Fire Effects on the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver at Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Fellers GM, Pratt D, Griffin JL. 2004. Fire Effects on the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 68(3):503-508
In October 1995, a wildlands fire burned 5,000 ha on the Point Reyes penninsula, California, USA. In most of the non-forested areas, the fire effectively cleared the ground of litter and vegetation and revealed thousands of Point Reyes mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa phaea) burrow openings. In the first six monthes after the fire, we surveyed burned coastal scrub and riparian habitat to (1) count the number of burrow openings that existed at the time of the fire, and (2) evaluate whether signs of post-fire mountain beaver activity were evident. We estimated that only 0.4-1.7% of mountain beavers within the area survived the fire and immediate post fire period. We monitored mountain beaver activity for 5 years at 8 sites where mountain beavers survived, and found little or no recovery. We estimate that the mountain beaver population will take 15-20 years post-fire to recover.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Fellers, Gary; Pratt, David; Griffin, Jennifer
- Units
- PORE
- Keywords
- Aplodontia rufa phaea, California, Ecology, FIRE, mountain beaver, Survival