From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal
Autor(a) principal: | |
---|---|
Data de Publicação: | 2022 |
Outros Autores: | , , , , , , , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | por |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2 |
Resumo: | Monitoring the occupancy and abundance of wildlife populations is key to evaluate their conservation status and trends. However, estimating these parameters often involves time and resource-intensive techniques, which are logistically challeng- ing or even unfeasible for rare and elusive species that occur patchily and in small numbers. Hence, surveys based on field identification of signs (e.g. faeces, footprints) have long been considered a cost-effective alternative in wildlife monitoring, provided they produce reliable detectability and meaningful indices of population abundance. We tested the use of sign sur- veys for monitoring rare and otherwise elusive small mammals, focusing on the Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae) in Portugal. We asked how sampling intensity affects true positive detection of the species, and whether sign abundance is related to population size. We surveyed Cabrera voles’ latrines in 20 habitat patches known to be occupied, and estimated ‘true’ popula- tion size at each patch using DNA-based capture-recapture techniques. We found that a searching rate of ca. 3 min/250m 2 of habitat based on adaptive guided transects was sufficient to provide true positive detection probabilities > 0.85. Sign-based abundance indices were at best moderately correlated with estimates of ‘true’ population size, and even so only for search- ing rates > 12 min/250m 2 . Our study suggests that surveys based on field identification of signs should provide a reliable option to estimate occupancy of Cabrera voles, and possibly for other rare or elusive small mammals, but cautions should be exercised when using this approach to infer population size. In case of practical constraints to the use of more accurate methods, a considerable sampling intensity is needed to reliably index Cabrera voles’ abundance from sign surveys. |
id |
RCAP_59fcf86facc0278756f628a3e15aeda5 |
---|---|
oai_identifier_str |
oai:dspace.uevora.pt:10174/34958 |
network_acronym_str |
RCAP |
network_name_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository_id_str |
7160 |
spelling |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammalMonitoring the occupancy and abundance of wildlife populations is key to evaluate their conservation status and trends. However, estimating these parameters often involves time and resource-intensive techniques, which are logistically challeng- ing or even unfeasible for rare and elusive species that occur patchily and in small numbers. Hence, surveys based on field identification of signs (e.g. faeces, footprints) have long been considered a cost-effective alternative in wildlife monitoring, provided they produce reliable detectability and meaningful indices of population abundance. We tested the use of sign sur- veys for monitoring rare and otherwise elusive small mammals, focusing on the Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae) in Portugal. We asked how sampling intensity affects true positive detection of the species, and whether sign abundance is related to population size. We surveyed Cabrera voles’ latrines in 20 habitat patches known to be occupied, and estimated ‘true’ popula- tion size at each patch using DNA-based capture-recapture techniques. We found that a searching rate of ca. 3 min/250m 2 of habitat based on adaptive guided transects was sufficient to provide true positive detection probabilities > 0.85. Sign-based abundance indices were at best moderately correlated with estimates of ‘true’ population size, and even so only for search- ing rates > 12 min/250m 2 . Our study suggests that surveys based on field identification of signs should provide a reliable option to estimate occupancy of Cabrera voles, and possibly for other rare or elusive small mammals, but cautions should be exercised when using this approach to infer population size. In case of practical constraints to the use of more accurate methods, a considerable sampling intensity is needed to reliably index Cabrera voles’ abundance from sign surveys.Springer2023-05-04T10:10:02Z2023-05-042022-12-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2http://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2por• Peralta, D., Vaz-Freire, T., Ferreira, C., Mendes, T., Mira, A., Santos, S.M., Alves, P.C., Lambin, X., Beja, P., Paupério, J., Pita, R. From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal. European Journal of Wildlife Research (2023), 69:9dsjp@uevora.ptndndndamira@uevora.ptsmsantos@uevora.ptndndndndnd221Peralta, DinoraVaz Freire, TeresaFerreira, ClaraMendes, TiagoMira, AntónioSantos, SaraAlves, Paulo CélioLambim, XavierBeja, PedroPaupério, JoanaPita, Ricardoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-01-03T19:38:04Zoai:dspace.uevora.pt:10174/34958Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T01:23:28.105794Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
title |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
spellingShingle |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal Peralta, Dinora |
title_short |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
title_full |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
title_fullStr |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
title_full_unstemmed |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
title_sort |
From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal |
author |
Peralta, Dinora |
author_facet |
Peralta, Dinora Vaz Freire, Teresa Ferreira, Clara Mendes, Tiago Mira, António Santos, Sara Alves, Paulo Célio Lambim, Xavier Beja, Pedro Paupério, Joana Pita, Ricardo |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Vaz Freire, Teresa Ferreira, Clara Mendes, Tiago Mira, António Santos, Sara Alves, Paulo Célio Lambim, Xavier Beja, Pedro Paupério, Joana Pita, Ricardo |
author2_role |
author author author author author author author author author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Peralta, Dinora Vaz Freire, Teresa Ferreira, Clara Mendes, Tiago Mira, António Santos, Sara Alves, Paulo Célio Lambim, Xavier Beja, Pedro Paupério, Joana Pita, Ricardo |
description |
Monitoring the occupancy and abundance of wildlife populations is key to evaluate their conservation status and trends. However, estimating these parameters often involves time and resource-intensive techniques, which are logistically challeng- ing or even unfeasible for rare and elusive species that occur patchily and in small numbers. Hence, surveys based on field identification of signs (e.g. faeces, footprints) have long been considered a cost-effective alternative in wildlife monitoring, provided they produce reliable detectability and meaningful indices of population abundance. We tested the use of sign sur- veys for monitoring rare and otherwise elusive small mammals, focusing on the Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae) in Portugal. We asked how sampling intensity affects true positive detection of the species, and whether sign abundance is related to population size. We surveyed Cabrera voles’ latrines in 20 habitat patches known to be occupied, and estimated ‘true’ popula- tion size at each patch using DNA-based capture-recapture techniques. We found that a searching rate of ca. 3 min/250m 2 of habitat based on adaptive guided transects was sufficient to provide true positive detection probabilities > 0.85. Sign-based abundance indices were at best moderately correlated with estimates of ‘true’ population size, and even so only for search- ing rates > 12 min/250m 2 . Our study suggests that surveys based on field identification of signs should provide a reliable option to estimate occupancy of Cabrera voles, and possibly for other rare or elusive small mammals, but cautions should be exercised when using this approach to infer population size. In case of practical constraints to the use of more accurate methods, a considerable sampling intensity is needed to reliably index Cabrera voles’ abundance from sign surveys. |
publishDate |
2022 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2022-12-01T00:00:00Z 2023-05-04T10:10:02Z 2023-05-04 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2 http://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10174/34958 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01634-2 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
por |
language |
por |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
• Peralta, D., Vaz-Freire, T., Ferreira, C., Mendes, T., Mira, A., Santos, S.M., Alves, P.C., Lambin, X., Beja, P., Paupério, J., Pita, R. From species detection to population size indexing: The use of sign surveys for monitoring an elusive small mammal. European Journal of Wildlife Research (2023), 69:9 dsjp@uevora.pt nd nd nd amira@uevora.pt smsantos@uevora.pt nd nd nd nd nd 221 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Springer |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Springer |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
|
_version_ |
1799136717051002880 |