Gregg L. Chapman

Sampling Small Mammals in Southeastern Forests: The Importance of Trapping in Trees

Because estimates of small mammal species richness and diversity are strongly influenced by sampling methodology, 2 or more trap types are often used in studies of small mammal communities. However, in most cases, all traps are placed at ground level. In contrast, we used Sherman live traps placed at 1.5 m in trees in addition to Sherman live traps and Mosby box traps placed on the ground to sample small mammals in pine stands in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. To determine the importance of placing traps in trees, we compared estimates of small mammal (primarily rodent) species...