scholarly journals Assessing the Potential of the River Otter to Promote Aquatic Conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: A Unique Approach for Developing a Long-Term Aquatic Flagship

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 108-113
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Snake River ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
River Otter ◽  
The Public ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Trout Lake ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Charismatic “flagship” species are used in many parts of the world to raise public awareness or financial support for conservation, both among local people living in the area and among potential donors living far away. Flagship species can serve as symbols to stimulate conservation awareness and action and have been particularly valuable because of their potential to change citizen behavior, including involvement in conservation and support of fundraising. For a flagship to be successful, however, the target audience and conservation objectives must be established and understood before implementing the concept. Researchers have suggested that a successful flagship should possess traits that endear it to the public, should not be feared or disliked, nor have been used to convey conflicting messages of conservation. Therefore, critical to the flagship approach is understanding attitudes, species preferences, level of wildlife knowledge of people living near and living far away for which support is sought. To determine if the river otter (Lontra canadensis) could be a successful flagship for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), we conducted social science surveys with visitors to Grand Teton National Park who participated in guided-raft trips on the Snake River (n = 768), visitors of Oxbow Bend (n = 254), a popular turn-out for viewing aquatic wildlife, and visitors to Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park (n = 298). Preliminary results showed that familiarity with the river otters is area dependent (e.g., Trout Lake visitors were more familiar with the species than those visiting Oxbow Bend or rafting the Snake River), river otters are not controversial, but education is needed to better inform the public about river otters’ occurrence and ecosystem function in GYE.

scholarly journals River Otter Distribution and Food Habits in Grand Teton National Park as Part of an Ongoing Project in the GYE

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 75-78
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters

Grand Teton National Park is part of the known range of the North American river otter, however not much is known about this semi-aquatic mammal within the park. The results presented here are part of a larger project to investigate the potential of the river otter (Lontra canadensis) to serve as an aquatic flagship (species that engender public support and action) for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. River otters, known for their charismatic behavior have the potential to serve as an aquatic flagship species to promote conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this portion of the study was to identify river otter latrines on portions of the Snake River, between Flagg Ranch and Jackson Lake, and between Jackson Lake Dam and Pacific Creek, collect river otter scats to determine diet of the river otter, and employ remote cameras to determine activity patterns of the river otters. Between 20 June and 1 July 2015, 26 river otter latrines were identified during shoreline surveys, 186 river otter scats were collected, and cameras were deployed at 6 latrines between 7 July and 24 August 2015. River otter scats have been cleaned and prepared for analysis, but have not all been processed to date. Camera traps recorded 222 images, of which 7% (n = 14) were of carnivores, 70% (n = 155) were of non-carnivore mammals, and 9% (n = 22) were of birds. River otters were detected at 1 of the 6 latrines, a total of 5 independent times during the study.

scholarly journals Influence of the River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) on the Formation of Pro-Conservation Intentions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 121-124
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Marketing Material

The potential to increase participation in support and fundraising, as well as affect pro-conservation intentions and behaviors makes the flagship approach valuable to conservation. Flagships are charismatic species that engender public interest and promote broader ecological and economic values of conservation. Advocates for wildlife tourism suggest that viewing flagships can increase tourists’ awareness and participation in conservation behaviors such as philanthropy, volunteering and activism. However, empirical support for behavioral outcomes associated with flagship exposure is lacking. Exposure to a flagship can vary, such as exposure to marketing materials (i.e., websites, guide books, environmental organizations) or direct viewing experience (i.e., wild, captive). The specific goal of this study was to: (a) determine if direct exposure to the river otter, or marketing material about the species and/or (b) a person’s level of environmental concern influences behavioral intentions to conserve the river otter and its habitat. On-site self-administered questionnaires (n =523) were conducted at 6 locations throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) from 5 June 2015 to 24 August 2015. The results of this study suggests that exposure to the river otter heightens concern and can lead to the formation of specific environmental intentions such as keeping local waterways unpolluted and planting trees along local waterways.

