Habitat Use by Small Mammals in a Remnant Forest-Gap Bog

Abstract: Many wildlife species are closely associated with specific structural and compositional components of vegetational communities. The habitat associations for many species are unknown, especially in rare communities. I studied the structure and vegetational composition of a remnant forest-gap bog in Graham County, North Carolina during the summer of 1995 to investigate the habitat associations of small mammals in this rare community type. I collected habitat and small microtopography, herbaceous, understory, and overstory layers. Five species of mammals occurred in the bog including the southern flying squirrel, short-tailed shrew, meadow jumping mouse, white-footed mouse, and the golden mouse. Because of sample size constraints, the white-footed and golden mouse were the only species used in the statistical analysis. An Analysis of Variance ndicated that both species of mice preferred areas in the bog that did not have an extensive herbaceous cover, but did have a substantial canopy closure and high tree density. These results have important implications for establishing restoration goals and bjectives for disturbed forest-gap bogs throughout the southern Appalachians.