Monitoring Approaches for Conservation Priority Mammals

Submitter: Mike Dickinson

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124072 Copy

Description

Title

Monitoring Approaches for Conservation Priority Mammals

Contributor(s)

• Allen, Maximilian L.
• Proudman, Nathan

Issue Date

2024-09-23

Keyword(s)

• wildlife management
• conservation
• mammals

Geographic Coverage

Illinois

Abstract

To effectively manage wildlife, accurate and reliable estimates of their occurrences and abundances are essential (Nichols and Williams 2006, Lindenmayer and Likens 2010). Many furbearing mammal species, however, can be elusive, and their ecologies and behaviors often make them difficult to study and monitor (Gese 2001, Hiller et al. 2011). Accordingly, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources monitors the distribution and abundance of furbearer species using multiple methods, including road-kill counts and spotlight surveys (Bauder et al. 2022). Because road-kill counts can be affected by a number of external factors independent of animal abundances (Gese 2001) and because only a limited number of spotlight surveys can be performed in a given year, an additional reliable method for monitoring furbearer species within the state is desirable. Camera traps allow for the continuous, passive collection of data over long time periods (Suraci et al. 2021, Avrin et al. 2023), with significantly less personnel hours required compared to other non-invasive methods. Camera traps have been adopted as wildlife monitoring tools by many state agencies and research projects, and have proven effective at assessing relative abundances, occurrences, and population trends of furbearing mammals (Clare et al. 2015, Rich et al. 2018, Iannarilli et al. 2021). Furthermore, due to the versatility of camera trap data, other quantitative tools can be applied for further understanding of population dynamics and behaviors of wildlife, including interspecific interactions and diel activity patterns (Wang et al. 2015, Allen et al. 2024a, Rodríguez-Luna et al. 2024). The use of camera traps at a statewide scale could provide robust estimates of the occurrences and abundances of mammal species of interest in Illinois, while continued monitoring over several years can allow for accurate assessments of population trends. There are ten terrestrial furbearers that are of interest to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, including American badger (Taxidea taxus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), coyote (Canis latrans), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). Camera traps are a costeffective wildlife monitoring tool that collect robust data continuously over long time periods, but are currently not being used by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a statewide monitoring tool. All of these furbearers, with the exception of weasels (due to their small size) should be able to be effectively monitored with camera traps. Our goal was to develop a robust data source for furbearers in Illinois by setting up a camera trapping network that allows for analysis of long-term trends, using the statewide sampling design of the long-term monitoring for other taxa provided by the Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) (Molano-Flores 2002). We used sites selected by the Critical Trends Assessment Program for the given year, which will provide additional data including fine-scale measurements of habitat and other species. We attempted to monitor 30 forest,30 grassland/shrubland, and 30 wetland sites across Illinois, to match the sampling design of the statewide and long-term monitoring for other taxa provided by the Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP). We attempted to monitor each site for approximately 6 months during winter and spring, when many furbearers are active and likely to be detected.

Publisher

Illinois Natural History Survey

Series/Report Name or Number

Technical Report INHS 2024 (14)

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

W-211-R-3

Copyright and License Information

This document is a product of the Illinois Natural History Survey, and has been selected and made available by the Illinois Natural History Survey and the University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended solely for noncommercial research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

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