scholarly journals Summer Habitat Preferences and Activity Patterns of River Otters In Grand Teton National Park

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 63-71
Author(s):  
Joseph Hall
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
National Park ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Snake River ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of

I studied the natural history of river otters. (Lontra canadensis) during the summers of 1982-1986 and 1995-1997 in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Habitat preferences were analyzed by tallying sightings on 5 types of habitat along 16 km of the Snake River. Otters were seen on all 5 habitat types and exhibited a strong preference for the logjam/beaver lodge category. Beavers and otters sometimes occupied a lodge simultaneously. I recorded daytime activity directly in 1982 and noted a large peak in mid-morning and a small one in late afternoon. To obtain information indirectly on round-the-clock activity I employed 6 modified camera monitors activated by treadle-switches at frequently used sites. Pooled records for 3 summers showed almost two and a half times higher activity by day than by night, a finding opposite of what was expected. The hypothesis I suggest is that diurnal activity exceeds nocturnal activity because of the habituation of otters to humans over a half century's tradition of frequent exposure and non-harassment in the national park. In the summers of 1982-1986 and 1995-1997 I made a study of the natural history of river otters (Lontra canadensis), in Grand Teton National Park under auspices of the University of Wyoming - National Park Service Research Center. Occasional observations were made along the Snake River from Flagg Ranch near the north boundary of the park to the north end of Jackson Lake and from Pacific Creek to Deadman's Bar. However, the 3 km stretch of river from just below Jackson Lake Dam to the Oxbow was the site of most intensive study. (See Fig. 1)

scholarly journals A River Otter's, Lontra canadensis, Capture of a Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, in British Columbia's Gulf Island Waters

2007 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Michael H. H. Price ◽  
Clare E. Aries
Keyword(s):  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Phalacrocorax Auritus ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Freshwater Lakes ◽  
Marine Bird ◽  
River Otters

Direct and apparent predation events by River Otters (Lontra canadensis) on birds have been recorded on marine islands and freshwater lakes. We add to this the first known observation of a River Otter capturing a marine bird on the ocean.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Fire Regimes and Stand Dynamics in Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Communities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
William Romme ◽  
James Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a keystone species of upper subalpine ecosystems (Tomback et al. 2001), and is especially important in the high-elevation ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains (Arno and Hoff 1989). Its seeds are an essential food source for the endangered grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), particularly in the autumn, prior to winter denning (Mattson and Jonkel 1990, Mattson and Reinhart 1990, Mattson et al. 1992). In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), biologists have concluded that the fate of grizzlies is intrinsically linked to the health of the whitebark pine communities found in and around Yellowstone National Park (YNP) (Mattson and Merrill 2002). Over the past century, however, whitebark pine has severely declined throughout much of its range as a result of an introduced fungus, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) (Hoff and Hagle 1990, Smith and Hoffman 2000, McDonald and Hoff 2001), native pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) infestations (Bartos and Gibson 1990, Kendall and Keane 2001), and, perhaps in some locations, successional replacement related to fire exclusion and fire suppression (Amo 2001). The most common historical whitebark pine ftre regimes are "stand-replacement", and "mixed­ severity" regimes (Morgan et al. 1994, Arno 2000, Arno and Allison-Bunnell2002). In the GYE, mixed-severity ftre regimes have been documented in whitebark pine forests in the Shoshone National forest NW of Cody, WY (Morgan and Bunting 1990), and in NE Yellowstone National Park (Barrett 1994). In Western Montana and Idaho, mixed fire regimes have been documented in whitebark pine communities in the Bob Marshall Wilderness (Keane et al. 1994), Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Brown et al. 1994), and the West Bighole Range (Murray et al.1998). Mattson and Reinhart (1990) found a stand­replacing fire regime on the Mount Washburn Massif, within Yellowstone National Park.

scholarly journals River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Killed by Wolves (Canis lupus) during Winter in Northern Minnesota

