Some effects on prairie vole populations in burned and unburned prairie.

Abstract

Fire has long been used as a management tool in an effort to maintain tallgrass prairie habitat. This study was designed to determine the effects of prairie fire on populations of prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, as well as the effects of live trapping and removal of the voles from the study areas. The study was conducted at Ross Natural History Reservation in Lyon Co. Kansas. Microtus were live trapped beginning in late fall,1985, and continuing through early summer, 1986 following a spring burn in 1985. Numbers of individual Microtus captured were found to be significantly higher on the burned plots than on the unburned plots, whereas, there was no significant difference in numbers of animals captured on plots where animals were removed versus plots were they were released back into the plot. A significant interaction was also found to exist between burning and removal as variables.