Does vegetation cover affect the rate of capture of ground-active lizards in pitfall traps?

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Schlesinger
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Central Australia ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Acacia Aneura ◽  
Different Levels

Pitfall traps are commonly used to capture terrestrial vertebrates, but it is not known whether differences in vegetation structure affect the efficiency of these traps. Studies that investigate the effects of fire, grazing or vegetation rehabilitation on faunal populations usually compare sites that differ in vegetation structure and the validity of using pitfall traps to sample populations under these circumstances is open to question. This study tests whether vegetation structure affects the rate at which lizards are captured in pitfall traps by cutting ground vegetation in a controlled experiment conducted in field enclosures. The study was undertaken in an area of mulga (Acacia aneura) shrubland in central Australia. Ground cover, consisting of grasses and forbs, was reduced from ~27% to 10% in treatment enclosures. These levels of cover correspond broadly to the range of ground covers encountered in this habitat, including areas with high and low levels of grazing. No difference was detected in the rate at which lizards were captured in enclosures where grass was cut compared with the control enclosures or rates of capture before grass was cut. These results indicate that pitfall trapping is a valid technique for comparing lizard populations in arid mulga shrublands within the range of vegetation covers used in this study, including areas that are subject to different levels of grazing.

The effect of fire on birds of mulga woodland in arid central Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Leavesley ◽  
Geoffrey J. Cary ◽  
Glenn P. Edwards ◽  
A. Malcolm Gill
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
National Park ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Time Since Fire ◽  
Central Australia ◽  
Acacia Aneura

The principal ecosystem driver in arid Australia is unpredictable rainfall, but it is hypothesised that fire also plays an important role in determining the distribution of animals. We investigated the effect of fire on birds in mulga (Acacia aneura) woodland in the central Australian arid zone. The study was conducted at Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park using 63 sites classified into one of three time-since-fire classes: burnt 2002; burnt 1976; and long-unburnt. Birds were sampled in the winter and spring of 2005 and 2006 and vegetation structure was measured at all sites. Vegetation structure varied with time-since-fire. The burnt 2002 treatment was an early seral stage of mulga woodland and effectively a grassland. The burnt 1976 and long-unburnt treatments were both woodland, but the long-unburnt treatment had greater canopy cover and height. The bird community in the burnt 2002 treatment was characterised by granivores, whereas that in the burnt 1976 and long-unburnt treatments was characterised by foliar insectivores. All species showed monotonic responses to time-since-fire (i.e. none were at significantly highest density in the burnt 1976 treatment). Fire in mulga woodland changed the vegetation structure and consequently also changed the composition of the bird communities.

scholarly journals Signs of wildlife activity and Eucalyptus wandoo condition

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Moore ◽  
M. D. Craig ◽  
L. E. Valentine ◽  
G. E. St J. Hardy ◽  
P. A. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Foraging Effort ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Eucalyptus Wandoo ◽  
Tree Condition

Soil disturbance by terrestrial vertebrates when foraging for food and shelter is not only a sign of activity but an ecosystem function required for soil health. Many forests and woodlands worldwide are currently showing signs of a decline in condition due to various causes. Eucalyptus wandoo, endemic to south-west Western Australia, has undergone a decline in condition over the last decade. This paper explores the influence of E. wandoo condition (e.g. loss of canopy) and the associated changes in the habitat (e.g. changes in leaf litter and bare ground cover) on the foraging activities and soil disturbance by vertebrates. The number of diggings and scats, a representation of the foraging effort by some vertebrates, were recorded in Dryandra Woodland and Wandoo Conservation Park, Western Australia. Mixed-model ANOVAs were used to explore the relationships between the number of scats and diggings with tree and habitat characteristics. More vertebrate diggings and scats were recorded beneath healthier E. wandoo trees. Diggings and scats were also correlated with time since last fire and seasonal differences, with more time since last fire and wetter months related to more diggings and scats. Changes in foraging effort, or turnover of soil by vertebrates, could be a result modification of the level of soil turnover and alter many ecosystem services such as tree recruitment and nutrient cycling, in turn altering the habitat quality and even tree condition itself.

scholarly journals Biodiversity outcomes of an urban revegetation programme in Wellington, New Zealand: The role of patch size, isolation, age and the urban matrix

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nicky OliverSmith
Keyword(s):  
Key Management ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Vegetation Surveys

