Effects of Roads on Movement of Displaced White-Footed Deermice (Peromyscus leucopus)

Abstract

Although roads are a major part of modern landscapes, the impacts of roads on small mammal behavior and population dynamics are still poorly understood. In a study over the summers of 2003 and 2004 in Nolde Forest near Reading, PA, we examined the impacts of roads on the behavior of white-footed deermice (Peromyscus leucopus). Mice were trapped near the center of the park using Sherman traps. Half of the mice were released near roads that they would have to cross in order to return home, and half were released in the park interior. Using a combination of powder tracking and radio tracking, we were able to investigate the impacts of roads on the movement of displaced individuals. Although our mice avoided roads immediately after release, longer tracking through radio-telemetry showed that they did cross roads. Our findings suggest that small roads (i.e., two-lane paved roads) do not impede movement of white-footed deermice.