BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 January 2011 Population Estimation and Monitoring of an Endangered Lagomorph
Jason A. Schmidt, Robert A. McCleery, Paige M. Schmidt, Nova J. Silvy, Roel R. Lopez
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

We conducted the most intensive estimate of the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) metapopulation to date using pellet surveys and capture—recapture methodology. We livetrapped 83 rabbits, evaluated 5 closed population models, and selected the model that best represented the data. We considered the variation in behavioral response model the best model and correlated (r2 = 0.913) its patch population estimates to patch pellet densities. From the prediction equation, we generated a range-wide metapopulation estimate of 317 rabbits, a western clade population of 257 rabbits, an eastern clade population of 25 rabbits, and translocated marsh rabbit populations of 35 and zero on Little Pine and Water keys, respectively. A subset of patches whose marsh rabbit subpopulations were last estimated in 1993 exhibited a 46% decline in abundance over 15 yr. Due to the low estimate of the eastern clade population, special effort should be initiated to avoid loss of genetic diversity. The prediction equation suffers from limited data at high pellet densities, patches with ≥5 pellets/m2. Future studies should investigate if the slope of the regression is indeed near 1 by sampling patches across the range of pellet densities, especially those with ≥5 pellets/m2. The equation provides managers a quick, efficient, and noninvasive method to estimate marsh rabbit abundance from pellet counts but the confidence of predicted rabbit densities from high pellet density patches is low.

© 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Jason A. Schmidt, Robert A. McCleery, Paige M. Schmidt, Nova J. Silvy, and Roel R. Lopez "Population Estimation and Monitoring of an Endangered Lagomorph," Journal of Wildlife Management 75(1), 151-158, (1 January 2011). https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.17
Received: 13 November 2009; Accepted: 1 May 2010; Published: 1 January 2011
JOURNAL ARTICLE
8 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
capture—recapture
lagomorph
pellet count
population estimation
rabbit density
Syhilagus palustris hefneri
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top