Landscape scale impacts of culling upon a European grey squirrel population: can trapping reduce population size and decrease the threat of squirrelpox virus infection for the native red squirrel?

Schuchert, Pia; Shuttleworth, Craig M.; McInnes, Colin J.; Everest, David J.; Rushton, Steven

doi:10.1007/s10530-014-0671-8

Cited by 35 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They were not considered when calculating the success of attempted eradication or removal programmes. Where possible, we extracted details of the objectives, timing, area, effort and outcome of each programme . The area of control was calculated as the maximum polygon drawn around the outermost locations where animals were reported or captured, constrained by coastlines to avoid the inclusion of sea.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Success was defined as reported confidence that the animals had been removed from the main area targeted by the programme. For some programmes, such as the removal of mink from the Scottish Highlands, mink in the Uists or grey squirrels from Anglesey or Thetford, extant populations continued to exist adjacent to the areas targeted for clearance, and buffer zones were in place where control continued in an attempt to maintain targeted cleared areas until such time as control operations could be extended. In these cases, we only used data related to the cleared area, not the neighbouring buffer zone.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The large-scale removal of mammalian invasive alien species in Northern Europe

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous examples exist of successful mammalian invasive alien species (IAS) eradications from small islands (<10 km2), but few from more extensive areas. We review 15 large‐scale removals (mean area 2627 km2) from Northern Europe since 1900, including edible dormouse, muskrat, coypu, Himalayan porcupine, Pallas' and grey squirrels and American mink, each primarily based on daily checking of static traps. Objectives included true eradication or complete removal to a buffer zone, as distinct from other programmes that involved local control to limit damage or spread. Twelve eradication/removal programmes (80%) were successful. Cost increased with and was best predicted by area, while the cost per unit area decreased; the number of individual animals removed did not add significantly to the model. Doubling the area controlled reduced cost per unit area by 10%, but there was no evidence that cost effectiveness had increased through time. Compared with small islands, larger‐scale programmes followed similar patterns of effort in relation to area. However, they brought challenges when defining boundaries and consequent uncertainties around costs, the definition of their objectives, confirmation of success and different considerations for managing recolonisation. Novel technologies or increased use of volunteers may reduce costs. Rapid response to new incursions is recommended as best practice rather than large‐scale control to reduce the environmental, financial and welfare costs. © 2016 Crown copyright. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The large-scale removal of mammalian invasive alien species in Northern Europe

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To characterise the system, we revised the previous experiences of grey squirrel eradication, with particular reference to those conducted in Italy, but also taking into account programmes carried out elsewhere . We identified difficulties, considering grey squirrel presence and distribution and the ecological and human‐related features of the project area, as described in Section 2.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the United Kingdom, control projects aimed at the conservation of the native red squirrel typically faced resource challenges, and their effectiveness was reduced because of the high grey squirrel dispersal abilities, which made recolonisation likely . As a consequence, the UK experience highlighted the need for wider geographical and coordinated systematic removal programmes for effective management of grey squirrel populations . But in this context, public support for red squirrel conservation remained high, and a careful, retrospective analysis of technical, geographical and political challenges in red squirrel conservation initiatives also provided a foundation for successful intervention in part of the UK grey squirrel range…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Eradicating the grey squirrelSciurus carolinensisfrom urban areas: an innovative decision-making approach based on lessons learnt in Italy

Morgia

Paoloni²,

Genovesi

2016

Pest. Manag. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The suggested approach extends the scientific basis for management decisions, evaluated in terms of technical efficiency, feasibility and social impact. Here, the Bayesian decision network model analysed the potential technical and social consequences of management actions, and it responded to the need for transparency in the decision-making process, but it can easily be extended to consider further issues that are common in many mammal eradication programmes. Owing to its flexibility and comprehensiveness, it provides an innovative example of how to plan rapid eradication or control activities, as required by the new EU Regulation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

show abstract

Capturing red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on camera: A cost‐effective approach for monitoring relative abundance and habitat preference

Shannon,

Valle,

Shuttleworth

2023

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Effective methods for monitoring animal populations are crucial for species conservation and habitat management. Motion‐activated cameras provide an affordable method for passively surveying animal presence across the landscape but have mainly been used for studying large‐bodied mammals. This paper explores the relative abundance and habitat preferences of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in coniferous forests using cameras and live trapping. The study was conducted in two forests (Newborough and Pentraeth) on Anglesey, North Wales, with a total of 50 sampling locations across four habitat categories. Detailed woodland structure and composition data were gathered around each sampling location. We found a strong positive correlation between the number of individual red squirrels live trapped over 10 days with the number of camera images of squirrels recorded during a previous 5‐day period. The time interval between camera deployment and the first recorded image of a red squirrel showed a significant negative correlation with the number of individuals live trapped. Red squirrel relative abundance was negatively related to forest canopy openness, while the presence of Scots pine and increased tree species diversity were positively associated with the relative abundance of squirrels. There was also a strong site difference with lower relative abundance at Newborough compared with Pentraeth, which likely reflects the heavy thinning of mature forest at Newborough reducing tree crown connectivity. The results show that remotely activated cameras are an effective method for monitoring red squirrel populations across varying animal densities. The cameras also provided crucial information on red squirrel habitat preferences that can aid in woodland management and conservation efforts. Cameras have great potential to collect data on the population status of other small mammals, but it is essential that these methods are validated on a species‐by‐species basis.

show abstract

Landscape scale impacts of culling upon a European grey squirrel population: can trapping reduce population size and decrease the threat of squirrelpox virus infection for the native red squirrel?

Cited by 35 publications

References 25 publications

The large-scale removal of mammalian invasive alien species in Northern Europe

The large-scale removal of mammalian invasive alien species in Northern Europe

Eradicating the grey squirrelSciurus carolinensisfrom urban areas: an innovative decision-making approach based on lessons learnt in Italy

Capturing red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on camera: A cost‐effective approach for monitoring relative abundance and habitat preference

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About