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Gable ◽  
Steve K. Windels ◽  
Ian C. Rautio
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
National Park ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Voyageurs National Park

Few accounts exist of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) killing small sympatric mammalian predators. In January 2017, we observed a River Otter (Lontra canadensis) that had been killed by wolves on the ice in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. This is one of only a few documented instances of wolves killing otters.

scholarly journals The giant river otter in El Tuparro National Park, Colombia

Oryx ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Defler
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
River Otter ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Local Extinctions

Giant river otters were once widespread in the rivers and creeks of the greater Amazon Basin. Hunting for their skins caused many local extinctions and only small scattered populations now remain, although total numbers are unknown. It is seriously endangered in Colombia, and one of the places where it still occurs in any numbers, El Tuparro National Park, is becoming increasingly accessible to people, while the otter populations in adjacent rivers outside the park are even more vulnerable to poaching.

scholarly journals Allometric Model Development in Lodgepole Pine Forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
Daniel Tinker ◽  
Rick Arcano
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
Pine Trees ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Growing Conditions

Allometric equations for estimating above­ and belowground biomass of lodgepole pine have been developed in Alberta, Canada, southeastern British Columbia, southeastern WY, and in Washington and Oregon (Johnstone 1971; Comeau and Kimmins 1989; Pearson et al. 1984; Gholz et al. 1979, respectively). More recently, allometric equations for young lodgepole pine saplings have also been developed in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for aboveground biomass by Turner et al. (2004), and for belowground biomass by Litton et al. (2003). However, because of variability in latitude, growing conditions, substrate and climate, existing equations that predict biomass for mature lodgepole pine trees are not appropriate for use in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), and new allometric equations specific for the GYE are needed. In this study, we will develop new allometric equations for predicting above- and belowground biomass in mature lodgepole pine forests of the GYE.

scholarly journals Ecological Study of River Otters in Grand Teton National Park

1982 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 46-51
Author(s):  
Joseph Hall
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Distribution Density ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Snake River ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters ◽  
And Behavior

The primary goals of the study are to obtain information on the distribution, density, movements, activity patterns and behavior of otters on the Snake River from Jackson Lake Dam to Moose. Most observations were concentrated along the 3.5 mile section from the dam to and including the Oxbow. This report covers field work during the periods of March 7-17 and August 11 - September 25. No otters were seen in March but they were observed for 28 hours during 88 hours afield in August and September. Additionally, Mr. John Turner of Triang1e-X Float Trips and Mr. Dick Barker of Barker-Ewing Float Trips were most cooperative in obtaining sightings of otters made on the river by their parties between Deadman Bar #2 and Moose.

scholarly journals Welfare Performance of Three Foothold Traps for Capturing North American River Otters Lontra canadensis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Lovallo ◽  
H. Bryant White ◽  
John D. Erb ◽  
Matthew S. Peek ◽  
Thomas J. Deliberto
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Best Management ◽  
International Standards Organization

Abstract Foothold traps are effective tools for the live capture and restraint of wildlife for management and research. Successful river otter Lontra canadensis restoration programs throughout North America used them extensively. Restoration programs used a variety of methods and models of foothold traps, but comprehensive efforts to describe and quantify injuries associated with river otter captures have been limited. We evaluated injuries of river otters caught in three commercially available models of foothold traps including the number 11 double long-spring with standard jaws, the number 11 double long-spring with double jaws, and the number 2 coil-spring trap. Based on examinations of 70 captured river otters, we classified 78% of the total inj uries detected as “mild” (n = 174 injuries) and 17% were classified as “moderate” (n = 37 injuries). We classified less than 3% of the injuries observed as “moderately severe” or “severe.” We focused only on the animal welfare performance of traps; the three trap types we tested met the animal welfare criteria required for inclusion in the best management practices for trapping river otter. The criteria based on International Standards Organization guidelines used in this assessment of trap performance provides a scientific basis for future evaluations of river otter welfare when foothold traps are used for restoration, research, and population management.

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