Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/11
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This research resulted in the PhD of Dr. Mundy Hackett, and facilited the graduate training of Dr Ryan Monello, Mr. Damon Lesmeister, Ms. Morgan Wehtje, and Ms. Rebecca Mowry, each of whom also worked on carnivore-related projected in Missouri. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of this work were disseminated through professional publications, theses, reports, presentations, and articles to reach the broader public. The following are representative: Mowry, R. (2010) A genetic approach to determine river otter abundance in Missouri. MS Thesis, University of Missouri Roemer, G.W., M.E. Gompper and B. Van Valkenburgh. (2009) The ecological role of the mammalian mesocarnivore. Bioscience 59:165-173. Wehtje, M. (2009) Response of raccoon spatial and social behavior to the presence of an experimentally clumped food resource. MS Thesis, University of Missouri. Monello, R. (2009) Experimental analyses of the interactions of parasite community structure and host contact rate. PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri Gompper, ME (2009) Incorporating intraguild competition into mesocarnivore landscape models. Carnivores 2009: Carnivore Conservation in a Changing World, Denver, Colorado Roemer, G, Vabn Valkenberg B, Gompper, M.E. (2009) The ecological role of the mammalian mesocarnivore. Carnivores 2009: Carnivore Conservation in a Changing World, Denver, Colorado Gompper, ME, Hackett, HM (2009) Landscape Models for Carnivores: Integrating Habitat Associations and Intraguild Competition (Invited Symposium on Intraguild Competition in Small Carnivores). 10th International Mammal Congress, Mendoza, Argentina Hackett, H. M. (2008) Occupancy modeling of forest carnivores in Missouri. PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri. Gompper, ME (2008) State of the Skunk: Insights from Recent Spotted Skunk Studies. Annual Meeting, Central Plains Society of Mammalogists, Warrensburg, Missouri. Hackett, H.M., D.B. Lesmeister, J. Desanty-Combes, W.G. Montague, J.J. Millspaugh, and M.E. Gompper. (2007) Detection rates of eastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius) in Missouri and Arkansas using live-capture and non-invasive Techniques. American Midland Naturalist 158:123-131. Lesmeister, D. 2007. Space use and resource selection by eastern spotted skunks in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. MS Thesis, University of Missouri. Sasse, D.B. and M.E. Gompper (2006) Geographic distribution and harvest dynamics of the eastern spotted skunk in Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 60:119-124. Gompper, M.E. and Hackett, H.M. (2005) The long-term, range-wide decline of a once abundant carnivore: the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). Animal Conservation 8:195-201 Gompper, M.E. and Hackett, H.M. (2005) Long-term, range-wide decline of a once common carnivore: the eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius. Annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Springfield, MO. Hackett, H.M., DeSanty-Combes, J., Gompper ME (2005) The decline of the eastern spotted skunk and results of recent survey efforts in Missouri. 2005 Joint Furbearer Workshop, Bismarck, North Dakota What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This research focused on patterns of distribution and co-occurrence of the carnivore guild in forested ecosystems of southern Missouri. This work was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Mundy Hackett. Carnivores have the ability to structure and drive the dynamics of entire ecosystems, and these effects are disproportionate to their abundance on the landscape. We used infrared remote cameras, trackplate boxes, and scat transects to survey sites throughout the southern forested region of Missouri. Goals were to assess the validity of noninvasive techniques and use the ensuing survey data to document the distribution of forest carnivores, to analyze habitat associations and patterns of occurrence for forest carnivores, and to model carnivore species occupancy for the Ozarks region. The study of carnivore communities across landscapes has become more feasible and economical with the advent of modern noninvasive technologies. To better understand the value and limitations of these methods and approaches we examined presence data collected non-invasively in 2005-06 from 53 forested sites. We estimated latency to detection (LTD) and probability of detection (POD) given presence for seven species, compared these metrics across detection devices, and evaluated the effects of altering the order of implementation of the method on detectability. We also performed scat transects at 40 of 53 sites to validate the use of remote cameras for discerning the presence of coyotes (Canis latrans). Cameras and track-plates both detected Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), raccoon (Procyon lotor) and opossum (Didelphis virginiana), but with differing effectiveness. