Response of rodent community structure and population demographics to intercropping switchgrass within loblolly pine plantations in a forest-dominated landscape

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy Vol. 69; pp. 255 - 264
• Main Authors: King, Kristy L., Homyack, Jessica A., Wigley, T. Bently, Miller, Darren A., Kalcounis-Rueppell, Matina C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biofuel; Biological and medical sciences; Forest management; Forest management. Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Mississippi; Panicum virgatum; Pinus taeda; Production. Biomass; Rodent; Mississippi; United States; North America; America; Pinus taeda; Forest management; Mississippi; Biofuel; Rodent; Panicum virgatum; Community structure; Monocotyledones; Demography; Rodentia; Energy crop; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Artificial forest stand; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Softwood forest tree; Gymnospermae; Intercropping; Coniferales; Herbaceous plant; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.07.006

Intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in existing managed pine (Pinus spp.) forests potentially can produce a biofuel feedstock without encumbering additional arable land. However, it is not clear how intercropping, which changes understory vegetation composition and structure, may influence rodent communities. Therefore, as part of a broader effort to examine ecological sustainability of an intercropping management system, we investigated whether intercropping switchgrass in intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands affected rodent community structure and population demographics in a managed forest landscape. We conducted seven live-trapping sessions during June–August 2012 on three intensively managed pine stands (control) and three intensively managed pine stands intercropped with switchgrass (treatment). Pine stands intercropped with switchgrass had lower rodent community evenness (P = 0.02) and diversity (P = 0.03) than control stands primarily because of greater hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) abundance in intercropped stands (P = 0.02). However, there was no treatment effect on cotton rat survival or recruitment. Our results suggest the switchgrass intercropping system in our study influenced rodent community structure via effects on hispid cotton rats during the early successional stage of a loblolly pine stand. •The most common rodent species were the same on control and switchgrass intercropped pine stands.•Intercropping switchgrass in managed pine forests increased abundance of hispid cotton rats.•Pine stands intercropped with switchgrass had lower rodent community evenness and diversity.