Small Mammal Monitoring in the Central Alaska Network of National Parks
Flamme M and National Park Service Central Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network. Small Mammal Monitoring in the Central Alaska Network of National Parks. 2006. National Park Service
Mice and voles (Microtus sp. and Clethrionomys sp.) by virtue of their morphology and daily habits are not a highly visible member of the fauna community in the boreal forest. Yet these species represent a larger proportion of biomass on the landscape than brown bears (Ursus arctos horribilus) (Krebs et al. 2001). Within the ecosystems encompassed by the Central Alaska Network, mice and voles consume seeds, fungi and invertebrates and provide a key prey source for raptor species and carnivorous mammals. As a result of their position in the food chain mice and voles play another important ecological role by having the ability to influence species above and below them in the food chain. Since 1991 mice and voles populations have been monitored in Denali National Park and Preserve as part of the previous Long-term Ecological Monitoring program. From these data (cite Rexstad annual reports) and other studies (Krebs et al. 2001) we know that populations of mice and voles vary over space and time. Data from Denali suggests that annual fluctuations in small mammal populations are strongly related to abiotic factors (Rexstad and Debevec 2002). Additionally, the relative abundance of small mammal species is directly related to vegetation composition, so any changes in vegetation composition will likely affect small mammal distribution and patterns of abundance. Thus by monitoring populations of mice and voles, we may detect evidence of affects from human induced change (like global warming) in our ecosystems. These combined characters led the network to include mice and vole species as a logical group to include in the program.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Flamme, Melanie; National Park Service Central Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CAKN , DENA , YUCH , WRST
- Keywords
- Alaska, Charley, clethrionomys, Denali National Park And Preserve, Mic, Microtus, Monitoring, National Park, Populations, St. Elias, Voles, Wrangell, Yukon
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals
Program
Products
- Small mammal monitoring protocol for the Central Alaska Network: Protocol narrative version 1.0
- Monitoring small mammals in Alaska: Central Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network, data quality standards
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 1: Preparations for the Field Season, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 2: Field Notebook and iPad Setup for Field Data Collection, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 3: Training Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 4: Plot and Trap Set up, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 5: Equipment and Task Lists, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 6: Conducting Surveys, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 7: Data Collection in Notebooks and iPads, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 8: Data Downloading, Proofing and Backup, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 9: Data QA/QC, Formatting and Archiving, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 10: Data Analysis, Protocol for Monitoring Small Mammals, Central Alaska (CAKN) Inventory and Monitoring Network
- Weather-driven change in primary productivity explains variation in the amplitude of two herbivore population cycles in a boreal system
- Small Mammals as Indicators of Climate, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Change
- Small Mammal Resource Brief
- Denali Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program Protocol For Long-term Monitoring Of Small Mammal Populations
- Small mammal monitoring at the landscape scale, Denali national Park and Preserve, 1998 Annual Report
- Seasonal Drivers of Density in a Subarctic Population of Northern Red-backed Voles