<p>Urban revegetation programmes are an important contribution to the biodiversity of our landscape environment. Wellington city has, for nearly two decades, promoted revegetation of the city with a focus in latter years on eco-sourced native species. This is a substantial urban greening project planting 100,000 native plants per annum. This thesis analyses the native revegetation programme and posits recommendations for continuance and enhancement for consideration.  Data were collected from a sample set of twenty revegetated sites and four reference sites in Wellington city. Two transects per site were set up with invertebrate pitfall traps, lizard pitfall traps, lizard tree covers, bird count stations and vegetation surveys. The data were collected over a twelve-month period. Ordination was used to examine the community composition of revegetation sites in relation to each other and the four reference sites. Multiple regression was used to examine the influence of patch age, patch size, isolation and residential land cover upon a range of biodiversity variables.   The key findings of this study are that revegetated sites lacked the level of ground cover by native seedlings that were characteristic of the mature reference sites. Also found was that revegetation sites in Wellington City require around ten years of growth before natural regeneration of native seedlings began to become apparent.  Large native birds were more likely to be found in close proximity to mature primary bush, confirming that mature primary bush is an essential element of the landscape. Weta were found in increased numbers as distance from mature primary bush increased. Northern grass skinks were the only species of lizard found, in association with a higher proportion of residential area in the matrix.   The key management recommendations of this study are; the development of a collaborative connective strategy; further enrichment planting designed to maximize structural diversity over time; the investment in well planned robust monitoring programmes.  This research contributes to the understanding of biodiversity outcomes of an urban native revegtation programme, providing baseline data for future monitoring purposes.</p>

scholarly journals RELATION OF SOILS AND GROUND COVER VEGETATION IN EVEN-AGED PINE STANDS OF CENTRAL ALBERTA

1963 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Heringa ◽  
R. G. H. Cormack
Keyword(s):  
Ground Cover ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
West Central ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Ground Cover Vegetation

The present paper describes the ground vegetation of even-aged pine stands in West Central Alberta on six different sites and attempts to relate the ground vegetation to soil conditions.

Pits or pictures: a comparative study of camera traps and pitfall trapping to survey small mammals and reptiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon J. Dundas ◽  
Katinka X. Ruthrof ◽  
Giles E. St.J. Hardy ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Trapping Methods

Context Camera trapping is a widely used monitoring tool for a broad range of species across most habitat types. Camera trapping has some major advantages over other trapping methods, such as pitfall traps, because cameras can be left in the field for extended periods of time. However, there is still a need to compare traditional trapping methods with newer techniques. Aims To compare trap rates, species richness and community composition of small mammals and reptiles by using passive, unbaited camera traps and pitfall traps. Methods We directly compared pitfall trapping (20-L buried buckets) with downward-facing infrared-camera traps (Reconyx) to survey small reptiles and mammals at 16 sites within a forested habitat in south-western Australia. We compared species captured using each method, as well as the costs associated with each. Key results Overall, we recorded 228 reptiles, 16 mammals and 1 frog across 640 pitfall trap-nights (38.3 animal captures per 100 trap-nights) compared to 271 reptiles and 265 mammals (for species likely to be captured in pitfall traps) across 2572 camera trap nights (20.8 animal captures per 100 trap-nights). When trap effort is taken into account, camera trapping was only 23% as efficient as pitfall trapping for small reptiles (mostly Scincidae), but was five times more efficient for surveying small mammals (Dasyuridae). Comparing only those species that were likely to be captured in pitfall traps, 13 species were recorded by camera trapping compared with 20 species recorded from pitfall trapping; however, we found significant (P&lt;0.001) differences in community composition between the methods. In terms of cost efficacy, camera trapping was the more expensive method for our short, 4-month survey when taking the cost of cameras into consideration. Conclusions Applicability of camera trapping is dependent on the specific aims of the intended research. Camera trapping is beneficial where community responses to ecosystem disturbance are being tested. Live capture of small reptiles via pitfall trapping allows for positive species identification, morphological assessment, and collection of reference photos to help identify species from camera photos. Implications As stand-alone techniques, both survey methods under-represent the available species present in a region. The use of more than one survey method improves the scope of fauna community assessments.

scholarly journals Variation in Human Disturbance Differentially Affects Predation Risk Assessment in Western Gulls

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolaas V. Webb ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Larus Occidentalis ◽  
Predation Risk Assessment ◽  
Santa Monica ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
A Site ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Flight Initiation

