How effective are grid trapping, oil cards and track boards in monitoring bush rat populations?

摘要: Monitoring populations is a key component of wildlife conservation and management. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness abundance indices used for estimating bush rat Rattus fuscipes. The was conducted on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. A trapping grid consisting 5 x trap stations, 20 m apart, because this configuration typical those small mammal in Capture-recapture data were collected from 18 grids over four consecutive nights, immediately followed by two nights conducting oil card track indices. On 11 grids, model Mb selected CAPTURE selection procedure, indicating increased capture probability after first (trap-happy). estimated trappable population size (N) these not precise with standard error average being 28% N. other seven number animals caught too (<3) estimate parameters.. main problem that some few Our suggest minimum area useful N one would catch more than 8 individuals. varies depending density rats should be determined pilot study. occasions can until specific precision reached. correlation between index near 0.05 significance level tracks are potentially reliable monitoring populations. significantly correlated