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Adaptation of an artificial bait to an automated aerial delivery system for landscape-scale brown treesnake suppression. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02567-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Amburgey SM, Yackel Adams AA, Gardner B, Hostetter NJ, Siers SR, McClintock BT, Converse SJ. Evaluation of camera trap-based abundance estimators for unmarked populations. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02410. [PMID: 34255398 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Estimates of species abundance are critical to understand population processes and to assess and select management actions. However, capturing and marking individuals for abundance estimation, while providing robust information, can be economically and logistically prohibitive, particularly for species with cryptic behavior. Camera traps can be used to collect data at temporal and spatial scales necessary for estimating abundance, but the use of camera traps comes with limitations when target species are not uniquely identifiable (i.e., "unmarked"). Abundance estimation is particularly useful in the management of invasive species, with herpetofauna being recognized as some of the most pervasive and detrimental invasive vertebrate species. However, the use of camera traps for these taxa presents additional challenges with relevancy across multiple taxa. It is often necessary to use lures to attract animals in order to obtain sufficient observations, yet lure attraction can influence species' landscape use and potentially induce bias in abundance estimators. We investigated these challenges and assessed the feasibility of obtaining reliable abundance estimates using camera-trapping data on a population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) in Guam. Data were collected using camera traps in an enclosed area where snakes were subject to high-intensity capture-recapture effort, resulting in presumed abundance of 116 snakes (density = 23/ha). We then applied spatial count, random encounter and staying time, space to event, and instantaneous sampling estimators to photo-capture data to estimate abundance and compared estimates to our presumed abundance. We found that all estimators for unmarked populations performed poorly, with inaccurate or imprecise abundance estimates that limit their usefulness for management in this system. We further investigated the sensitivity of these estimators to the use of lures (i.e., violating the assumption that animal behavior is unchanged by sampling) and camera density in a simulation study. Increasing the effective distances of a lure (i.e., lure attraction) and camera density both resulted in biased abundance estimates. Each estimator rarely recovered truth or suffered from convergence issues. Our results indicate that, when limited to unmarked estimators and the use of lures, camera traps alone are unlikely to produce abundance estimates with utility for brown treesnake management.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Amburgey
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - A A Yackel Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - B Gardner
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - N J Hostetter
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - S R Siers
- U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center, 233 Pangelinan Way, Barrigada, 96913, Guam
| | - B T McClintock
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA-NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, 98115, USA
| | - S J Converse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences & School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
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Goetz SM, Hileman ET, Nafus MG, Yackel Adams AA, Bryant AR, Reed RN, Siers SR. Brown Treesnake Mortality After Aerial Application of Toxic Baits. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott M. Goetz
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 233 Pangelinan Way Barrigada GU 96913 USA
| | - Eric T. Hileman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Melia G. Nafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Amy A. Yackel Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Amanda R. Bryant
- Cherokee Nation Technologies, U.S. Geological Survey Brown Treesnake Project Yigo GU 96929 USA
| | - Robert N. Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Shane R. Siers
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 233 Pangelinan Way Barrigada GU 96913 USA
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Harris SA, Savage AM. Observations of Snakes Associated With Active Nests of Allegheny Mound Ant (Formica exsectoides) in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Goetz SM, Yackel Adams AA, Siers SR. Validating Deployment of Aerially Delivered Toxic Bait Cartridges for Control of Invasive Brown Treesnakes. WILDLIFE SOC B 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott M. Goetz
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Amauulu Road Hilo HI 96720 USA
| | - Amy A. Yackel Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Shane R. Siers
- U.S. Department of Agriculture—Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Amauulu Road Hilo HI 96720 USA
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Siers SR, Shiels AB, Barnhart PD. Invasive Snake Activity Before and After Automated Aerial Baiting. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shane R. Siers
- USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesNational Wildlife Research Center c/o Wildlife Services Guam State Office, 233 Pangelinan Way Barrigada GU 96913 USA
| | - Aaron B. Shiels
- USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesNational Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Patrick D. Barnhart
- USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesNational Wildlife Research Center PO Box 10880 Hilo HI 96721 USA
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