The combined effects of climate and landscape change are likely to be contributing to widespread and pervasive declines in forest bird populations. Individual species responses vary across climatic niches and habitat requirements, but bird communities and populations in montane systems may be particularly vulnerable to climate anomalies. Previous syntheses have reviewed evidence for impacts of climate change on bird species in general, in temperate regions and in Holarctic mountain ranges. Here, we propose that the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America serve as an instructive case study due to their distinct combination of extensive temperate broadleaf forest cover, predominantly northeast–southwest orientation that bridges two major biomes and a bird assemblage that contains trailing‐edge populations of species that predominantly breed in the boreal forest. Our goal was to review the contemporary and potential future effects of both climate and land cover change on forest birds breeding in the Appalachian Mountains. Specifically, we focused on synthesizing documented and predicted changes in bird species distributions, populations and communities in response to changes in climate and land cover across this mountain range. We further compared our findings with trends from other mountain ranges across the world to assess commonalities and differences. Although there was limited literature from the Appalachian Mountains that incorporated both climate and land cover variables in models of forest bird responses, several results were consistent with studies from other montane systems, including vulnerability of cold‐associated species to warming temperatures and stronger effects predicted for future scenarios with higher greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, there were no prevailing trends that differed greatly from other mountain ranges, but potential extirpations of cold‐associated species varied along latitudinal gradients within the Appalachian Mountains region, and there was nuance in how changes in land cover and habitat conditions modified forest bird responses to climate change. We concluded our review by identifying key knowledge gaps, suggesting future directions for research and highlighting the conservation implications for forest birds in the Appalachian Mountains.

Population density is an important measure when monitoring wildlife populations. Various methods have been used to estimate density, including spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models applied to camera trapping data. Although density estimates from SCR models fit to data from unmarked animals can be considerably imprecise, ancillary data can potentially improve precision of density estimates. We estimated densities of unmarked white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations across 3 study areas in West Virginia, USA. We used SCR methods in a Bayesian framework and incorporated home range data from global positioning system (GPS) collared deer to inform model parameters. Mean population density estimates were 10 deer/km2 in the central study area, 9 deer/km2 in the eastern study area, and 8 deer/km2 in the western study area. Although we do not know the true population density, our estimates are comparable to regional estimates from other studies. Density estimates from SCR models fit to data from unmarked animals are sensitive to model parameters, evidenced by the variation in estimated detection rates (0.28-0.41 detections/day) and home range size (73-98 ha) across our study areas. Although we demonstrate this technique with ancillary GPS data, other forms of ancillary data, including informative prior distributions, can be used to improve precision of density estimates obtained from completely unmarked animal populations. This method could be applied to a wide range of species, provided the appropriate ancillary data are available.

Understanding the factors that influence wildlife disease spread can help inform monitoring and mitigation efforts. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) infection is a highly contagious viral disease that is usually fatal for rabbit and hare species. We obtained RHDV2 infection case counts for wild lagomorph species from 2020-24 across 14 USA states, from a publicly available USA Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service dataset. We used Bayesian conditional autoregressive models to assess the effects of land cover, domestic RHDV2 infection case counts, and environmental factors on wild RHDV2 infection case counts. Our findings suggested that wild RHDV2 cases were positively related to RHDV2 cases in domestic lagomorphs, developed land cover, and lower annual precipitation. These results can be used to target RHDV2 surveillance in wild lagomorphs to urban areas where RHDV2 has been detected in domestic lagomorphs. Overall, our study provides insights into where surveillance could be prioritized to better understand the spread of RHDV2 into new areas.

