Roger W. Perry

Snag Density after Different Timber Harvests in Pine-hardwood Forests

Standing dead trees (snags) are an important component of forest ecosystems, providing foraging and roosting substrate for a variety of wildlife species. We examined the effects of four timber harvest treatments on residual snag density and compared these to densities found in unmanaged natural forests (controls) during the second, fourth, and sixth year after timber harvest in mixed pine-hardwood forests of Arkansas. Timber harvest methods were: clearcut with residual tree retention and snag creation, shelterwood, single-tree selection, and group selection. Density of large snags (...

Non-target Captures During Small Mammal Trapping with Snap Traps

There is little published information available on non-target captures during small mammal trapping. We used a variety of snap traps baited with a rolled oat-peanut butter mix to capture 2,054 individuals from 9 genera of small mammals in a study of small mammal and avian community structure in riparian areas and adjacent loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations. We also captured 170 individuals from 24 non-target species over 122,446 trap-nights. Trapping was conducted from 1990 throught 1995 in 57 riparian areas and adjacent pine plantations in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, during 10-...

A Comparison of Snap Traps for Evaluating Small Mammal Populations

We compared rat, mouse, and museum special snap traps to determine if differences existed in capture efficiency of small mammals and whether type of trap affected indices of richness, evenness, and diversity. Small mammals were trapped in 57 streamside study areas in 1990 to 1995 in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. Efficiency of mouse traps was equal to or greater than that of museum special traps in capturing all small mammal species. Rat traps were most efficient for capturing the 2 largest small mammal species recorded, the eastern wood rat (Neotoma floridana) and the cotton rat (...