by Victoria Finizio
When most people think of biodiversity, they might envision far-off rainforests and other tropical habitats. However, they would be remiss to ignore the wonderful selection of plants and animals right here in Ohio, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. In fact, The Nature Conservancy claims that the entire Appalachian Mountain range ranks next to the “Amazon Rainforest and the Kenyan grasslands as one of the most globally important landscapes for tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity.” Even as a small part of this large region, Ohio must pull its weight in protecting this vital territory, which is home to thousands of species of plants and animals. An important part of Appalachian Ohio is in Adams County, currently the sole home of the Allegheny woodrat, Neotoma magister, in the state.
This species lives in several other states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. More generally, its preferred habitat includes rocky cliffs and ledges, making Appalachia the perfect home. Despite its name, the Allegheny woodrat resembles a mouse more than a rat. According to Lindsey Stanesa of Animal Diversity Web, they tend to defy other rat stereotypes; they are clean and keep out of the way of humans. Allegheny woodrats are primarily herbivores, eating various leaves, seeds, nuts and acorns. Additionally, they cache items in their caves and mountainsides, meaning that they store food items for later use. This habit is especially useful in the colder months when it is more difficult for them to forage for food outside. Moreover, the diet of Allegheny woodrats is vital to their broader ecological role.
Like all organisms, the Allegheny woodrat is extremely important to the overall health of its ecosystem. Its food and caching behaviors contribute to seed dispersal, which is an essential process that helps plants grow and reproduce over vast areas. They also serve as a food source for several important predators like owls, bobcats, skunks, foxes, weasels and snakes and as hosts for fleas, ticks, botflies, mites and roundworms. Some of these organisms are parasites, and others exhibit commensalism, a symbiotic relationship where the Allegheny woodrat is unharmed yet benefits the other species. While these predators and parasites can harm or kill individual woodrats, predator-prey and parasitic relationships are important to stabilize all populations in an ecosystem and support more ecological benefits and processes.
Unfortunately, Allegheny woodrats are endangered in several states, especially in Ohio. As of last year, the Wildlife Center of Virginia shared an estimate that there were only 50 woodrats living in the state. While the exact causes of their endangerment are undetermined, there are several possible reasons as to why their populations have been declining. Like many modern population issues, anthropogenic activities lead to habitat loss, changing seasonal climates and the introduction of invasive species. According to The Nature Conservancy, chestnut blight and spongy moths attack trees and decrease chestnut and acorn availability, which are two essential food sources for Allegheny woodrats. One of the biggest causes of the decreasing populations, however, is raccoon roundworm. This parasite is found in raccoon scat, which the woodrats collect to dig seeds out of, and is fatal to the woodrats.
Despite the drastically low population of Allegheny woodrats in Ohio, there is some hope for recovery. For instance, the Ohio Division of Wildlife can collect raccoon scat, analyze its composition for the parasite, and effectively “disperse baits that deworm the raccoons” to the appropriate locations. Ultimately, this strategy will help to lower levels of raccoon roundworm infections. Another conservation tactic comes from the help of another state: Virginia. On Sept. 15, the Wildlife Center of Virginia published an article explaining its plan to release several Allegheny woodrats into an Ohio habitat. In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, they captured nine Virginian woodrats and are temporarily housing them at the center for medical and genetic testing and antiparasitic treatment. Within the next few days, they hope to release them into Ohio’s woodrat population. Not only will more woodrats be added to the population now, but scientists hope to see decreases in inbreeding and increases in genetic diversity via gene flow. In the long-term, greater genetic diversity will increase the likelihood of the population’s survival and possibly help to restore population levels. Virginia and Ohio successfully collaborated on similar projects in 2019 and 2022. However, in both of these cases, only one woodrat was transferred between states, so scientists are excited to see how these woodrats will settle into their new home and help their friends in Ohio.