A track count for estimating mountain lion Felis concolor californica population trend

Smallwood, K. Shawn; Fitzhugh, E. Lee

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(94)00034-n

Cited by 87 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Direct sampling is too time-consuming and costly to be seriously considered for monitoring purposes (Smallwood and Fitzhugh, 1994).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spoor counts are an efficient and low-cost method of estimating species richness and abundance (Litvaitis et al, 1985;Smallwood and Fitzhugh, 1994;Stander, 1998;Silveira et al, 2003). Because of the ease with which caracal spoor can be found and counted on the sandy substrate of the Kalahari, spoor counts were used here to monitor the relative abundance of caracals in various parts of the western Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To maintain the integrity of the comparisons between the data that were collected along the border and those that were collected in the interior, the data were collected in a standardized manner (Thompson et al, 1998), according to a set protocol (Smallwood and Fitzhugh, 1994).…”

Section: Field Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Using spoor counts to analyse the effect of small stock farming in Namibia on caracal density in the neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Melville

Bothma

2006

Journal of Arid Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A spoor count was done to determine whether caracal spoor densities in the vicinity of the border of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park differed from those in the interior of the Park. The objective was to compare caracal densities close to the agricultural land with those deeper in a national park. Two long-distance transects, one along the Namibian border and one diverging from the Namibian border into the interior of the Park, were surveyed on a monthly basis. Spoor density, discrete track set distances and orientation of spoor to the road were recorded and analysed to establish use patterns for three distinct zones in the Park. The hypothesis tested was that increased spoor counts along the border should result from an attraction to the adjacent agricultural (cattle and sheep production) land. It is shown that caracals avoid the areas near the Namibian border during the hot season but increased their utilization in this region in the cold season. This implies that under conditions of low prey availability (cold season) caracals may move to the border and cross onto agricultural land to prey on small livestock, there. Article Outline

show abstract

“…Direct sampling is too time-consuming and costly to be seriously considered for monitoring purposes (Smallwood and Fitzhugh, 1994).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Using spoor counts to analyse the effect of small stock farming in Namibia on caracal density in the neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Melville

Bothma

2006

Journal of Arid Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…gathering track data requires high densities of individual animals (Smallwood and Fitzhugh 1995) and minimal variance in individual travel distances (Stephens et al 2006). Animals must be mobile in order to be counted (Becker et al 1998); otherwise, a failure to detect tracks will not necessarily indicate absence (gese 2001;Crooks et al 2008).…”

Section: Preliminary Comparisons Of Estimates Of Polar Bear Sex and Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpretations of Polar Bear (<em>Ursus maritimus</em>) Tracks by Inuit Hunters: Inter-rater Reliability and Inferences Concerning Accuracy

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

due to their tracking experience in pursuing Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), Inuit hunters could provide non-invasive estimates of Polar Bear characteristics from tracks, and Polar Bear monitoring programs could benefit from Inuit input. We determined i) inter-rater reliability of estimates of the sex, age, and size of Polar Bears, and estimates of the age of tracks made by a group of nine Inuit hunters who interpreted 78 tracks; ii) we made preliminary comparisons of sex and size estimates with conventional (scientific) estimates; iii) we catalogued the Polar Bear hunting experience and track interpretation techniques of nine Inuit hunters; and iv) we explored relationships between hunting experience and the ability to interpret tracks. The group of Inuit hunters made reliable and consistent estimates of Polar Bear sex, age, and size, as well as estimates of age of track (after data from one participant was excluded). Although our comparisons are based on small samples, our findings suggest that Inuit hunters may be accurate in estimating the sex of Polar Bears (74.42% agreement with genetic determinations) and the size of Polar Bears from their tracks. our data indicate shared tracking techniques used by hunters may explain high agreement in making specific estimates, while individual hunting experience and particular methods used to interpret tracks may lead to inter-rater reliability and accuracy in interpreting tracks.

show abstract

“…Examination of footprints left in sand plots is employed for some elusive species (e.g. mountain lions: Smallwood and Fitzhugh 1995). Footprints are only marginally informative, as it is rare to observe a perfectly formed one, and usually very difficult to distinguish between the tracks of closely related species (Triggs 1992).…”

Section: Limitations Of Traditional Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote collection of animal DNA and its applications in conservation management and understanding the population biology of rare and cryptic species

Piggott¹,

Taylor²

2003

Wildl. Res.

156

127

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.Obtaining useful information about elusive or endangered species can be logistically difficult, particularly if relying entirely on field signs such as hair, feathers or faeces. However, recent developments in molecular technology add substantially to the utility of such 'non-invasive' samples, which provide a source of DNA that can be used to identify not only species but also individuals and their gender. This provides great potential to improve the accuracy of abundance estimates and determine behavioural parameters, such as home-range size, individual habitat and dietary preferences, and even some forms of social interaction. Non-invasive samples can also be a useful alternative to blood or tissue samples (the collection of which traditionally has required trapping of animals) as genetic material for applications such as relatedness, population genetic and phylogenetic analyses. Despite the huge potential of non-invasive genetic sampling, the current technology does have limitations. The low quantity and quality of DNA often obtained from such sources results in an increased risk of genotyping errors, which may lead to incorrect inferences, particularly false identification of individuals. Appropriate precautions and pilot studies are required to minimise these risks, and in some cases it may be wise to employ traditional methods when they are adequate.

show abstract

A track count for estimating mountain lion Felis concolor californica population trend

Cited by 87 publications

References 11 publications

Using spoor counts to analyse the effect of small stock farming in Namibia on caracal density in the neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Using spoor counts to analyse the effect of small stock farming in Namibia on caracal density in the neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Interpretations of Polar Bear (<em>Ursus maritimus</em>) Tracks by Inuit Hunters: Inter-rater Reliability and Inferences Concerning Accuracy

Remote collection of animal DNA and its applications in conservation management and understanding the population biology of rare and cryptic species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About