434 Yahner and Yahner: Small Mammals on an Electric Transmission Line Area was considerably lower than 27.0 individuals/100 TN noted in 1989 through 1990 or 10.3 animals captured/100 TN in 2004 through 2005 at the SGL 33 area (Bramble et al. 1992; Yahner et al. 2007). Most individuals (n13) of all species combined were in the shrub cover type, which represented a well-vegetated bor- der zone created by integrated vegetation management (Bramble et al. 1985; Yahner and Hutnik 2004). The relative lack of mammals at the Green Lane area is not surprising based on other studies (e.g., Beer 1961; Yahner et al. 2007). As plant succession progresses, meadow voles would be ex- pected in the grass cover type because it is a grassland spe- cialist (Grant 1971). In spring, abundance of small mammals was low at the Green Lane area (after Yahner 1983; Merritt 1987; Yahner et al. 2007). As the year progressed, reproduction and food re- sources increased, thereby resulting in more mammals cap- tured. Reproductive adults occurred in May, and juvenile white-footed mice were captured in August. We have no explanation for lowered diversity and abun- dance of small mammals at the Green Lane area compared with the SGL 33 area, except that land uses proximal to each ROW were dramatically different. For instance, land uses surrounding the Green Lane area were early successional ar- eas, not unlike that found on the Green Lane ROW. In con- trast, land use proximal to the ROW at the SGL 33 area was contiguous forest (Yahner et al. 2007), and the ROW repre- sented an early successional habitat amid a forested land- scape. Herbicides were used for vegetation maintenance on the ROW at both areas (Yahner 2006). These chemicals had no long-term impact on other fauna or their food resources (Bramble et al. 1999; Yahner et al. 2003). Acknowledgments. Cooperation was provided by Asplundh Tree Expert Co., Commonwealth Edison, Dow AgroSciences, and Phila- delphia Electric Company. LITERATURE CITED Beer, J.R. 1961. Winter home ranges of the red-backed mouse and the deer mouse. Journal of Mammalogy 42: 174–180. Bramble, W.C., W.R. Byrnes, and R.J. Hutnik. 1985. Effects of a special technique for right-of-way maintenance on deer habitat. Journal of Arboriculture 11:278–284. Bramble, W.C., R.H. Yahner, and W.R. Byrnes. 1999. Effect of herbicide maintenance of an electric transmission line right-of-way on butterfly populations. Journal of Arbori- culture 25:302–310. Bramble, W.C., R.H. Yahner, W.R. Byrnes, and S.A. Liscin- sky. 1992. Small mammals in plant cover types on an electric transmission right-of-way. Journal of Arboricul- ture 18:316–321. Grant, P.R. 1971. The habitat preference of Microtus penn- sylvanicus and its relevance to the distribution of this species on an island. Journal of Mammalogy 52:351–356. Merritt, J.D. 1987. Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA. 408 pp. Rose, R.K., and R.D. Dueser. 1980. Lifespan of Virginia meadow voles. Journal of Mammalogy 61:760–763. Smith, A.T., and J.M. Vrieze. 1979. Population structure of Everglade rodents: Responses to a patchy environment. Journal of Mammalogy 60:778–794. Yahner, R.H. 1983. Small mammals in farmstead shelter- belts: Habitat correlates of seasonal abundance and com- munity structure. The Journal of Wildlife Management 47:74–84. ———. 1988. Small mammals associated with even-aged aspen and mixed-oak forest stands in central Pennsylva- nia. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 62: 122–126. ———. 2006. Wildlife habitat, herbicides, and rights-of-way maintenance—integrated vegetation management and the wire-border zone method. Natural Areas Journal 26: 114–115. Yahner, R.H., and R.J. Hutnik. 2004. Integrated vegetation management on an electric transmission right-of-way in Pennsylvania, U.S. Journal of Arboriculture 30:295–300. ———. 2005. A 15-year follow-up to vegetation on an elec- tric transmission right-of-way in southeastern Pennsylva- nia. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 79: 72–74. Yahner, R.H., R.J. Hutnik, and S.A. Liscinsky. 2003. Long- term trends in bird populations on an electric transmission right-of-way. Journal of Arboriculture 29:156–164. Yahner, R.H., R.T. Yahner, and R.J. Hutnik. 2007. Long- term trends in small mammals on a right-of-way in Penn- sylvania. Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. 33:147–152. Richard H. Yahner (corresponding author) School of Forest Resources College of Agricultural Sciences The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802, U.S.
[email protected] Richard T. Yahner 202 Amblewood Way State College, PA 16803, U.S. ©2007 International Society of Arboriculture
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