Trapping Results of the Endangered Key Largo Cotton Mouse and Key Largo Woodrat
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Trapping results of the endangered Key Largo cotton mouse and Key Largo woodrat Daniel U. Greene and Jeffery A. Gore Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Introduction • Sub-species • Endemic KLCM: Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola • Historically ranged throughout the island • Over two-thirds of historic habitat lost KLWR: Neotoma floridana smalli Population Decline • Concern for population declines in all rodent species in Key Largo since 1970’s • Habitat loss and proposed developments led to Federal listing under the ESA on August 31,1984 • Land purchase: – Majority of North Key Largo protected under State & Federal management Present Habitat • Managed by: – Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical SP – Crocodile Lake NWR • 790-945 ha of upland hardwood hammocks – 851 ha used Habitat Quality • Habitat - range of disturbances • Farming, hurricanes, fire • Fragmentation • 2 inactive military sites • Aquaculture • Residences • Waste transfer station • Large raccoon and feral cat populations • Exotic species • Pythons/boas, iguanas, fire ants, invasive plants Objectives • Develop a standardized methodology for reliably assessing population trends – Based on results from 2007 – Feasible given the personnel & budgetary constraints » Allow for long-term monitoring – 2008-Present – test method • Describe population structure – Fulfill needs in Multi-Species Recovery Plan Methods Stratified Random Design • Randomly selected 34 7 x 7 trapping grids with 10 m spacing (0.36 ha each, 12.24 ha total) Proportional allocation Young - 95 ha (Disturbed >1971) » 6 grids Medium - 325 ha (Disturbed 1940-71) » 12 grids Old - 430 ha (Disturbed <1940) » 16 grids Methods Trapping • 3 sessions in 2007 – 1 March - 11 May – 4 July - 7 Sept. – 29 Oct. - 31 Dec. Methods • Data collected: – Weight, sex, reproductive status, & unique characteristics – ectoparasites – tissue samples • Double marked • PIT tags • Ear tags Methods Data analysis - KLCM • Programs CAPTURE and MARK using Pollock’s Robust Design – Full Closed Captures with Heterogeneity – 23 candidate models incorporating time, behavior, and heterogeneity • Conducted subset analysis in CAPTURE to determine appropriate model(s) Methods • Model averaged – Survival – Emigration and Immigration – Capture and Recapture – Mixture distribution • Goodness of fit • Adjusted variance inflation factor • Calculated effective trapping area • Used mean maximum distance moved (29.62m) to account for an edge effect and to correct the naïve estimates 0.36 ha to 0.56 ha Capture/Recapture Probabilities Parameter Estimate SE L 95% CI U 95% CI Capture Probabilities 0.050 0.046 0.008 0.258 0.387 0.108 0.205 0.606 0.288 0.068 0.174 0.437 0.630 0.121 0.382 0.825 0.229 0.050 0.145 0.341 M 0.760 0.093 0.538 0.896 Recapture Probabilities 1 March-11 May F 0.025 0.146 0.000 1.000 M 0.765 0.069 0.604 0.874 4 July-7 Sept F 0.288 0.054 0.195 0.403 M 0.490 0.066 0.364 0.618 29 Oct-31 Dec F 0.260 0.061 0.159 0.396 M 0.815 0.045 0.712 0.887 Trapping P OF 12 GRIDS 3 sessions in 2007 – 1 March - 11 May – 4 July - 7 Sept – 29 Oct - 31 Dec 10 - 14 March, 2008 8 - 18 Dec 2009 30 Dec 2010 - 9 Jan 2011 KLCM Population Estimates Captures per Minimum # Total Survey Period Trap nights 100 trap known alive Captures nights Barbour and Humphrey Summer 1979 38 93 1,696 5.5 Humphrey May-April 1986 423 1,118 8,956 12.5 Greene et al. 1 March-11 May 2007 93 333 6,664 5.0 Greene et al. 4 July-Sept. 2007 111 486 6,664 7.3 Greene et al. 29 Oct.-31 Dec. 2007 120 721 6,664 10.8 Greene and Gore 8-18 Dec. 2009 65 127 2,940 4.3 Greene and Gore 30 Dec. 2010-09 Jan 2011 80 176 2,940 6.0 *inflated estimate KLCM Density Extrapolations Surveyors Survey Period Mice / hectare Total N Estimate Barbour & Jan-Aug 1979 21.8 - Humphrey Humphrey May-April 1986 21.2 18,000 Sasso & Gaines July 1996-April 9.1 1998 Greene et al. 1 March-11 May 11.7 9,947 2007 Greene et al. 4 July-Sept. 2007 17.5 14,913 Greene et al. 29 Oct.-31 Dec. 23.2 19,757 2007 Greene and Gore 8-18 Dec. 2009 13.5* 11,528* Greene and Gore 30 Dec. 2010 - 9 12.7 10,801 Jan 2011 *inflated estimate KLCM Individuals LOCATION PERIOD Nov-Dec Dec 2010-Jan Grid Ownership Mar-Apr 2007 July-Aug 2007 March 2008* Dec 2009 2007 2011 2 KLH 3 5 8 n/a 7 6 4 KLH 4 10 12 n/a 7 6 9 KLH 9 10 7 n/a 1 2 17 CLNWR 3 6 10 n/a 8 12 19 KLH 8 7 10 n/a 4 6 21 KLH 8 11 10 8 3 6 22 KLH 8 12 10 7 4 7 23 KLH 13 11 9 n/a 5 11 24 CLNWR 11 8 11 n/a 6 12 26 CLNWR 8 8 11 n/a 9 3 30 KLH 7 13 8 n/a 4 5 34 KLH 11 10 14 n/a 7 8 Total 93 111 120 15 65 84 * Indicates a partial sample KLWR Individuals LOCATION PERIOD July-Aug Nov-Dec Dec 2010-Jan Grid Ownership Mar-Apr 2007 March 2008* Dec 2009 2007 2007 2011 2 KLH - - - n/a - - 4 KLH - 1m 1m n/a 1m 1f 9 KLH 1m, 2f 2m, 2f 3m, 1f n/a 1m - 17 CLNWR - 1m - n/a - - 19 KLH - - - n/a 1f 1m 21 KLH 2m 1m, 1f 3m 2m 1m, 1f 1m 22 KLH - 2m 4m, 3f 4m, 2f - - 23 KLH - - - n/a - - 24 CLNWR - - - n/a - - 26 CLNWR - - - n/a - - 30 KLH - - - n/a - - 34 KLH - 1m 1m, 1f n/a - - Total 5 11 17 8 5 3 * Indicates a partial sample Management Recommendations • Resolve or minimize predation impacts, particularly from non-native predators. • Continue monitoring populations to assess long-term fluctuations in population size. – Causation? • Continue restoring impacted habitat and test habitat alterations to determine effects on populations. • Better define habitat used by KLCM and KLWR and highlight management practices that benefit both subspecies. – Connectivity Reintroduction? 1964 April,1988 Jan,1994 Dec, 2010 Recommendations Habitat restoration Acknowledgments Steve Klett, Pat Wells, FAVOR Steven Castleberry and Mike Mengak Jeff Bach, Clay Degayner, Ralph DeGayner, Jessica Demarco, Sarah Dewees, Jim Duquesnel, Janice Duquesnel, Emily Evans, Trudy Ferraro, Mike Gillikin, Alison Higgins, Susan Kolterman, Sandra Sneckenberger, Megan Mayo, Bob McCleery, and Anne Morkill.