Molecular Techniques
Name two sources that can provide eDNA
Feces, hair, skin, feathers, eggshells, sperm, eggs, vomit, pellets, blood
Provide an example of an endotherm and exotherm
Endo: mammals, birds
Exo: reptiles, amphibians, fish
Name two functions of soil
medium for plant growth, water filtration, raw material source, habitat, foundation for building and landscaping
When calculating animal densities using mark-recapture data, what is the name of the estimator (formula) we use?
Lincoln-Peterson
What are the two main techniques for acquiring locations of animals with VHF transmitters?
Triangulation and homing
What is the biggest challenge associated with eDNA?
contamination
Name two classifications/types of temperature data collected in ecology
Name the three classifications of soil properties
Biological, Physical, and Chemical
Name two methods that can be used to directly capture birds
mist netting, rocket nets, walk-in traps, clam traps, etc
What is the guideline for the size of a transmitter placed on a bird?
Cannot exceed 3% of body weight
Name two non-lethal ways to collect DNA from individuals
swabbing, blood, toe clips, fin clips, etc
Name three pieces of equipment that can be used to collect temperature data
Thermometer, thermal cameras, kestrel, iButtons, data loggers, etc
Provide three ways small mammals influence ecosystems.
1) They affect soil conditions
2) Important part of the food chain
3) Change vegetation communities (pollination, seed herbivory, selective consumption)
Provide one example of a short-term marking technique and a long-term marking technique
ST: sharpie, paintball, nail clip, shell notch, fin clip
LT: Transmitters, pit tags, bird bands, ear tags
Have to recapture the animal and large error rate
Name three types of research questions that can be addressed by sampling individuals' DNA
Abundance, connectivity, local adaptation, mate choice, hybridization, dispersal, inbreeding, and outbreeding
habitat use, survival, metabolic rates
Provide two passive and two active methods for monitoring small mammals.
Passive: scat, tracks, hair, camera
Active: Sherman traps, pitfalls, snap traps, box trap
List three reasons for capturing wildlife
Disease, pop regulation, monitoring, research, damage control
What are the three main types of telemetery?
GPS, VHF, and Geolocators
Provide an example where euthanasia is a reasonable consequence of DNA sampling
Tissue testing for certain diseases, invasive species, or sick individuals
Name three considerations for creating an analog to measure operative temperature for an organism
Absorption of solar radiation, insulation, height/size, & habitat
Provide two examples of physical, chemical, and biological soil properties,
Physical: texture, structure, density, infiltration, depth to features, temp, moisture
Chemical: pH, salinity, nutrients, organic matter
Biological: organic matter pools, plant growth, soil organisms
What do the following symbols represent in the Lincoln-Peterson estimator?
k, K, n, N
k = recaptures
K = total marked
n = total captured
N = population estimate
Provide two pros and cons of VHF and GPS telemetry.
VHF: (pro) relatively inexpensive, long battery life, works in more areas than GPS
(con) more susceptible to observer bias, topography can influence, lots of workforce needed
GPS: (pro) highly accurate, remote data possible, fine resolution
(con) expensive, battery life, weather and terrain affect signal