Data from camera surveys identifying co-occurrence and occupancy linkages between fishers (Pekania pennanti), rodent prey, mesocarnivores, and larger predators in mixed-conifer forests

Sweitzer, Richard A.; Furnas, Brett J.

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2016.01.032

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…We speculate that part of the cause may be that these areas tend to be dominated by dense, mid‐elevation forests interspersed with pockets of tanoak ( Notholithocarpus densiflorus ) and other hardwoods that support high densities of fisher prey. The findings of Sweitzer and Furnas () confirm that fisher occurrence at camera stations is positively associated with co‐occurrence of prey species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Estimating population size of fishers (Pekania pennanti) using camera stations and auxiliary data on home range size

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Estimating density and population size is often more challenging than measuring indices of abundance because of uncertainty about the effective area of surveys. We combined hierarchical modeling of detection/non-detection data from camera stations with auxiliary information on home range sizes to address this issue. We used this approach to estimate the total population size of fishers (Pekania pennanti) throughout the largest remaining native range (Northern California and Southern Oregon [NCSO], 48,760 km 2 ) of this species in the Pacific States of the United States. After controlling for various habitat, gender, and survey factors affecting detection probability, local abundance, and home range size, we estimated an average density of 6.6 fishers per 100 km 2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.1-8.6) and a total of 3196 fishers (95% CI: 2507-4184). We mapped how fisher density varied throughout the range and demonstrated spatial autocorrelation in density at lag distances up to 40 km. These findings represent the first robust estimate of fisher population size for the range in NCSO. They are important for setting a baseline against which to monitor changes in population status and spatial distribution of fishers which are a species of conservation concern at federal and state levels. However, we note that our estimate of population size is very sensitive to assumptions about the effective area of camera surveys. Our methods could likely be applied to other forest carnivores and highlight the benefits of coordination between researchers to collect and share comparable survey and telemetry data.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Estimating population size of fishers (Pekania pennanti) using camera stations and auxiliary data on home range size

et al. 2017

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“…Many types of animal behaviours have been studied with CTs (Table ), including foraging (Otani ), daily activity patterns (Tan et al. ), scent marking (Delgado‐V et al. ), movement (Ford et al.…”

Section: Current Applications Of Camera Traps To Animal Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of camera trapping for conservation behaviour research

Caravaggi

Banks

Burton

et al. 2017

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

241

166

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An understanding of animal behaviour is important if conservation initiatives are to be effective. However, quantifying the behaviour of wild animals presents significant challenges. Remote-sensing camera traps are becoming increasingly popular survey instruments that have been used to non-invasively study a variety of animal behaviours, yielding key insights into behavioural repertoires. They are well suited to ethological studies and provide considerable opportunities for generating conservation-relevant behavioural data if novel and robust methodological and analytical solutions can be developed. This paper reviews the current state of camera-trap-based ethological studies, describes new and emerging directions in camera-based conservation behaviour, and highlights a number of limitations and considerations of particular relevance for camerabased studies. Three promising areas of study are discussed: (1) documenting anthropogenic impacts on behaviour; (2) incorporating behavioural responses into management planning and (3) using behavioural indicators such as giving up densities and daily activity patterns. We emphasize the importance of reporting methodological details, utilizing emerging camera trap metadata standards and central data repositories for facilitating reproducibility, comparison and synthesis across studies. Behavioural studies using camera traps are in their infancy; the full potential of the technology is as yet unrealized. Researchers are encouraged to embrace conservation-driven hypotheses in order to meet future challenges and improve the efficacy of conservation and management processes.

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“…grey foxes [ Urocyon cinereoargenteus ], spotted and striped skunks [ Spilogale gracilis , Mephitis mephitis ], ringtails [ Bassariscus astutus ], martens [ Martes americana , Martes caurina ], raccoons [ Procyon lotor ] and opossums [ Didelphis virginiana ]). Although previous research has investigated range overlap and co‐occurrence of some of these species (Campbell, ; Gompper, Lesmeister, Ray, Malcolm, & Kays, ; Sweitzer & Furnas, ), the strength and directionality of interspecific interactions influencing abundances and distributions are not well understood. Fishers are also a species of conservation concern in the western United States, as aside from successful translocations, this species has not recolonized many previously occupied habitats (Lewis, Powell, & Zielinski, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic occupancy modelling reveals a hierarchy of competition among fishers, grey foxes and ringtails

Green

Matthews

Swiers

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Determining how species coexist is critical for understanding functional diversity, niche partitioning and interspecific interactions. Identifying the direct and indirect interactions among sympatric carnivores that enable their coexistence is particularly important to elucidate because they are integral for maintaining ecosystem function. We studied the effects of removing nine fishers (Pekania pennanti) on their population dynamics and used this perturbation to elucidate the interspecific interactions among fishers, grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and ringtails (Bassariscus astutus). Grey foxes (family: Canidae) are likely to compete with fishers due to their similar body sizes and dietary overlap, and ringtails (family: Procyonidae), like fishers, are semi-arboreal species of conservation concern. We used spatial capture-recapture to investigate fisher population numbers and dynamic occupancy models that incorporated interspecific interactions to investigate the effects members of these species had on the colonization and persistence of each other's site occupancy. The fisher population showed no change in density for up to 3 years following the removals of fishers for translocations. In contrast, fisher site occupancy decreased in the years immediately following the translocations. During this same time period, site occupancy by grey foxes increased and remained elevated through the end of the study. We found a complicated hierarchy among fishers, foxes and ringtails. Fishers affected grey fox site persistence negatively but had a positive effect on their colonization. Foxes had a positive effect on ringtail site colonization. Thus, fishers were the dominant small carnivore where present and negatively affected foxes directly and ringtails indirectly. Coexistence among the small carnivores we studied appears to reflect dynamic spatial partitioning. Conservation and management efforts should investigate how intraguild interactions may influence the recolonization of carnivores to previously occupied landscapes.

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Data from camera surveys identifying co-occurrence and occupancy linkages between fishers (Pekania pennanti), rodent prey, mesocarnivores, and larger predators in mixed-conifer forests

Cited by 23 publications

References 8 publications

Estimating population size of fishers (Pekania pennanti) using camera stations and auxiliary data on home range size

Estimating population size of fishers (Pekania pennanti) using camera stations and auxiliary data on home range size

A review of camera trapping for conservation behaviour research

Dynamic occupancy modelling reveals a hierarchy of competition among fishers, grey foxes and ringtails

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