| Zusammenfassung: | Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were studied in ungrazed tallgrass prairie on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area near Manhattan, Kansas in 1984-1987. Prairie voles on our topographically diverse site demonstrated a nonrandom association with topography as upland prairie was preferred over lowland and slope prairie. Preference for upland was highly consistent among male and female residents and nonresidents, however, absolute strengths of the preference for upland did differ among years and among sex-residency classes. For example, female residents were associated more strongly with upland prairie than were male residents, whereas male residents were more likely to be captured in lowland prairie than were female residents. Patterns of use of the three topographic positions also were more variable between years and between males and females for nonresidents than residents. The latter difference was consistent with nonresidents, in part, being dispersing voles that were moving through less than optimal habitat in their search for permanent home sites.
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