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Evaluating Coastal Islands As Potential Translocation Sites for New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Transitionalis)

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Evaluating Coastal Islands As Potential Translocation Sites for New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Transitionalis) University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 2013 Evaluating Coastal Islands as Potential Translocation Sites for New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Transitionalis) Cynthia L. Maynard University of Rhode Island, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Maynard, Cynthia L., "Evaluating Coastal Islands as Potential Translocation Sites for New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Transitionalis)" (2013). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 41. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/41 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATING COASTAL ISLANDS AS POTENTIAL TRANSLOCATION SITES FOR NEW ENGLAND COTTONTAIL (SYLVILAGUS TRANSITIONALIS) BY CYNTHIA L. MAYNARD A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2013 MASTER OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES THESIS OF CYNTHIA L. MAYNARD APPROVED: Thesis Committee: Major Professor Thomas P. Husband Keith T. Killingbeck Natallia V. Katenka Nasser H. Zawia DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2013 ABSTRACT The population of the northeast region’s native rabbit, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis; NEC), has declined by more than 80% in the last 50 years. In 2006, it was listed as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 2010, a captive breeding program was developed to help reverse this trend, and islands were identified as having the potential to serve as ideal release sites for captive-bred NEC. Two islands were chosen as possible release sites: Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge in Chilmark, Massachusetts; and Patience Island, located in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. To evaluate their suitability as release sites, an intensive habitat analysis was conducted on each island. The major habitat types on Patience Island also were delineated manually. To inform future releases of NEC on islands, an impact assessment was conducted on Penikese Island, which is known to have hosted previously a population of introduced cottontails. A pilot release of NEC was conducted on Patience Island and the population was monitored using radiotelemetry from April 2012 to February 2013. Rabbit locations were triangulated and home ranges were calculated using an adaptive kernel density estimator. The impact assessment on Penikese Island yielded inconclusive results, but the results of the habitat analysis on Patience Island and Nomans Land Island NWR indicate that both islands are well-suited to support a population of NEC. Survivability was high on Patience Island, and all rabbits spent the majority of their time in bramble- vine thicket and mixed forest habitats. My findings indicate that islands could play a significant role in the recovery of NEC, and releasing NEC on islands should be strongly considered as a management strategy to help preclude the need for listing under the Endangered Species Act. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank many individuals who helped me complete this thesis. This project was a collaborative endeavor among many state and a federal agencies, researchers, and organizations. I would first like to thank my major professor, Thomas P. Husband, for his guidance, friendship, patience, and the vast knowledge he has provided me over the years. I very much appreciate his time, care, and attention to detail in the editing of this thesis. I would like to thank committee member Dr. Keith T. Killingbeck for his guidance, kindness, and for teaching me almost everything I know about botany. Next, I would like to thank committee member Dr. Natallia V. Katenka, for courageously joining my committee part way through the journey and helping me tackle my statistical analyses. I would also like to thank former committee member, Dr. Penelope S. Pooler, for her guidance in the design of my project. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Richard Koske as my defense chairperson. I am especially grateful for the funding and support provided to me by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southern New England-New York Bight Coastal Program. I would like to thank former project leader, Sharon Marino, for giving me the opportunity to embark on this journey, and for showing me how far a passionate, dedicated and determined individual can go. I would like to thank Suzanne Paton for her support and guidance, Andrew MacLachlan for providing boat transportation and for his willingness to be my go-to technical support, and Ryan Kleinert for his friendship and encouragement. I would also like to acknowledge the Rhode Island Department of Environmental iv Management for supporting the pilot release, and particularly Brian Tefft, without whom the collection of the data for this project would not have been possible. In addition, I would like to thank all of the collaborating agencies and their staff that have contributed to the planning and implementation of this project: Lou Perrotti and the staff at Roger Williams Park Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rhode Island NWR Complex, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and all members of the Captive Breeding Working Group. I am very grateful to the colleagues, interns and volunteers who were part of my field crew: Nathan Pace, Matthew Tinkham, Neil Anthes, Venice Wong, Pamela Loring, Gordon Fitch, Shelby Lin, Jennifer Connolly, and the seasonal staff at the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex. I am thankful for the opportunity to have worked with these individuals and for their high spirits in sometimes less than ideal field conditions. I would especially like to thank fellow graduate student Amy Gottfried-Mayer for helping with my field work and for her companionship throughout this process. In addition, I would like to thank Roger Masse and Kristopher Block for their input and advice in my home range analysis. I would also like to express my gratitude to my family and friends for their support during this endeavor. I thank my parents for raising me to have a love and appreciation of the natural world, and giving me the courage to follow v my passion. I would like to thank my boyfriend, Adam, for his love and patience while I worked towards completing my degree. vi DEDICATION This thesis is lovingly dedicated to my mother, Linda, whose unwavering support in every aspect of my life has helped me become the person I am today, professionally and personally. I have the utmost gratitude for your guidance, advice, discipline, friendship, and patience along the way, and for giving me the assurance of self I needed to successfully complete this chapter in my life. Thank you for planting the love of nature in my heart. vii PREFACE This thesis was written in manuscript format to be submitted to the journal Northeastern Naturalist. It evaluates the suitability of coastal islands as release sites for the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis; NEC), a candidate species for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act, through a review of historical populations of cottontails on islands, an intensive vegetation analysis on two islands being considered as release sites for NEC, and an investigation of home range size and habitat use by NEC in a pilot island release. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………...….ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………....…...... iv DEDICATION..................................................................................................vii PREFACE........................................................................................................viii TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................ix LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................xiv INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1 METHODS.........................................................................................................5 Penikese Island Impact Assessment........................................................5 Patience Island Habitat Analysis.............................................................6 Nomans Land Island NWR Habitat Analysis.......................................10 Patience Island Pilot Release................................................................14 RESULTS.........................................................................................................18 Penikese Island Impact Assessment......................................................18 Patience Island Habitat Analysis...........................................................18 Nomans Land Island NWR Habitat Analysis........................................20 Patience Island Pilot Release.................................................................22 DISCUSSION...................................................................................................24 LITERATURE CITED.....................................................................................60
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