Small Mammals and Vegetation Changes After Fire in a Mixed Conifer-Hardwood Forest

Following wild fire in northeastern Minnesota small mammals were snap-trapped on two burned and one unburned area for three nights each fall from 1955 to 1967. The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) was the most abundant species on the two burns the first 7 yr. Later the vegetation changes apparently produced a habitat less attractive to the deer mouse, while the red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi) increased. Numbers of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius), and cinereus shrews (Sorex cinereus) were low and erratic on all areas. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) were abundant most years on only one of the burns.