Location of sampling stations: burned annually (N1A), burned every 4 years (N4B)
Frequency of sampling: These sampling records are based on nightly captures during one 4-night trapping period in fall (October concurrent with annual bison roundup activites) for each of 4 permanent trapping grids established on two fire/grazing treatments (two grids per treatment).
Variables measured: Numbers of individuals for each species of small mammal captured are recorded on each trapping grid. Sex, reproductive condition and capture location of each individual are recorded at each capture. Age, based on pelage characteristics, is recorded at each capture. Body mass and measurements of individuals are recorded at first capture in each trapping period. Each capture on catch-and-release grids is provided a unique ear tag number. Each capture on removal transects is euthanized according to accepted and permitted protocols (IACUC permit #4544; Sikes et al., 2016: Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research and education). Resulting specimens are processed through standardized procedures (Galbreath et al. 2019) to retrieve all ecto-parasites, endo-parasites, tissues preserved for genetic analyses, study skins, skeletal material, internal reproductive condition, and tissues preserved for isotopic analyses. All specimens are preserved in perpetuity, with all associated parts, in the Museum of Southwestern Biology, or the Kansas State Biorepository.
Methods: Traplines: These treatments are both grazed by native grazers (bison) and include one treatment burned annually (N1A) and one treatment burned every 4 years (N4B). In each treatment, sampling grids are arranged as 5 x 10 permanent stakes spaced 10m apart and labeled numerically between 1-50 for grid A and 51-100 for grid B. One grid per treatment (grid A) is sampled using capture-mark-release methods and the other grid in each treatment (grid B) is sampled using specimen removal and subsequent whole body processing and curation.
Trapping Procedures: Small mammals are trapped for 4 consecutive nights during each trapping period. One large Sherman live trap (7.6 by 8.9 by 22.9 cm) is placed next to each stake on each grid totaling 50 traps per grid, across four grids total. Traps are baited with a small amount (~2tbsp) cracked (non-viable) oats. All traps are set in the evening within two hours of dusk, and checked early each morning, but after the end of the nocturnal activity period.
Sample Archive: collected in fall 2022 to Present from N1A and N4B. Samples include whole mammalian voucher specimens, consisting of skins, skeletons, and cryopreserved genomic resources. Associated ectoparasites and endoparasites are also available (preserved in ethanol). All samples are searchable by voucher number on the Arctos specimen database (https://arctos.database.museum/) and iDigBio (https://www.idigbio.org/) and are permanently archived in either the Museum of Southwestern Biology or the Kansas State Biorepository.