Species occurrence is often influenced by changes in environmental conditions at multiple spatial and temporal scales working simultaneously in a hierarchical fashion. While previous dynamic multi-scale occupancy modelling frameworks address dynamics at multiple spatial scales, they assume both large-scale and small-scale units are closed during the same period, potentially leading to bias in small-scale estimates. We present an extended robust design that allows for the estimation of colonization and persistence probabilities across three spatiotemporal scales (large-scale annual, small-scale annual and small-scale intra-annual) simultaneously, while also accounting for imperfect detection in a Bayesian framework. We specified latent variables in a hierarchical manner, where occurrence at each scale was dependent on higher-level latent variables. To test model performance under a variety of sampling scenarios, we simulated data across 22 data-generating designs. As an example, we also fit the novel occupancy model to invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) detection/non-detection data collected in the Ohio River Basin, USA. We found that the model generally performed well, even under limited replication across different scales. Model performance declined in more 'extreme' simulations where colonization or persistence was rare. We found that invasive carp turnover probability varied across a gradient of invasion as well as across all spatiotemporal scales, exemplifying the benefits of utilizing our multi-scale approach. This modelling framework offers a powerful tool for disentangling the multi-scale processes that drive species distributions across time. The model was able to identify trends in carp occurrence even with limited data and uneven sampling efforts that would have otherwise been masked by more traditional occupancy modelling approaches. Annual large-scale and small-scale turnover varied substantially by river section, but intra-annual turnover was constantly low throughout the entire study area. By explicitly modelling dynamic parameters at multiple scales, this approach fills a critical gap in ecological modelling, providing the resolution to detect fine-scale processes and the scope to inform broad-scale management.

In forested landscapes of the Central Appalachians, wildlife openings are often created and maintained by land managers to provide early‐successional habitat and food resources for game species, such as wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ), ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus ), and American woodcock ( Scolopax minor ). Although management may focus on these regionally important game birds, wildlife openings can also benefit a myriad of avian species and guilds, depending on local habitat features and landscape‐level factors. Yet little effort has been made to investigate how to optimally manage wildlife openings to attract a full spectrum of avifauna throughout spring and summer and to maximize richness across habitat guilds. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of wildlife openings that support target game birds and a diversity of breeding and post‐breeding songbirds. Specifically, we investigated the effects of local habitat attributes, opening size, management decisions, and landscape context on multi‐species occupancy of 3 game birds (wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and American woodcock) during the game bird courtship season and songbird guild richness during the breeding and post‐breeding seasons. During April–August 2019–2021, we used species‐specific and community‐wide point count surveys, game cameras, acoustic recording units, and transect surveys to sample avian communities in 335 wildlife openings within the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, USA. We incorporated multiple data sources for game bird occurrence into multi‐species occupancy models, which were constructed within a Bayesian framework, and we used Bayesian hierarchical community models to calculate breeding and post‐breeding songbird guild richness, followed by generalized linear mixed effects models to assess relationships with wildlife opening characteristics. Results from our game bird analyses indicated that wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and American woodcock occupancy probabilities were best explained by predictor variables relating primarily to management actions, such as mowing frequency, and secondarily to size and local habitat attributes of the wildlife openings, such as area, percent sapling cover, and elevation. Songbird guild richness also responded to area and elevation, with additional influence from predictor variables relating to landscape context. The songbird model results further indicated that it is feasible to manage wildlife openings for the mutual benefit of different species groups across seasons. Ultimately, these findings can be integrated into the design and management of wildlife openings to support target game bird populations and promote avian diversity in forest ecosystems.

Eastern wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ) in northeastern South Dakota, USA, appeared to be expanding soon after reintroduction in the 1990s. However, recent hunter success trends suggest a population decline in the region. While the cause of the apparent decline was unclear, out of an abundance of caution managers closed the fall either‐sex hunting season throughout much of the region in 2014. An investigation into factors driving wild turkey population growth within northeastern South Dakota was needed to determine the most effective management strategies for increasing abundance. We incorporated age‐class specific estimates of female survival and lower‐level reproductive parameters into a female‐only, 2‐stage pre‐breeding birth‐pulse model to project the population growth rate. Additionally, we performed perturbation analyses, including a life‐stage simulation analysis, and simulated variation in each vital rate to assess effects of changes in demographic parameters on population growth. The finite rate of change indicates this population was declining‐to‐stable (λ = 0.804; 95% CI = 0.597, 1.006). Perturbation analyses indicate population growth was most greatly affected by changes in female survival; however, simulated variations suggest that low poult survival may be limiting population growth as well. Management interventions that simultaneously improve female and poult survival, such as increasing availability of brood‐rearing cover, have the greatest likelihood of achieving population growth and improving hunting opportunities in the region.

