SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE HABITAT PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: OUR EVOLVING UNDERSTANDING OF THE HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF THIS "HABITAT SPECIALIST"

Katie R Smith; UC Davis, CADFW; ratsmith@ucdavis.edu;

For decades the salt marsh harvest mouse has been managed as a habitat specialist, dependent on pickleweed dominated tidal marshes. However, more recent research and monitoring has revealed a much more adaptable rodent than previously believed. As we face an increasingly uncertain future of climate change, sea level rise and the challenges of tidal restoration, what do we need to keep in mind? In this talk I will discuss the historical state of the salt marsh harvest mouse range, how we currently perceive and manage habitat, and directions we need to consider as we manage this species in the face of future uncertainty.

Ecology and Conservation of Mammals     Student Paper