Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR03128
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 32(3)

Developing relative abundance techniques (RATs) for monitoring rodent populations

Desley A. Whisson A , Richard M. Engeman B and Kellie Collins A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

B USDA-APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 La Porte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521-2154, USA.

Wildlife Research 32(3) 239-244 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR03128
Submitted: 23 December 2003  Accepted: 24 February 2005   Published: 22 June 2005

Abstract

Accurate density estimates of rodents are frequently difficult or cost-prohibitive to determine. Thus, a number of techniques (track plates, monitoring blocks, chew cards/sticks, apple slice index, trapping) are often used to index rodent populations. Theoretically, the sensitivity of these indexing techniques could be improved if they applied continuous measurements rather than simple binary measurements (presence/absence). Development of a relative abundance technique that is simple to apply and sensitive to changes in population density is critical for the operational management of rodent pests. In addition to providing a quantitative measure of abundance with statistical parameters, an indexing technique that does not require handling of animals is important in consideration of potential disease issues (for example, hantavirus, arenavirus, etc.). We investigated track plates, chew cards and monitoring blocks and associated continuous measurement methods for calculating indices of rodent abundance. In laboratory and field settings, we tested their effectiveness in detecting different population densities of California meadow voles (Microtus californicus). Chew cards were poorly accepted by meadow voles in pen and field tests. However, track plates and monitoring blocks may provide useful tools for indexing meadow vole populations, and have application for other rodent species.


Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. We thank Sara Gillespie for her assistance in conducting the tests.


References

Allen, L. , Engeman, M. , and Krupa, H. W. (1996). Evaluation of three relative abundance indices for assessing dingo populations. Wildlife Research 23, 197–206.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Caughley G. (1977). ‘Analysis of Vertebrate Populations.’ (John Wiley and Sons: New York.)

Caughley J. , Donkin C. , and Strong K. (1998). Managing mouse plagues in rural Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference’. (Eds R. O. Baker and A. C. Crabb.) pp. 160–165. (University of California: Davis, CA.)

Cruz, F. , and Cruz, J. B. (1987). Control of black rats (Rattus rattus) and its effect on nesting dark-rumped petrels in the Galapagos Islands. Vida Silvestre Neotropical 1, 3–13.
Department of Pesticide Regulation (2002). Section 18 emergency exemption No. 02–18, rodent bait zinc phosphide treated grain (2.0%) (EPA Reg. No. 10965–50015)/Alfalfa/California voles (Microtus californicus) and montane vole (Microtus montanus). (Department of Pesticide Regulation: Sacramento, CA.)

Drennan, J. E. , Beier, P. , and Dodd, N. L. (1998). Use of track stations to index abundance of sciurids. Journal of Mammology 79, 352–359.
Engeman R. M. , and Witmer G. W. (2000). IPM strategies: indexing difficult to monitor populations of pest species. In ‘Proceedings of the Nineteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference’. (Eds T. P. Salmon and A. C. Crabb.) pp. 183–189. (University of California: Davis, CA.)

Engeman, R. M. , Allen, L. , and Zerbe, G. O. (1998). Variance estimate for the Allen activity index. Wildlife Research 25, 643–648.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Hayes J. P. , and Cullinan V. I. (1984). An evaluation of the relationship between the apple index and vole density. In ‘Proceedings of the Eighth Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposium’. (Ed. R. E. Byers.) pp. 31–43.

Johnson M. L. , and Johnson S. (1982). Voles. In ‘Wild Mammals of North America. Biology, Management and Economics’. (Eds J. Chapman and G. Geldhamer.) pp 347–348. (The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD.)

Mabee, T. J. (1998). A weather-resistant tracking tube for small mammals. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26, 571–574.
O’Brien J. M. (1994). Voles. In ‘Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage’. (Eds S. E. Hyngstrom, R. M. Timm and G. E. Larson.) pp. B177–181. (University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control, and Great Plains Agricultural Council, Wildlife Committee: Lincoln, NE.)

Redpath, C. J. , Thirgood, S. J. , and Redpath, S. M. (1995). Evaluation of methods to estimate field vole Microtus agrestis abundance in upland habitats. Journal of Zoology 237, 49–55.
Salmon T. P. , Dochterman N. A. , and Whisson D. A. (2002). Rodent bait quality – ingredients and manufacturing processes. Final report to the California Department of Food and Agriculture on completion of project 99–0660. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Pest Control Branch, Sacramento, CA50.

SAS Institute (1996). ‘SAS/STAT User’s Guide.’ (SAS Institute: Carey, NC.)

Searle S. R. , Casella G. , and McCulloch C. E. (1992). ‘Variance Components.’ (Wiley & Sons: New York.)

Taylor, R. H. , and Thomas, B. W. (1993). Rats eradicated from rugged Breaksea Island (170 ha), Fiordland, New Zealand. Biological Conservation 65, 191–198.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Tobin M. E. , Richmond M. E. , and Engeman R. M. (1992). Comparison of methods for detecting voles under apple trees. In ‘Proceedings of the Fifth Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference’. (Eds P. D. Curtis, M. J. Fargione and J. E. Caslick.) pp. 201–204. (Cornell Cooperative Extension, Department of Natural Resources.)

Wolfinger R. D. , Tobias R. , and Sall J. (1991). Mixed models: a future direction. In ‘16th SAS Users Group Conference’. (Ed. M. Rosenburg.) pp. 1380–1388. (SAS Institute: Carey, NC.)