Global climate change is predicted to cause long-term changes in bird distributions and populations. Although previous studies often prioritized understanding avian responses to shifting climate conditions, recent efforts increasingly incorporate landscape change as an additional factor. We evaluated current and potential future effects of both climate and landscape change on the breeding distributions and relative abundance of 14 forest songbird species in the Appalachian Mountains. For each species, we compiled route-level total count data from 322 North American Breeding Bird Survey routes that were sampled between 1997–2017. Using Bayesian modeling techniques, we determined the relative influence of temperature, precipitation, and proportions of land cover types on route-level annual total species counts. We then projected future changes in relative abundance, regional occupancy, and distribution of relative abundance from 2000 to 2100, based on multiple greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Our models showed that proportions of land cover types tended to be more influential and had higher effect sizes than climate variables on forest songbird relative abundance during the breeding season. In our future predictions, most changes in relative abundance and regional occupancy were modest. These results indicated that net projected impacts of climate change on the 14 focal forest songbird species during the breeding season were minimal at a broad scale in the Appalachian Mountains. Instead, land use changes that result in reduced forest cover and increased urban cover may pose a more immediate threat than climate change to forest songbirds breeding in this region.

ABSTRACTMotivationSNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multicontributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns.Main Types of Variables ContainedSNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 contains 987,979 records of camera trap image sequence data and 9694 records of camera trap deployment metadata.Spatial Location and GrainData were collected across the United States of America in all 50 states, 12 ecoregions and many ecosystems.Time Period and GrainData were collected between 1st August and 29th December each year from 2019 to 2023.Major Taxa and Level of MeasurementThe dataset includes a wide range of taxa but is primarily focused on medium to large mammals.Software FormatSNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 comprises two .csv files. The original data can be found within the SNAPSHOT USA Initiative in the Wildlife Insights platform.

Large ungulates across the world are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, land use change, and other anthropogenic pressures. While conservation measures are critical, for many populations the implementation of conservation measures is often not practical, either due to a lack of information on the species' biology or their conservation status. Here we consider 2 large ungulates, the roan ( Hippotragus equinus ) and sable ( H. niger ) antelopes, occurring in Mudumu National Park (MNP) Namibia, for which data on populations trends and habitat use are largely unknown. Here, we used camera trapping data collected in the dry and wet seasons between March and September 2021 in visit frequency models to understand the relationship between habitat variables and the distribution dynamics of roan and sable over time at MNP. Our results showed that roans in the wet season were detected more at sites with increased grass cover and detected less at sites near the Kwando River. In the dry season, roans were detected more at sites with increased grass cover and more termite mounds but detected less at sites near the Kwando River. In the wet season, sables were detected more at sites with fewer termite mounds. In the dry season, sables were detected more at sites with increased grass cover. We hypothesized that roan and sable use fewer areas near permanent water to avoid high predator densities and high grazing intensity by dense herds of short‐grass grazers. The study findings are useful knowledge on 2 threatened ungulates and will be used to inform and develop comprehensive conservation programs and strategies that aim to lower the risk of extinction for roan and sable at a Namibian protected area.

Timber harvest is used to promote early-successional and mature forest songbird populations and diversity in forested landscapes, but we have an incomplete understanding of long-term bird responses to landscape-scale harvest intensity. Here, we used 17 years of historical bird survey data to address this knowledge gap by investigating how avian diversity, abundance, and population dynamics changed over time in two Central Appalachian forested landscapes with varying levels of timber harvest intensity. Our specific objectives were to examine the influence and effect of interactions between time and landscape-scale timber harvest intensity on breeding season songbird guild richness, focal species abundance, and focal species nest success. We found that guild richness and focal species abundance tended to be consistently higher in the actively harvested landscape, and trends in guild richness and species abundance over time were consistently positive in the actively harvested landscape and negative in the minimally harvested landscape. In particular, early-successional / edge-associated species and forest-gap species were found in higher numbers and exhibited positive temporal trends in the actively harvested landscape. However, a holistic assessment that included trends in reproductive success highlighted long-term declines in nest success for a forest-interior species of regional conservation concern within the actively harvested landscape but not the minimally harvested landscape. Thus, there are important trade-offs to consider when using landscape-scale forest management to promote songbird communities and populations in forested landscapes. While timber harvest operations can benefit particular songbird guilds and species, it is also valuable to maintain minimally harvested landscapes, and potentially manage for old-growth conditions, to support bird species that require extensive stands of mature forest.

