Implications for the small mammal and earthworm communities in a degraded ecosystem

Implications for the Small Mammal and Earthworm Communities in a Degraded Ecosystem Jennifer A. Edalgo At Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania, we trapped small mammals in areas dominated by Morrow’s honeysuckle, an invasive shrub, and we determined that prebaiting 1 and 2 days before the actual trapping period did not improve trapping success. We do not recommend using the added resources (i.e., time, money, personnel, and equipment) to incorporate prebaiting into trapping regimes because trapping success was not improved. We fluorescent powdertracked mice in old field and forested areas with Morrow’s honeysuckle encroachment to determine the microhabitat they selected. Mice selected paths with high shrub and tree cover and low herbaceous cover. They selected native herbaceous vegetation and avoided exotic vegetation. We determined shrubs (native and exotic) and soil characteristics that were associated with 4 earthworm species. Earthworm densities were largely dependent upon the shrub species and this will be useful for understanding the effects that worms may have on soil conditions and shrub species.