/100 trapnights. Standard deviation of annual means was less in the total Canaan Valley (all communities combined) than in any single community, with the exception of hayfield and shrub/ecotone. Trapping data indicated year-to-year small mammal populations were more stable in the existing complex of communities than if a single community type had dominated the Valley.