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are the most broadly distributed native felid in North America and have substantial ecological and economic importance. Despite this importance, little is known about factors influencing population dynamics of this cryptic carnivore. Given recent apparent declines in abundance, we investigated population growth rate (lambda) for a bobcat population in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA, 2016-2022. We constructed and evaluated a females-only matrix population model. Our estimate of asymptotic lambda, derived from estimates of vital rates obtained over 6 years, was 0.85 (95% CI = 0.72, 1.02), which indicates that the vital rates in 2016-2022 were inadequate to sustain the population. Elasticity and sensitivity values were highest for changes in adult survival probability followed by, in order, changes in kitten and juvenile survival and adult reproductive contribution. Life-stage simulation analysis also supported that adult survival was most important; however, the juvenile survival (91 day-1 year) component of a bobcat's first year of life was also important and a stronger influence on population growth than the kitten survival (first 90 days) component. For the combination of survival and reproductive rates we estimated positive population growth required either annual adult survival >0.85 or 275-day juvenile survival >0.35, regardless of other vital rates. When assuming a baseline harvest rate of 23.5%, reducing the harvest rate to 9% led to a positive mean growth rate and a >0.50 probability of a growing population. Monitoring juvenile-to-adult harvest ratios can provide an indicator of age structure in the population, and we recommend restricting harvest when that ratio falls below 10%, particularly when managers lack research information on population growth.

AbstractWildlife space use is a key component to consider when determining effective conservation and management practices. Home range size and resource selection can vary temporally and spatially depending on mortality risks in the area and access to food resources. Lands used for coal mining can contain unique mortality risks and food resources for American black bears (Ursus americanus) relative to surrounding landscapes due to hunting restrictions, vegetation planted as part of the reclamation process, and other anthropogenic food resources. We examined the influence of mining sites on resource selection of female black bears in southern West Virginia, USA, during 2007 and 2008. We estimated home range size with Brownian Bridge movement models and evaluated variation in home range size with mixed‐effects linear regression. We evaluated resource selection with mixed‐effects Poisson point process models. On mine sites, the mean 95% home range for female black bears was 1,996 ha (SD = 2,633) in the autumn and 544 ha (SD = 238) in the spring, and on non‐mine sites the mean 95% home range was 1,926 ha (SD = 1,292) in the autumn and 771 ha (SD = 480) in the spring. Our resource selection model indicated black bears used nonhunting zones associated with mine lands much greater than their availability, and that black bears in mine areas disproportionately used areas in close proximity to anthropogenic structures. Interannual variation in home range size was likely associated with mast conditions, because smaller home ranges were associated with high mast production. Our data suggest black bears may be using non‐hunting zones within mine lands as refugia from hunting and are using anthropogenic food sources available at refuse sites on mine lands, which may increase regional black bear populations in areas with high mining activity.

Reliable maps of species distributions are fundamental for biodiversity research and conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps are widely recognized as authoritative representations of species’ geographic limits, yet they might not always align with actual occurrence data. In recent area of habitat (AOH) maps, areas that are not habitat have been removed from IUCN ranges to reduce commission errors, but their concordance with actual species occurrence also remains untested. We tested concordance between occurrences recorded in camera trap surveys and predicted occurrences from the IUCN and AOH maps for 510 medium- to large-bodied mammalian species in 80 camera trap sampling areas. Across all areas, cameras detected only 39% of species expected to occur based on IUCN ranges and AOH maps; 85% of the IUCN only mismatches occurred within 200 km of range edges. Only 4% of species occurrences were detected by cameras outside IUCN ranges. The probability of mismatches between cameras and the IUCN range was significantly higher for smaller-bodied mammals and habitat specialists in the Neotropics and Indomalaya and in areas with shorter canopy forests. Our findings suggest that range and AOH maps rarely underrepresent areas where species occur, but they may more often overrepresent ranges by including areas where a species may be absent, particularly at range edges. We suggest that combining range maps with data from ground-based biodiversity sensors, such as camera traps, provides a richer knowledge base for conservation mapping and planning.

