Habitat Use by Alpine Mammals in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Abstract

There are 47 species of mammals known from alpine areas of the Pacific Northwest; 12 species form a standard set of mammals which inhabit areas with a variety of well-developed habitats. These species and their preferred habitats are deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) found in all alpine habitats; dusky shrews (Sorex monticolus), in wet meadows and krummholz; pikas (Ochotona princeps), in rocks; a chipmunk (Eutamias spp.), in krummholz; a marmot (Marmota spp.), in a wide variety of habitats, typically near large rocks; a mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus saturatus, S. lateralis), in krummholz and rocks; a pocket gopher (Thomomys spp.), in grasslands and herbfields; heather voles (Phenacomys intermedius), in a wide variety of habitats; southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi), in krummholz; and water shrews (Sorex palustris), water voles (Microtus richardsoni), and Pacific jumping mice (Zapus trinotatus), in willow. Of eight habitat types, krummholz, wet meadow, and rock have the greatest number of small mammal species (22, 21, and 20, respectively), and heather the least (3 species).