{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2081"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2081","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Assessment of small mammal populations in two Southeastern forests of Big Ridge in Chattanooga, TN","abstract":"Field research was conducted to test for effects of urbanization on small mammal abundance and diversity. Preliminary studies were preformed to test sampling techniques and acquire a sample size estimate for the primary study. Sampling sites were chosen in old growth and mixed hardwood forest areas. Six day sampling periods consisted of differing densities and setups of Sherman and pitfall traps within 0.16-ha plots. Data was not statistically analyzed due to minimal sample sizes. Comparable 1.28-ha mixed hardwood forest study sites were chosen in the Big Ridge area of Chattanooga, Tennessee for the primary study. One site had protected status, whereas the other was characterized by urbanized development. At each site, five randomly selected 0.16-ha plots containing 20 small mammal traps were sampled daily for 14 days. Small mammal relative abundance and habitat data were analyzed using a paired t-test and two-sample t-test, respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to identify any relationships between small mammal abundance and habitat characters. Mean relative abundance was found to be significantly higher (P=0.0005) in the unprotected site. There was significantly greater (P=0.03) vegetative coverage in the unprotected site, but the correlation analyses yielded no significant relationships (P>0. l 0) between abundance and vegetative coverage. In conclusion, the significantly higher small mammal abundance found at the unprotected site is most likely a result of increased coverage in the unprotected area. There a significantly higher percent of vegetation in the unprotected site and the mean percentages of coarse woody debris and artificial debris were higher as well, although these latter differences were not statistically significant.","abstract_html":"Field research was conducted to test for effects of urbanization on small mammal abundance and diversity. Preliminary studies were preformed to test sampling techniques and acquire a sample size estimate for the primary study. Sampling sites were chosen in old growth and mixed hardwood forest areas. Six day sampling periods consisted of differing densities and setups of Sherman and pitfall traps within 0.16-ha plots. Data was not statistically analyzed due to minimal sample sizes. Comparable 1.28-ha mixed hardwood forest study sites were chosen in the Big Ridge area of Chattanooga, Tennessee for the primary study. One site had protected status, whereas the other was characterized by urbanized development. At each site, five randomly selected 0.16-ha plots containing 20 small mammal traps were sampled daily for 14 days. Small mammal relative abundance and habitat data were analyzed using a paired t-test and two-sample t-test, respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to identify any relationships between small mammal abundance and habitat characters. Mean relative abundance was found to be significantly higher (P=0.0005) in the unprotected site. There was significantly greater (P=0.03) vegetative coverage in the unprotected site, but the correlation analyses yielded no significant relationships (P>0. l 0) between abundance and vegetative coverage. In conclusion, the significantly higher small mammal abundance found at the unprotected site is most likely a result of increased coverage in the unprotected area. There a significantly higher percent of vegetation in the unprotected site and the mean percentages of coarse woody debris and artificial debris were higher as well, although these latter differences were not statistically significant.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dickinson, Melissa R."],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Gaudin, Timothy J.","Litchford, Gary; Schorr, Mark S.; Keller, Robert","College of Arts and Sciences"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:13Z","subjects":["Mammals--Tennessee--Chattanooga","Forest ecology"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["LB2369.2 .D524 2000"],"render_values":[{"text":"LB2369.2 .D524 2000","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/902","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Gaudin, Timothy J.","Litchford, Gary; Schorr, Mark S.; Keller, Robert","College of Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dickinson, Melissa R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2000-12-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters theses","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mammals--Tennessee--Chattanooga","Forest ecology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["LB2369.2 .D524 2000","https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/902"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Field research was conducted to test for effects of urbanization on small mammal abundance and diversity. Preliminary studies were preformed to test sampling techniques and acquire a sample size estimate for the primary study. Sampling sites were chosen in old growth and mixed hardwood forest areas. Six day sampling periods consisted of differing densities and setups of Sherman and pitfall traps within 0.16-ha plots. Data was not statistically analyzed due to minimal sample sizes. Comparable 1.28-ha mixed hardwood forest study sites were chosen in the Big Ridge area of Chattanooga, Tennessee for the primary study. One site had protected status, whereas the other was characterized by urbanized development. At each site, five randomly selected 0.16-ha plots containing 20 small mammal traps were sampled daily for 14 days. Small mammal relative abundance and habitat data were analyzed using a paired t-test and two-sample t-test, respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to identify any relationships between small mammal abundance and habitat characters. Mean relative abundance was found to be significantly higher (P=0.0005) in the unprotected site. There was significantly greater (P=0.03) vegetative coverage in the unprotected site, but the correlation analyses yielded no significant relationships (P>0. l 0) between abundance and vegetative coverage. In conclusion, the significantly higher small mammal abundance found at the unprotected site is most likely a result of increased coverage in the unprotected area. There a significantly higher percent of vegetation in the unprotected site and the mean percentages of coarse woody debris and artificial debris were higher as well, although these latter differences were not statistically significant."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Assessment of small mammal populations in two Southeastern forests of Big Ridge in Chattanooga, TN"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Gaudin, Timothy J.","Litchford, Gary; Schorr, Mark S.; Keller, Robert","College of Arts and Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Dickinson, Melissa R."],"dc:date":["2000-12-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."],"dc:description.abstract":["Field research was conducted to test for effects of urbanization on small mammal abundance and diversity. Preliminary studies were preformed to test sampling techniques and acquire a sample size estimate for the primary study. Sampling sites were chosen in old growth and mixed hardwood forest areas. Six day sampling periods consisted of differing densities and setups of Sherman and pitfall traps within 0.16-ha plots. Data was not statistically analyzed due to minimal sample sizes. Comparable 1.28-ha mixed hardwood forest study sites were chosen in the Big Ridge area of Chattanooga, Tennessee for the primary study. One site had protected status, whereas the other was characterized by urbanized development. At each site, five randomly selected 0.16-ha plots containing 20 small mammal traps were sampled daily for 14 days. Small mammal relative abundance and habitat data were analyzed using a paired t-test and two-sample t-test, respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to identify any relationships between small mammal abundance and habitat characters. Mean relative abundance was found to be significantly higher (P=0.0005) in the unprotected site. There was significantly greater (P=0.03) vegetative coverage in the unprotected site, but the correlation analyses yielded no significant relationships (P>0. l 0) between abundance and vegetative coverage. In conclusion, the significantly higher small mammal abundance found at the unprotected site is most likely a result of increased coverage in the unprotected area. There a significantly higher percent of vegetation in the unprotected site and the mean percentages of coarse woody debris and artificial debris were higher as well, although these latter differences were not statistically significant."],"dc:identifier":["LB2369.2 .D524 2000","https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/902"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Mammals--Tennessee--Chattanooga","Forest ecology"],"dc:title":["Assessment of small mammal populations in two Southeastern forests of Big Ridge in Chattanooga, TN"],"dc:type":["Masters theses","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:13Z"}