AbstractPredator species can indirectly affect prey species through the cost of anti‐predator behavior responses, which may involve shifts in occupancy, space use, or movement. Quantifying the various strategies implemented by prey species to avoid adverse interactions with predators can lead to a better understanding of potential population‐level repercussions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine predator–prey interactions by quantifying the effect of predator species presence on detection rates of prey species, using coyotes (Canis latrans) and white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Central Appalachian forests of the eastern United States as a model predator–prey system. To test two competing hypotheses related to interspecific interactions, we modeled species detections from 319 camera traps with a two‐species occupancy model that incorporated a continuous‐time detection process. We found that white‐tailed deer occupancy was independent of coyote occupancy, but white‐tailed deer were more frequently detectable and had greater detection intensity at sites where coyotes were present, regardless of vegetation‐related covariates. In addition, white‐tailed deer detection rates at sites with coyotes were highest when presumed forage availability was relatively low. These findings suggest that white‐tailed deer may be exhibiting an active avoidance behavioral response to predators by increasing movement rates when coyotes are present in an area, perhaps due to reactive evasive maneuvers and/or proactive attempts to reduce adverse encounters with them. Concurrently, coyotes could be occupying sites with higher white‐tailed deer densities. Because white‐tailed deer did not exhibit significant shifts in daily activity patterns based on coyote occupancy, we further suggest that white‐tailed deer in our study system generally do not use temporal partitioning as their primary strategy for avoiding encounters with coyotes. Overall, our study implements a recently developed analytical approach for modeling multi‐species occupancy from camera traps and provides novel ecological insight into the complex relationships between predator and prey species.

Aim: The assembly of species into communities and ecoregions is the result of interacting factors that affect plant and animal distribution and abundance at biogeographic scales. Here, we empirically derive ecoregions for mammals to test whether human disturbance has become more important than climate and habitat resources in structuring communities. Location: Conterminous United States. Time Period: 2010-2021. Major Taxa Studied: Twenty-five species of mammals. Methods: We analysed data from 25 mammal species recorded by camera traps at 6645 locations across the conterminous United States in a joint modelling framework to estimate relative abundance of each species. We then used a clustering analysis to describe 8 broad and 16 narrow mammal communities. Results: Climate was the most important predictor of mammal abundance overall, while human population density and agriculture were less important, with mixed effects across species. Seed production by forests also predicted mammal abundance, especially hard-mast tree species. The mammal community maps are similar to those of plants, with an east-west split driven by different dominant species of deer and squirrels. Communities vary along gradients of temperature in the east and precipitation in the west. Most fine-scale mammal community boundaries aligned with established plant ecoregions and were distinguished by the presence of regional specialists or shifts in relative abundance of widespread species. Maps of potential ecosystem services provided by these communities suggest high herbivory in the Rocky Mountains and eastern forests, high invertebrate predation in the subtropical south and greater predation pressure on large vertebrates in the west. Main Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of climate to modern mammals and suggest that climate change will have strong impacts on these communities. Our new empirical approach to recognizing ecoregions has potential to be applied to expanded communities of mammals or other taxa.

Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.

