Keywords

Habitat Management, Florida Mouse, Podomys floridanus, roller chopping, prescribed fire

Abstract

The Florida mouse (Podomys floridanus), a species restricted to the Lake Wales Ridge and the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, is recognized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a species of special concern, highlighting its status as a species that is threatened by habitat loss statewide. Publicly owned lands offer protection for the species, but management is generally focused on protecting biodiversity in general and not a particular species. The response of the Florida mouse to land management practices such as mechanical treatment and prescribed fires is poorly documented. This research examined the population responses of Florida mice on three public lands in central Florida, namely, Bullfrog Creek Mitigation Park in Hillsborough County, Split Oak Mitigation Park in Orange County, and Chuluota Wilderness in Seminole County. Florida mice numbers increased or recovered to pre-burn levels within six months following prescribed burns in 2003 and 2004 on the Bullfrog Creek site. Florida mice dropped in numbers following a fire on the Split Oak site, but were increasing when the study ended. The steady decrease in numbers of mice at the Chuluota Wilderness site remained unaffected by habitat modification. Management of public lands that support Florida mice should continue to utilize prescribed fire to maintain upland habitats. When possible, prescribed fires should be limited to the spring and early summer months and applied to only a portion of the total available area in any year.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2005

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Stout, I. Jack

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Biology

Degree Program

Biology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0000774

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0000774

Language

English

Release Date

January 2006

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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Biology Commons

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