Response of Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys Palustris) to Inundation of Habitat

Abuzeineh, Alisa A.; Owen, Robert Dale; McIntyre, Nancy E.; Dick, Carl W.; Strauss, Richard E.; Holsomback, Tyla S.

doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2007)52[75:romrro]2.0.co;2

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, little is known about their response to prolonged inundation (Abuzeineh et al. ) or drought conditions, or their consequent ability to colonize unoccupied habitat patches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in metapopulation dynamics of a wetland mammal: The effect of hydrology

2016

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Key factors affecting metapopulation dynamics of animals include patch size, isolation, and patch quality. For wetland‐associated species, hydrology can affect patch availability, connectivity, and potentially habitat quality; and therefore drive metapopulation dynamics. Wetlands occurring on natural river floodplains typically have more dynamic hydrology than anthropogenic wetlands. Our overall objective was to assess the multiyear spatial and temporal variation in occupancy and turnover rates of a semi‐aquatic small mammal at two hydrologically distinct wetland complexes. We live‐trapped marsh rice rats (Oryzomys palustris) for 3 yr and >50 000 trap nights at nine wetland patches on the Mississippi River floodplain and 14 patches at a reclaimed surface mine in southern Illinois. We used dynamic occupancy modeling to estimate initial occupancy, detection, colonization, and extinction rates at each complex. Catch per unit effort (rice rats captured/1000 trap nights) was markedly higher at the floodplain site (28.1) than the mining site (8.1). We found no evidence that temperature, rainfall, or trapping effort affected detection probability. Probability of initial occupancy was similar between sites and positively related to patch size. Patch colonization probability at both sites was related negatively to total rainfall 3 weeks prior to trapping, and varied across years differently at each site. We found interacting effects of site and rainfall on extinction probability: extinction increased with total rainfall 3 months prior to trapping but markedly more at the floodplain site than at the mining site. These site‐specific patterns of colonization and extinction are consistent with the rice rat metapopulation in the floodplain exhibiting a habitat‐tracking dynamic (occupancy dynamics driven by fluctuating quality), whereas the mineland complex behaved more as a classic metapopulation (stochastic colonization & extinction). Our study supports previous work demonstrating metapopulation dynamics in wetland systems being driven by changes in patch quality (via hydrology) rather than solely area and isolation.

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“…However, little is known about their response to prolonged inundation (Abuzeineh et al. ) or drought conditions, or their consequent ability to colonize unoccupied habitat patches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in metapopulation dynamics of a wetland mammal: The effect of hydrology

2016

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“…Reservoir competence in O. palustris also has been demonstrated for multiple parasites of commu-nity assemblage importance (Morlan, 1951;Barnard et al, 1971;Levin et al, 1995). Lastly but not exhaustively, its long-distance, frequent dispersal behaviours (Esher et al, 1978) provide a flexible adaptation to survive periodic storm surges (Abuzeineh et al, 2007), minimise competition and inbreeding depression (Loxterman et al, 1998), and produce founder and rescue populations in nearby island systems (Forys and Dueser, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Socio-ecology of the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) and the spatio-temporal distribution of Bayou virus in coastal Texas

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Along the southeastern coast of the United States of America (USA), the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is the primary host for the hantavirus genotype Bayou. According to the socio-ecological model for a territorial, polygamous species, females should be distributed across space and time by habitat resources and predation risks, whereas males should space themselves according to the degree of female aggregation and reproductive synchrony. To investigate how females affect the male-male transmission paradigm of Bayou virus, rodents were captured, marked, released, and re-captured in two macrohabitat types across a 30-month period. Microhabitat cover variables were quantified around the individual trap stations. A geodatabase was created from habitat and rodent capture data and analysed in a geographical information system. The ratio of breeding to non-breeding females was ~1:1, with breeding females overly dispersed and non-breeding females randomly dispersed. Spatial analyses revealed both macro-and microhabitat preferences in females. Compared to sero-negatives, higher proportions of seropositive adult males were found consistently within closer proximities to breeding females but not to non-breeding females, indicating that male locations were not driven simply by habitat selection. Activities to acquire dispersed receptive females could be an important driver of Bayou virus transmission among male hosts. To date, socio-ecological theory has received little attention as an investigative framework for studying pathogen dynamics in small, solitary mammals. Herein, we describe an interdisciplinary effort providing a novel approach to elucidate the complexity of hantavirus trafficking and maintenance in rodent populations of a coastal marsh ecosystem.

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“…Low trappability may have influenced the apparent effect of water depth on permeability, as no rice rats were captured in the matrix between October and December when water levels rose again. The literature on rice rat movement in response to flooding is mixed, as Kruchek (2004) found large shifts in abundance during periods of inundation whereas Abuzeineh et al (2007) found little. In southern Illinois, rice rat matrix movements appeared to increase as individuals left dry wetlands to potentially seek out permanent water sources (Cooney 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing permeability of matrix cover types for the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris)

2015

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Context Matrix land cover types differ in permeability to animals moving between habitat patches, and animals may actually move faster across lesssuitable areas. Marsh rice rats are wetland specialists whose dispersal crosses upland matrix. Objectives Our objectives were to (1) compare matrix permeability for the marsh rice rat among upland cover types, (2) compare permeability within versus outside perceptual range of the wetland, and (3) explore intrinsic and extrinsic features influencing matrix use and permeability. Methods We quantified permeability of grassland, crop field, and forest to the marsh rice rat during 2011-2012, by marking rats in wetlands and estimating the slope of capture rate versus distance (0-95 m) into the matrix. We also compared permeability within (0-15 m) and beyond the perceptual range of rice rats, and tested whether age, sex, time, water depth, rice rat abundance, and vegetation density influenced matrix use and permeability. Results Permeability was greater for soybean fields than grassland or forest but did not appear to differ within versus beyond rice rats' perceptual range. Matrix capture rates were higher early in the study and in times and locations with thick ground vegetation and high rice rat abundance in the wetlands. Rice rats captured in the matrix were younger than those in wetland patches. Conclusions Our findings expand known matrix use by marsh rice rats, and support permeability being high in matrix types dissimilar to suitable habitat. Studying individual movements will help identify mechanisms underlying enhanced permeability in crop fields.

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Response of Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys Palustris) to Inundation of Habitat

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Variation in metapopulation dynamics of a wetland mammal: The effect of hydrology

Variation in metapopulation dynamics of a wetland mammal: The effect of hydrology

Socio-ecology of the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) and the spatio-temporal distribution of Bayou virus in coastal Texas

Comparing permeability of matrix cover types for the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris)

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