Understanding How Beaver Dam Analogs Modify Habitat for Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse: Populations and Habitat Structure

Details

• Creators:
  Schorr, Robert A. ; Funabashi, Terutaka
• Corporate Creators:
  Colorado State University. Colorado Natural Heritage Program
• Corporate Contributors:
  Colorado. Department of Transportation
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Restoration ecology
  • Stream restoration
  • Wildlife
  • Floods
  • Habitat
  • Endangered species
  • Land use
  • habitat restoration
  • beaver
• Publication/ Report Number:
  CDOT-2026-05
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Colorado ; Wyoming
• Corporate Publisher:
  Colorado. Department of Transportation
• Description:
  Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a threatened subspecies of meadow jumping mouse narrowly distributed from southeastern Wyoming to Colorado Springs, Colorado. This mouse is restricted to riparian habitats and the adjacent uplands. As riparian systems have been disrupted or impacted by incompatible land use, Preble's meadow jumping mouse populations have declined and become more isolated. One way of restoring or expanding riparian habitats is the installation of beaver dam analogs that mimic the structures built by beavers. These structures increase the water table and expand the riparian habitat components PMJM rely on. In 2021, Colorado Department of Transportation installed beaver dam analogs along East Plum and Carpenter creeks after modifications to Interstate 25 impacted Preble's meadow jumping mouse habitat. We conducted small mammal and vegetation surveys at each location immediately after analog installation in 2021, and then each year from 2023 to 2025. Preble's meadow jumping mice were found at each location each year. Captures of Preble's meadow jumping mice increased with tall vegetation cover and diverse ground cover. East Plum Creek had increasing abundances of Preble's meadow jumping mice, which corresponded to the diversity of tall vegetation and varied ground cover. Carpenter Creek had decreasing abundances of Preble's meadow jumping mice, likely because of monocultures of grasses, sedges, and rushes that increase meadow vole abundance. Although Carpenter Creek currently does not have many Preble's meadow jumping mice, we believe the beaver dam analogs will expand the available habitat over time. Beaver dam analogs can be effective riparian restoration tools; however, it is important to have any restoration tool scale with the associated floodplain and creek system. Despite stormwater flooding degrading some of the analogs, we believe beavers will take advantage of the structures and continue to dam the creeks in the vicinity. Implementation: We recommend that BDAs be used as a tool for PMJM habitat restoration, but that appropriate design match desired restoration scope and results, because the spatial, temporal, and physical scope can greatly influence the success. To offset impacts near PMJM habitat, thoroughly evaluate the size of the watershed, volume of water, and floodplain width to ensure BDAs can address the impacts.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/93564/dot_93564_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.01 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:19f53038c92e1c776a3ca27e47a3c2be1dab1ea0e4e7731af1ce61e51bb0c52b249e0abbf5699e98aa5aa7cb9aa04fa7ee97406b0d751848cdfe4652c4dfa778