Use of Road Track Counts as Indices of Mountain Lion Presence

Dyke, Fred G. Van; Brocke, Rainer H.; Shaw, Harley G.

doi:10.2307/3801497

Cited by 72 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…However, track surveys were reported to be an ineffective method for estimating abundance of cougars in some areas, but effective in other areas (Sargeant et al , Choate et al , Gompper et al , Sawaya et al ). Track surveys have been used to assess cougar population trends (Smallwood and Fitzhugh , ; Smallwood ; Cunningham et al ), but actual relationships to population size are generally weak (Van Dyke et al , Van Sickle and Lindzey , Cunningham et al ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Less invasive monitoring of cougars in Colorado's front range

2019

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From 2014 to 2016, in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, we assessed noninvasive approaches to sampling cougar (Puma concolor) populations in an attempt to provide a new method that would be less field intensive, less expensive, and could be applied over large spatial extents compared with current methods. We assessed the use of predator calls to lure cougars to a site with remote camera traps for detection and also evaluated hair snags at sites to noninvasively identify individual animals. Predator calls effectively attracted cougars to specific sites with an average of 82 unique photographic detections of cougars per survey year (0.03 detections/trap‐night). However, obtaining hair samples from these animals was less effective because animals did not always pass through hair snags and ability to uniquely identify individuals by genotype was poor. We evaluated different approaches to estimating cougar density and found mark–resight to be a viable option in our study system. Mark–resight density estimate after correcting for partial use of the sampling area by cougars was 4.1 cougars/100 km2 (95% CI = 2.4, 5.8). Our results indicate that combining methods of noninvasive genetic sampling and auditory calls to monitor cougar populations can provide reliable density estimates over large geographic areas and areas with significant amounts of inaccessible private lands. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

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confidence: 99%

Less invasive monitoring of cougars in Colorado's front range

2019

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“…Karanth et al . () illustrated why the effect of context undermines the use of track surveys for tigers Panthera tigris , and similar problems have been identified for a range of other species (Dyke, Brocke & Shaw ; Stanley & Bart ). More recent work has suggested that indices of tiger sign might usefully predict abundance (Jhala, Qureshi & Gopal ).…”

Section: Robust Methods Reduce Conjecture and Erroneous Conclusion Imentioning

confidence: 75%

“…For example, the method of Funston et al (2010) is only recommended in the context of clay-based soils and studies elsewhere need to revalidate the method prior to its use. Karanth et al (2003) illustrated why the effect of context undermines the use of track surveys for tigers Panthera tigris, and similar problems have been identified for a range of other species (Dyke, Brocke & Shaw 1986;Stanley & Bart 1991). More recent work has suggested that indices of tiger sign might usefully predict abundance (Jhala, Qureshi & Gopal 2011).…”

Section: N D I C E S R E Q U I R E R E P E a T E D V A L I D A T I mentioning

confidence: 81%

FORUM: Ecologists need robust survey designs, sampling and analytical methods

Hayward

Boitani

Burrows

et al. 2015

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. Research that yields conflicting results rightly causes controversy. Where methodological weaknesses are apparent, there is ready opportunity for discord within the scientific community, which may undermine the entire study. 2. We use the debate about the role of dingoes Canis dingo in conservation in Australia as a case study for a phenomenon that is relevant to all applied ecologists, where conflicting results have been published in high-quality journals and yet the problems with the methods used in these studies have led to significant controversy. 3. To alleviate such controversies, scientists need to use robust methods to ensure that their results are repeatable and defendable. To date, this has not occurred in Australia's dingo debate due to the use of unvalidated indices that rely on unsupported assumptions. 4. We highlight the problems that poor methods have caused in this debate. We also reiterate our recommendations for practitioners, statisticians and researchers to work together to develop long-term, multi-site experimental research programmes using robust methods to understand the impacts of dingoes on mesopredators. 5. Synthesis and applications. Incorporating robust methods and appropriate experimental designs is needed to ensure that conservation actions are appropriately focused and are supported with robust results. Such actions will go a long way towards resolving the debate about the role of dingoes in conservation in Australia, and other, ecological debates.

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“…Highway and transect track surveys were conducted using methods similar to Van Dyke, Brocke & Shaw (1986), and Alexander, Waters & Paquet (2005). Briefly, we conducted highway crossing attempt surveys along a 95 km length of Hwy 3, at least 12 h after the last snowfall.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using multi-scale distribution and movement effects along a montane highway to identify optimal crossing locations for a large-bodied mammal community

Schuster

Römer

Germain

2013

PeerJ

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Roads are a major cause of habitat fragmentation that can negatively affect many mammal populations. Mitigation measures such as crossing structures are a proposed method to reduce the negative effects of roads on wildlife, but the best methods for determining where such structures should be implemented, and how their effects might differ between species in mammal communities is largely unknown. We investigated the effects of a major highway through south-eastern British Columbia, Canada on several mammal species to determine how the highway may act as a barrier to animal movement, and how species may differ in their crossing-area preferences. We collected track data of eight mammal species across two winters, along both the highway and pre-marked transects, and used a multi-scale modeling approach to determine the scale at which habitat characteristics best predicted preferred crossing sites for each species. We found evidence for a severe barrier effect on all investigated species. Freely-available remotely-sensed habitat landscape data were better than more costly, manually-digitized microhabitat maps in supporting models that identified preferred crossing sites; however, models using both types of data were better yet. Further, in 6 of 8 cases models which incorporated multiple spatial scales were better at predicting preferred crossing sites than models utilizing any single scale. While each species differed in terms of the landscape variables associated with preferred/avoided crossing sites, we used a multi-model inference approach to identify locations along the highway where crossing structures may benefit all of the species considered. By specifically incorporating both highway and off-highway data and predictions we were able to show that landscape context plays an important role for maximizing mitigation measurement efficiency. Our results further highlight the need for mitigation measures along major highways to improve connectivity between mammal populations, and illustrate how multi-scale data can be used to identify preferred crossing sites for different species within a mammal community.

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Use of Road Track Counts as Indices of Mountain Lion Presence

Cited by 72 publications

References 0 publications

Less invasive monitoring of cougars in Colorado's front range

Less invasive monitoring of cougars in Colorado's front range

FORUM: Ecologists need robust survey designs, sampling and analytical methods

Using multi-scale distribution and movement effects along a montane highway to identify optimal crossing locations for a large-bodied mammal community

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