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The Use of Canine Scent Detection, Tracking Tubes, Dynamic Occupancy Modeling and Genetic Analysis of Scat to Better Understand

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The Use of Canine Scent Detection, Tracking Tubes, Dynamic Occupancy Modeling and Genetic Analysis of Scat to Better Understand 2/24/2015 PPM The Use of Canine Scent Detection, • Heteromyid (6g) • External cheek pouches Tracking Tubes, • Subspecies of Perognathus longimembris Dynamic Occupancy Modeling and • Critically Endangered • 4 extant populations (3 on Camp Pendleton) Genetic Analysis of Scat to Better Understand and Inform Habitat • West facing gentle slopes w/in 4 km of ocean Recovery of the Pacific Pocket • Sandy Substrates Mouse • Open CSS with forbs and grasses U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey PPM Distribution Historic & Current Behavior • Nonsocial, nocturnal • Dust Bath, Cache seeds • Torpor in Summer to Winter (related to seed availability?) • Temporal Activity Variable by sex/age • Forage primarily on seeds (forbs, grasses, shrubs) • Reproduction- 1-2 litters (gestate 2 weeks, wean 30 days) • Home Range estimates (.017 ha- 0.25 ha) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Program History Acknowledgements 2007- Monitoring Workshop with Scientific Panel MCB Camp Pendleton Sherri Sullivan, Roland Sosa, Eric Kirshner, Kaye London Set Program Goals USGS Scientific Panel 2008- Live-Trap North & South San Mateo . Robert Fisher Ken Burnham, Peter Meserve, Mark 2009- Sample Methodology Study . Tritia Matsuda Pavelka, Will Miller, Doug Deutsman 2010- PPM Discovery Effort . Denise Clark . Conservation Canines (UW) . Jeremy Sebes Heath Smith, Julie Ubigau, Sam Wasser, 2011- Creation of Monitoring Plan . Laura Fox Rebecca Booth, Michelle , Samson, Allie, 2012- Monitor Year 1 . Melanie Burlaza Casey, Timmy . Devin Adsit-Morris . SDZoo: 2013- Monitor Year 2 + Argentine Ant Sampling . Jeff Tracey Debra Shier, Amaranta Kozuch 2014- Monitor Year 3 + Genetic Barcode Assay . Jimmy Rabbers . Many Others!!! Development . Darlene Khalafi 1 2/24/2015 USFWS Oscar One Research Goals of Monitoring Some Lessons Learned Monitor status of PPM . Extremely challenging and time intensive (at best) to get .Long term trends/ annual trends accurate estimates of annual abundance on which to make .Response to natural environmental & human induced perturbations .Scientifically robust & cost effective informed decisions. .Increase knowledge of PPM .Natural history (habitat & natural variation) .Abundance highly variable: seasonal and annual .Response to biotic & abiotic variables .Difficult to distinguish YOY from adults (recruitment?) .Feedback loop (adaptive management & monitoring) .Capture probabilities highly variable: time, space, individuals .Test meaningful/relevant apriori hypotheses .Little known about spatial distribution or variation in distribution over .Response to management actions (i.e. fire, training, vegetation thinning, other) time .Targeted studies/ programs U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey How much is enough? 600 traps x 2 Grids x 4 Biologists/Grid x 10 Nights x 4 Times /yr = Large Confidence Intervals (FWS 2007) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey General Consensus Program Specifics for LT Monitoring .Spatial Monitoring Scheme- Annual Occupancy Index Sampling: .Smaller N & S San Mateo populations may require more intense •Permanent vs. Random Plots (75/25) sampling •Passive Sampling preferred .Information Gap- Current Size and distribution Information Gap- Require preliminary studies to assess & validate .Program will be closely tied to management .Collect habitat, biological, environmental data multiple scales- assess Measures: drivers of distribution & inform mgmt •Proportion Area Occupied .Will incorporate BACI studies to inform and assess mgmt actions •Relative Index of abundance/activity .Info on distribution will help inform Base on better mgmt decisions for Information Gap- depends upon sampling technique, validation training •Some measure of reproductive success Adaptive . •High vs. low recruitment year (feasibility- identification issue) .Some effort to ‘discovery’ (not confined to MCBCP) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey 2 2/24/2015 Program Specifics Environmental Covariates (large & small spatial scales) .Presence of sandy patches? (Y/N with estimated proportion) .Vegetative cover (growth forms: herbs/forbs, grasses, shrubs, trees, open ground, leaf litter) .Dominant plant species .Slope .Recent human disturbance .Other rodent