Usefulness of funnel traps in catching small reptiles and mammals, with comments on the effectiveness of the alternatives

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham G. Thompson ◽  
Scott A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments

Funnel traps were used in conjunction with pit traps (PVC buckets and pipes), Elliott traps and cage traps at 10 sites in southern Western Australia to examine sampling bias of trap types. Funnel traps seldom catch small mammals but catch more of the medium-sized and large terrestrial, diurnal snakes and some of the widely foraging, medium-sized skinks, medium-sized dragon lizards and arboreal geckos that climb out of PVC pit traps. For pit traps, buckets catch more reptiles, particularly smaller ones, than pipes. However, pipes catch more mammals than buckets. Elliott traps catch the same suite of small mammals as pipes plus some of the large, trappable species, such as Rattus spp. Cage traps are useful for trapping Tiliqua spp. and medium-sized mammals such as possums and bandicoots that are unlikely to be caught in pit and funnel traps. Funnel traps, pit traps and cage traps should be used in surveys of small terrestrial vertebrates to determine species richness and relative abundance in Western Australia and probably elsewhere. However, as cage traps are mostly useful for catching Tiliqua spp. and medium-sized mammals, they need only be used in faunal surveys undertaken for environmental impact assessments specifically targeting these species.

Mammals or reptiles, as surveyed by pit-traps, as bio-indicators of rehabilitation success for mine sites in the goldfields region of Western Australia?

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham G. Thompson ◽  
Scott A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Mine Sites

We compare the relative merits of using mammals and reptiles as bla-indicators of rehabilitation success for mine sites in the semi-arld goldfields region of Western Australia (WA). Based on 54 600 pit-trap days of data we found that both mammals and reptiles colonized rehabilitated areas that were between three and nine years old. The complete suite of mammals generally return in the early stages of the rehabilitation programme, whereas the movement of reptiles into a rehabilitated area is spread over a much longer period. More reptile species seem to have specific requirements that are provided in the latter stages of the rehabilitation process. Using criteria of relative abundance, species richness, habitat preference, activity area and period, diet and foraging strategies, reptiles were assessed as a better bio-indicator than mammals. On other criteria such as population fluctuations, colonizing capacity and sensitivity to environmental changes, differences between reptiles and mammals were not as clear but most favoured reptiles as the preferred bio-indicator. Overall, we judged reptiles to have more merit as bio-indicators of rehabilitation success than mammals in the Ora Banda area.

Effects of edges and habitats on small mammals in a prairie ecosystem

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 2020-2025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pasitschniak-Arts ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Edge Effect ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Microtus Pennsylvanicus ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
South Central ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Prairie Ecosystem

To investigate the abundance and distribution of small mammals relative to edge in a fragmented prairie landscape, small mammals were trapped in south-central Saskatchewan from 1991 to 1993 in four different habitat types: idle pasture, delayed hay, dense nesting cover, and rights-of-way. In total, 995 small mammals, representing nine species, were captured on 14 182 trap-nights. No edge effect was recorded in idle pasture or dense nesting cover; however, an edge effect was observed in delayed hay fields. Edge effect across all habitats was dependent on season: relative abundance of small mammals was significantly higher along edges in spring but not in summer. Of the two most common species captured, Peromyscus maniculatus showed no affinity for edges, while Microtus pennsylvanicus was significantly more abundant along edges than in the habitat interior. Relative abundance of small mammals was highest in dense nesting cover, intermediate in delayed hay and along rights-of-way, and lowest in idle pasture. Relative abundance was also lower in spring than in summer. Species richness was higher along edges than in the habitat interior and was also greater in summer than in spring. Species diversity showed no edge or season effect.

scholarly journals The butterfly community assemblage of Mowire Quarry Site in the forest agroecological zone of Ghana: Response of indicator biodiversity to ongoing quarry operations.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sampson Addae ◽  
Sampson Addae ◽  
Michael Osae ◽  
Danilo Harms ◽  
Jones Quartey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Community Assemblage ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Agroecological Zone

Quarry operations cause serious environmental impact on invertebrate communities and contribute negatively to habitat destruction and the species they promote but very little is still known about the response of butterflies to such disturbances in western Africa. The current study provides data from a baseline survey of butterflies at Mowire quarry site in the agroecological zone of Ghana and investigates the effects of ongoing quarry operations on butterfly diversity. Specifically quarry operations were assessed on species abundance and richness. A total of 417 individual butterflies belonging to 67 species from 5 families was recorded in three zones. High relative abundance in the Eastern Zone (EZ) (N = 329) and high species richness (S = 55) may be due to increased flowering plants diversity which contain sweet nectar which attracts and support rich butterfly abundance. Low species richness (S = 22) and relative abundance (N= 41) in the Western Zone (WZ), and Northern Zone (NZ) (S = 21) and low relative abundance (N= 47), was corroborated with low plant diversity. Our results shows that, the EZ received less negative impact from the quarry operations but the operations negatively affected WZ and NZ. More generally our study indicates that state institutions should ensure mandatory environmental impact assessment reports from the quarry companies.

Aquatic and semi aquatic Hemiptera community of Sonebeel, the largest wetland of Assam, northeastern India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 12792-12799
Author(s):  
Anupama Saha ◽  
Susmita Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Northeastern India ◽  
Ecological Roles

Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera bugs play significant ecological roles, and they are important indicators and pest control agents.  Little information is currently available concerning its populations in southern Assam.  This study assessed hemipterans in four sites of Sonebeel, the largest wetland in Assam (3458.12 ha at full storage level), situated in Karimganj District.  The major inflow and outflow of the wetland are the rivers Singla and Kachua, respectively (the Kachua drains into the Kushiyara River).  Samples were trapped with pond nets and were seasonally recorded.  This study recorded a total of 28 species of aquatic and semiaquatic hemipterans belonging to 20 genera under nine families.  Population, geographical and environmental data (e.g., rainfall) were used to assess the relative abundance of species, species richness and different diversity indices, and species distribution. 

scholarly journals Novel Application and Validation of a Method to Assess Visual Impacts of Rotating Wind Turbine Blades Within Woodland Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
U. Nopp-Mayr ◽  
F. Kunz ◽  
F. Suppan ◽  
E. Schöll ◽  
J. Coppes
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Independent Field

AbstractIncreasing numbers of wind power plants (WPP) are constructed across the globe to reduce the anthropogenic contribution to global warming. There are, however, concerns on the effects of WPP on human health as well as related effects on wildlife. To address potential effects of WPP in environmental impact assessments, existing models accounting for shadow flickering and noise are widely applied. However, a standardized, yet simple and widely applicable proxy for the visibility of rotating wind turbines in woodland areas was largely lacking up to date. We combined land cover information of forest canopy extracted from orthophotos and airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) data to represent the visibility of rotating wind turbines in five woodland study sites with a high spatial resolution. Performing an in-situ validation in five study areas across Europe which resulted in a unique sample of 1738 independent field observations, we show that our approach adequately predicts from where rotating wind turbine blades are visible within woodlands or not. We thus provide strong evidence, that our approach yields a valuable proxy of the visibility of moving rotor blades with high resolution which in turn can be applied in environmental impact assessments of WPP within woodlands worldwide.

scholarly journals Recycled text and risk communication in natural gas pipeline environmental impact assessments

Energy Policy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 156 ◽  
pp. 112379
Author(s):  
Jacob D. Hileman ◽  
Mario Angst ◽  
Tyler A. Scott ◽  
Emma Sundström
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Natural Gas Pipeline ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments
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