Capture and Marking
The capture method demonstrated in the lab at Trefoil Park.
Mist netting
What should be included with your bait when setting Sherman traps over night?
cotton balls/bedding
Name one soil physical property.
Texture, structure, density, infiltration, depth to features, moisture, temp
What is an ectotherm?
internal sources of heat are relatively small or negligible in controlling body temperature and organisms rely on environmental heat sources; cold-blooded animal
What does VHF stand for?
Very high frequency
List two ways to capture large mammals.
Drop net, rocket gun, foothold trap, noose pole, snares, box trap
List two reasons why small mammals well suited for research?
1) Diverse life histories
2) Rapid generation time
Name two soil chemical properties
Ph, salinity, organic matter, nutrients
Name two components that contribute to operate temperature.
Air temperature, solar radiation, air flow
What are the two main ways to locate an organism using VHF telemetry?
Triangulation and homing
Provide three reasons we capture wildlife.
Research, damage control, pop regulation, and disease.
Provide three reasons that small mammals are important to ecosystems.
1) Affect soil conditions
2) Part of the food web
3) Change vegetations communities
Provide three different options when deciding where to sample in a field.
Whole field random, grid sampling, smart/zone directed
Name three different topics you could investigate focused on thermal ecology.
Habitat use, survival, nesting/incubation, diet selection, migration, physiology, biogeography
Name the three main types of transmitters used for telemetry.
VHF, GPS, Geolocators
Provide two examples of temporary marks and two examples of permanent markers.
Temp: sharpie, fin clipping, ear notching, shell notching, paintballs
Perm: banding, ear tag, transmitters, PIT tags
List three passive sampling methods for monitoring small mammal populations.
Track plate, camera trap, hair snares, scat
List the common soil horizons in order (5).
O (organic), S (surface), B (subsoil), C (substratum), R (bedrock)
Provide two reasons for why studying thermal ecology is important.
1) temperature is as important as landcover in determining a species habitat 2) need to account for thermal effects in field studies 3) develop better understanding 3) climate change
Name three considerations when using GPS transmitters for a study.
Number of readings, features (add-ons) like mortality switch, battery vs solar, readout schedule, attachment style, size
What is the Lincoln-Peterson equation?
N = K(n)/k
Provide two pros and two cons for fatally sampling small mammals
Pro: 1) don't have to manually kill if you need specimens 2) set and forget 3) don't need to provide additional bedding/resources
Cons: 1) Could damage skull or organs 2) Can't track or monitor for additional research 3) Can kill non-targets (T&E concerns)
Provide five functions that soil serves.
1) natural medium for plant growth 2) regulator/filter for water 3) source of raw materials 4) habitat for soil organisms 5) foundation for landscaping and building
Provide four sources for measuring thermal environments
1) weather stations 2) temp probes--loggers 3) kestrel 4) iButtons 5) remote sensing 6) infra-red thermal sensors 6) fiber optic thermal cables 7) drones with sensors
Of the three main telemetry types, list them in order of cost and precision.
Cost (H-L): GPS, VHF, Geolocator
Precision (H-L): GPS, VHF (if triangulating), Geolocator