IMPACT OF FIRE ON SMALL MAMMALS AND AMPHIBIANS IN A CENTRAL APPALACHIAN DECIDUOUS FOREST

The impact of fire on small mammals and amphibians was investigated in an oak (Quercus spp.)-dominated forest in S-central Pennsylvania. Sam pling with Y-shaped arrays of pitfalls and drift fences was conducted for 78 days between 31 March and 13 November 1992 following a fire in November 1991. Shrews, rodents and total small mammals were significan tly less abundant in burned than in unburned forest; however, signific ant differences between habitats were recorded only for the 1st 3 samp ling periods (April, June, July) for rodents and total small mammals. Eight species of small mammals were captured in unburned forest compar ed to six species in burned areas. The two species not taken in the bu rned forest were both arvicoline rodents, the meadow vole (Microtus pe nnsylvanicus) and southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi). A significant correlation was found between the rank order of species of small mammals taken in burned and unburned habitats. The two most abu ndant species in both habitats were the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and Maryland shrew (Sorex fontinalis), which combined compr ised 78.1% of the small mammals taken in the unburried forest and 72.4 % of the sample from the burned site. In contrast to small mammals, si gnificantly more amphibians were captured in the burned forest. The Am erican toad (Bufo americanus) was the most abundant amphibian, compris ing 70.8% of the amphibians captured; this species was largely respons ible for the greater numbers of amphibians captured in the burned fore st.