Doctoral Dissertation Research: On the ground and from above: A multi-factor analysis of the direct and indirect drivers of tallgrass prairie small mammal communities

Northern Illinois University, Dekalb IL

Investigators

Abstract

Title: Doctoral Dissertation Research: On the ground and from above: A multi-factor analysis of the direct and indirect drivers of tallgrass prairie small mammal communities This Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement project investigates the role of both broad-scale land cover and small-scale management activities in driving the populations of small mammals, such as mice in voles in tallgrass prairies. Tallgrass prairies provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon storage, cultural connections, and water retention. By building our understanding of prairie food webs, we aim to equip land managers with a more complete picture to inform management decisions. Furthermore, this study contributes to the knowledge about complex prairie ecosystems and management effects across multiple scales. On broader impacts, this study 1)trains dozens of volunteers, including undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, on small mammal trapping methodology, 2) provides support for land managers aiming to make evidence-based management decisions, and 3) develops and implements a lesson in landscape ecology for use in undergraduate classrooms. The multi-scale drivers of small mammal populations are not currently well-understood, especially in critically threatened tallgrass prairie habitats. To better understand these complex systems, this study uses long-term small mammal trapping data, long-term vegetation surveys, and land cover data derived from drone imagery to examine how land cover and management activities shape small mammal populations, directly or indirectly, through impacts on vegetation. Due to their central role in prairie food webs, understanding small mammal populations helps decipher the community's health as a whole. By analyzing the drivers of these species, this work advances the knowledge about prairie communities and the impacts of habitat change and management activity, especially in the wake of human activities that may degrade or restore the ecosystem. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.