ObjectiveAltered flow regimes pose significant risks to the stability of populations of riverine Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu. Periods of poor recruitment, due to early life stage mortality resulting from high-flow events, can cause size-structure and density alterations of populations. The aim of this study was to opportunistically test for changes in dynamic rates of a riverine Smallmouth Bass population using a long-term data set that spanned a period of poor recruitment.MethodsOur study evaluated size-specific CPUE (fish/h), mortality, growth, and condition and tested for recruitment determinants of Smallmouth Bass through three consecutive years of poor age-0 recruitment in the South Branch Potomac River, West Virginia. We used fall nighttime boat electrofishing surveys during 2009-2022 to monitor this population before and after the poor-recruitment time frame (2016-2018).ResultAge-0 CPUE was greater during the time frame prior to the poor-recruitment time frame. However, there was no difference in the CPUE of quality-length Smallmouth Bass between the two time frames and CPUE of preferred-length fish was greater during the poor-recruitment time frame. Growth and relative weight increased during the poor-recruitment time frame. There was no significant difference detected in mortality between the recruitment time frames. Streamflow during the spawning period was a significant factor influencing fall recruitment of age-0 Smallmouth Bass. A Ricker density-dependent model with an added streamflow term performed as well as a basic, log-linear streamflow model and a density-independent model that also incorporated a streamflow term.ConclusionOur results provide evidence of density-dependent structuring in this population. Decreases in population density increased population dynamic rates that maintained or improved size structure. High adult biomasses did not increase age-0 recruitment. Many riverine Smallmouth Bass populations may display favorable density-dependent responses to declines in juvenile recruitment. Thus, management agencies should better understand the resiliency of these populations prior to establishing expensive programs or regulations, which may be ineffective, to combat alterations in juvenile recruitment. Periods of poor Smallmouth Bass recruitment concern anglers and fisheries managers, but relative abundance of quality-length fish may increase or remain unchanged, and fish condition and growth may increase in response to declines in density.Impact statement

BackgroundGastrointestinal helminths are a very widespread group of intestinal parasites that can cause major health issues in their hosts, including severe illness or death. Traditional methods of helminth parasite identification using microscopy are time-consuming and poor in terms of taxonomic resolution, and require skilled observers. DNA metabarcoding has emerged as a powerful alternative for assessing community composition in a variety of sample types over the last few decades. While metabarcoding approaches have been reviewed for use in other research areas, the use of metabarcoding for parasites has only recently become widespread. As such, there is a need to synthesize parasite metabarcoding methodology and highlight the considerations to be taken into account when developing a protocol.MethodsWe reviewed published literature that utilized DNA metabarcoding to identify gastrointestinal helminth parasites in vertebrate hosts. We extracted information from 62 peer-reviewed papers published between 2014 and 2023 and created a stepwise guide to the metabarcoding process.ResultsWe found that studies in our review varied in technique and methodology, such as the sample type utilized, genetic marker regions targeted and bioinformatic databases used. The main limitations of metabarcoding are that parasite abundance data may not be reliably attained from sequence read numbers, metabarcoding data may not be representative of the species present in the host and the cost and bioinformatic expertise required to utilize this method may be prohibitive to some groups.ConclusionsOverall, using metabarcoding to assess gastrointestinal parasite communities is preferable to traditional methods, yielding higher taxonomic resolution, higher throughput and increased versatility due to its utility in any geographical location, with a variety of sample types, and with virtually any vertebrate host species. Additionally, metabarcoding has the potential for exciting new discoveries regarding host and parasite evolution.

Small mammals are important, albeit often overlooked, fauna in wetland restoration projects. However, it is essential to evaluate factors that influence small mammal community metrics in restored wetlands to maximize wetland restoration effectiveness. Previous studies found that vegetation differed as restored wetlands aged and that wetland age may play a role in the presence of amphibians and birds. Therefore, we assessed whether wetland age influenced small mammals. We also evaluated 17 environmental factors in restored wetlands that could influence small mammal communities in these wetlands. To assess and evaluate the effects of age and environmental factors on the small mammal community, we appraised 14 restored wetlands in West Virginia, USA, in the summers of 2020 and 2021 for small mammal community metrics, specifically relative abundance, diversity, richness, and evenness. We captured six species of small mammals: deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius), northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda), and eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). We found that the relative abundance of deer mice, white-footed mice, and meadow voles decreased with wetland age. However, both species diversity and evenness increased with wetland age. Wetland size influenced the relative abundance of white-footed mice, meadow jumping mice, and all small mammals combined. Although the relative abundance of white-footed mice and total small mammals decreased with wetland size, the relative abundance of meadow jumping mice increased with wetland size. Wetland managers should consider wetland age and size when designing wetlands to facilitate small mammal communities.