BRANDENBURG, M.D.*; MILES, D.B.; Ohio University, Athens; Ohio University, Athens: Responses of Small Mammals to Deer Exclosures in Oak-Hickory Forest

Small mammal communities of eastern deciduous forests provide a model system for evaluating how variables such as behavior, food availability, competition, and abiotic conditions structure communities. Several herbivorous mammals coexist in eastern forests: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), and white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). These species compete for resources, such as acorns. In addition, deer browse vegetation, thereby reducing habitat quality for small mammals. In order to determine the effects of deer on small mammal populations, I conducted a capture-mark-recapture study in locations in SE Ohio. Traps were placed inside and outside of deer exclosures. We predicted that mammals exploiting the habitat within deer exclosures will have an advantage over those individuals foraging outside of such exclosures. Specifically, we expected that small mammals captured in the deer exclosures would have greater mean mass than outside. In addition, we expected number of individuals captured would be greater in the exclosures. Contrary to our predictions, mean mass of mammals did not differ inside or outside of the exclosure. However, we obtained a greater number of captures inside the deer exclosures, which suggests that chipmunks and deer mice are concentrating their foraging activities in habitat that has not been impacted by white-tailed deer. In addition, we found that more females than males were captured outside the exclosures, whereas sex ratios were even inside the exclosures.