species .Soil descriptors Other: .Ant species .Historic land use .Soil depth, permeability, hardness, other Size of Sample Plot- TBD U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Short term Goals 2009 What is the optimal sampling method for annual monitoring of PPM? Evaluation Criteria: .accuracy .detection probability .impact to species .impact to habitat .cost U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey 2009 Study Goals 1.0” or 1.5” diameter 15” length PVC pipe Objectives: Folder strip with ink pads 1. Evaluate methods for detecting PPM. Tracking a. Sherman traps of different sizes, with and without paper Glued bait perforations b. Tracking tubes of different diameters c. Canine scent detection 2. Record PPM behavioral responses using infrared video cameras. 3. Develop species identification assay for rodent scat to distinguish PPM from other rodent species. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey 3 2/24/2015 Trap & Tracking Probability of Tube Arrays Detection Comparison U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Association between PPM Captures and Detections Weeks No. arrays 3-7 with tracks as index of abundance U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey . PPM active all night . Ranged 1 – 260 minutes in video before detection . Averaged 7-12 entries into Sherman traps before capture . Approached and entered Sherman traps & 1.5” track tube most often. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey 4 2/24/2015 Protocol 1. Search each 10m x 10m cell (limit 2 hits /~5 minutes) Canine Survey Grids 100m x 100m U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Protocol Protocol 1. Set up tracking tubes (1 per cell) 2. Search for scat 2. Run for 7 days • Collect in vials 3. If “Hits” not verified by tubes, scat sent to lab • Collect and sift sand (PCR Assay for species identification- University of Washington) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Results Relative Cost/ Effort 3 grids X 100 cells each U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey 5 2/24/2015 Live- Trapping Live- Trapping Advantages Disadvantages • Standard proven method • Abundance estimates highly variable due to low capture probabilities for individual PPM, variable activity within • Allows for calculations for abundance, demographic and health seasons, identification of YOY. data (age, sex, condition). • Very high cost and effort limit the number of sample plots • The small and medium live-traps had the high detection rates that can be run on an annual basis and over a wide spatial area. in this study. • Midnight and morning trap checks, along with rebating traps in • High probability of detection (3 days for a 50m2 grid =0.93), the afternoon require at least 3 trips to each location per • Estimates of survivorship, immigration and emigration can also trap night = extensive disturbance to habitat. be calculated for large and repeated trapping efforts (Miller • Trapping and handling PPM likely causes stress to the animal. and Pavelka 2008). • Very young juveniles and subadults can still be distinguished from adults. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Track Tubes: Advantages Track Tubes • PPM tracks can be easily distinguished from other rodent species. Disadvantages • 1.5” Tracking tube detection probability was very close to live-traps. • Tracking tubes can be checked on a weekly basis. A month of tracking • Tracking does not allow for collection of demographic or tube surveys = approximately 6 days of live-trapping. health information (age, sex, abundance, condition). • Surveying for a prolonged amount of time: • reduces detectability issues from variable PPM activity periods • Tracking tubes, wood stabilizers, inserts, track paper, and ink solution must be built, cut, and prepared by hand (i.e. not • increases the probability of detecting PPM to almost 1.0. easily ordered from catalog). • The lower cost and effort increase the number of sample plots. • Checking the tubes periodically (i.e. weekly) reduces disturbance to PPM habitat. • Tracking tubes are more time consuming to set up in the field and the ink solution is messy to work with. • The tubes likely do not cause the animal any stress. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Canine Scent Canine Scent Detection Detection Advantages Disadvantages • How long is PPM scent detectable by canines? Possible that dogs can smell scat from previous year. Advantage • How long is PPM scent detectable by canines? Possible to discovery of unknown populations or other PPM
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