Date of Graduation
Spring 2026
Degree
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Sean Maher
Abstract
Land alterations can reduce the amount of suitable habitat necessary for persistence of an associated species. Within such constrained habitats, limited resources may elicit competition, which could cause shifts in abundance and occurrence of species. Missouri prairies have been declining in size, making it imperative to collect reference data on mammal populations within and land use types around remnants. For this study, I trapped small mammals in Southwestern Missouri prairies because they can be indicators of environmental health and can vary in abundance between prairies. I focus on the diet of two dominant small mammals, Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus ochrogaster, and assess evidence of competition. I used stable isotope analysis to reveal the trophic niche of individuals and compare resource consumption across species and locations. I show that P. maniculatus and M. ochrogaster are not in competition for food resources and do not consume similar diets. I then used ArcGIS Pro to determine the proportion of grassland, crop, development, woodland, and other types of land use around prairies at a local and landscape level. External pressures varied across sites, and I found prairies were structured by woodland at the local scale and development at the landscape level. My results provide insight into small mammal interactions and food consumption in Missouri prairies and identify external pressures that may influence prairie health and species compositions. Land managers can use these results to ensure specific vegetation is present in prairies for species coexistence and identify locations for reconstructed prairies to improve habitat connectivity.
Keywords
community ecology, competition, diet, niche breadth, small mammals, stable isotopes, prairie, fragmentation, land cover, connectivity
Subject Categories
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Copyright
© Kaitlyn J. Bebensee
Recommended Citation
Bebensee, Kaitlyn J., "Small Mammal Communities Within and Land Coverage Around Southwestern Missouri Prairies" (2026). Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 4152.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/4152