Abstract Many studies have demonstrated that birds behave differently in areas with different levels of human disturbance. Studies frequently characterize sites as having an overall level of human disturbance, and compare how birds respond at sites with high and low levels of disturbance. Doing so assumes that disturbance has a fairly constant effect on animals throughout a site. We measured the distance at which individual Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) moved away from an approaching observer along a stretch of beach on both sides of the Santa Monica Pier, a heavily visited tourist attraction in southern California. We found that these flight initiation distances decreased in areas where more people visited the beach, and specifically in a small area near the pier. We found that flight initiation distance changed very rapidly within a short distance from the pier. Our results indicate that anthropogenic features may leave a “behavioral footprint.” Identifying the scale of such behavioral footprints should be an important goal of studies that seek to reduce anthropogenic impacts on birds. La Variación del Disturbio Humano Afecta Diferencialmente la Percepción del Riesgo de Depredación en Gaviotas Larus occidentalis Resumen. Muchos estudios han demostrado que las aves se comportan de modo diferente en áreas con distintos niveles de disturbio humano. Los estudios frecuentemente caracterizan sitios con base en su nivel general de disturbio y comparan las respuestas de las aves entre lugares con niveles altos y bajos de disturbio. Al hacer esto, se supone que el disturbio tiene un efecto aproximadamente constante sobre los animales a través de un sitio dado. En este estudio medimos la distancia a la cual gaviotas de la especie Larus occidentalis se desplazaron alejándose de un observador a lo largo de un tramo de playa en ambos lados del embarcadero de Santa Monica, una atracción turística muy visitada ubicada en el sur de California. Encontramos que las distancias al observador a las que las aves iniciaron el vuelo disminuyeron en áreas donde más personas visitaron la playa, y específicamente en un área cercana al embarcadero. Las distancias a las que las gaviotas iniciaron el vuelo cambiaron muy rá pidamente en una distancia muy corta desde el puerto, hasta alcanzar una distancia constante. Nuestros resultados indican que las estructuras antropogénicas podrian dejar una “huella comportamental”. Identificar la escala de dichas huellas debería ser un objetivo importante de estudios que tengan como fin reducir el impacto antrópico sobre las aves.

scholarly journals Productive and Economic Viability of Raising Beef Cattle in the Savanna of the Brazilian State of Goiás

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elis Regina de Oliveira ◽  
Victor Rezende Moreira Couto
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Technical Specifications ◽  
Beef Cattle Production ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Dry And Rainy Seasons

Abstract: The present study evaluates the economic viability of four different models of beef cattle production in the rio Vermelho hydrographic basin. The study focuses on the traditional extensive ranching system, which was compared to three intensive systems, one based on low levels of concentrated supplementation, a second with low levels of concentrated supplementation and confinement for fattening and an intensive grazing system, with supplementation during the dry and rainy seasons. The investments were estimated for the different levels of technical specifications of each system. The net present values and internal return rate were used for the assessment of the economic viability of the project, considering the minimum rate of attractiveness, equivalent to the inflation-adjusted savings interest rate (6.17%). The continuity of the sector was evaluated based on the gross and net margins, and profitability rates, where the system is already installed. All four systems had gross and net margins and profitability consistent with their economic sustainability over both the short and long terms. However, only two systems (reduced consumption of concentrated supplements and the intensive grazing system) were economically viable as start-ups.

Comparison of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) collected in pan and pitfall traps

2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Buddle ◽  
H.E. James Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Method ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Pan Traps

Pitfall trapping is a widely used sampling method for biodiversity-related research of ground-dwelling arthropods. The trap is a container, usually with a preservative, that is sunk into the ground to collect arthropods which happen upon the trap perimeter and fall in (Lemieux and Lindgren 1999; Work et al. 2002). Two types receive the most use: deep circular pitfall traps and shallow rectangular pan traps (Marshall et al. 2001). The preserving fluid can influence trap efficacy (Deville and Wheeler 1998). Our objectives were to compare the efficiency of pitfall and pan traps with and without detergent in the preserving fluid (Marshall et al. 1994), using carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) as focal taxa.

The effects on small-mammal populations of aerial applications of Bacillus thuringiensis, fenitrothion, and Matacil® used against jack pine budworm in Ontario

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 1318-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan G. L. Innes ◽  
James F. Bendell
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Choristoneura Pinus ◽  
Jack Pine Budworm

In late June 1985, both operational and experimental aerial spraying was conducted against an outbreak of jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus) in northern Ontario. We report the effects of the insecticides Bacillus thuringiensis, fenitrothion, and Matacil® on populations of rodents and shrews in young (20 years) and medium-aged (40 years) jack pine (Pinus banksiana) plantations. Live, snap, and pitfall traps were used to monitor small-mammal populations from early June to late August on four sprayed plots and two control plots. We found no statistically significant differences in abundances that could be attributed to an insecticide. However, pitfall trapping suggested that the abundance of shrews was altered by the fenitrothion spray. Both the pattern and magnitude of shrew captures was different relative to a control and two other treatment plots. This difference may have resulted from the lack of available prey (arthropods) on the fenitrothion plot. With the exception of fenitrothion, our results agree with other studies which suggest that standard applications of insecticides to control forest insects have no detectable or only limited impact on small mammals.

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