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were only effectively documented with remote cameras. Daily detection rates by cameras ranged from 0.003 (bobcat) to 0.05 (opossum), and rates by track-plates ranged from 0.09 (striped skunk) to 0.29 (opossum). Cameras and track-plates performed poorly at capturing images of coyotes where their presence was known from scat transects, but cameras also obtained photographic evidence of coyote presence at 63% (5/8) sites where no coyote scat was collected. We found that by combining methods a more accurate picture of the community composition is obtained, and that it is necessary to tailor survey methodology to target species over an extended period. Relatively little is known about eastern spotted skunk ecology, a state endangered species in Missouri. Model results for it and the striped skunk revealed that forested habitat was a predictor of eastern spotted skunk occupancy, while urban features of a landscape were better predictors of striped skunk occupancy. However, neither species had a single model for occupancy that had a high weight of evidence (wi > 0.90), so data were further analyzed using model averaging. Results suggest the most influential variables in predicting high occupancy by eastern spotted skunk were those related to proportion of an area covered by forest. Conversely, the best striped skunk occupancy variables in model averaging were characterized by a positive relationship to distance to nearest road and an inverse relationship with percent area settled. The regional predictive map for eastern spotted skunk indicated generally low occupancy rates across the region, with several large patches of habitat related to forest cover that had predicted occupancy of Q > 0.20. The map for striped skunk revealed an association between areas of habitat transitions from forested to urban landcover type and a relatively higher occupancy rate across the region. One of the most significant findings was that incorporation of the other carnivore species into each species occupancy model (e.g. including striped skunk presence as a covariate in the spotted skunk models) resulted in an improved model. This suggests that there is some habitat component that is being accounted for indirectly by the incorporation of the other species, and may also imply the potential for competition between the two species. The two most commonly detected mammalian mesopredators in the surveys were the opossum and raccoon. Raccoons were detected at 94% of sites and opossum at 89% of sites. Model averaging was also used for these two species due to weak resolution of a single important model set in occupancy model selection analyses. As was observed for the skunk species, model averaging revealed that by incorporating knowledge of the presence of one species (e.g. raccoon) into the modeling process for other species (e.g. opossum) the predictive ability of the resulting model is improved. Odds ratios revealed that the most important predictors of raccoon occupancy at a landscape level were knowledge of opossum presence (OR = 1.60) and distance to water (OR = 1.16). Core area index (OR = 4.37) and knowledge of raccoon presence (OR = 2.08) were the most important predictors of opossum occupancy. The predictive models for both species lack much resolution, however, because both species were so common and because of the binary nature of modeling presence-absence data. Nonetheless, these results suggest a high degree of habitat overlap in the general distribution of these two forest mesopredators, and a that a modeling approach that uses abundance data for each may allow for a more effective result. In the past century the coyote has become an abundant apex predator in much of eastern North American temperate forest habitats. How coyotes may influence the distribution of other forest carnivores such as bobcat and gray fox is unclear. Again, due to a lack of a single important model set we used model averaging to predict occupancy of coyote, bobcat, and gray fox. The probability of actual occupancy (PAO) for coyotes was best predicted by measures of human disturbance and prey distribution. Bobcats were primarily influenced by coyote presence and prey availability. Gray foxes were the most heterogeneous of the species in their regional predicted distribution, and were best predicted by measures of coyote and bobcat presence as well as by landscape elements related to humans and settled areas. These results allude to the potential for coyotes to dynamically alter and structure the distribution of bobcat and gray fox in the Ozarks.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During 2007 we continued to collect and analyse data on the carnivores of Missouri. More specifically, we used non-invasive techniques, including remaote cameras, track-plates, and scat censuses to survey the entire terrestrial mammal carnivore guild from over 50 sites in the Ozark region of Missouri. This survey effort resulted in detialed information on the distributions of diverse species, including spotted skunks, raccoon, striped skunk, bobcat, coyote, and gray foxes. We are using this data to create predictive models for these species, with the goal of eventually creating maps of the predicted distribution and relative abundance of these species. Results are being dessiminated to communities of interest (notably, the Missouri Department of Conservation and several scientific organizations) by presenting of preliminary results, dissertations, and manuscirpts that will ultimately be submitted for publication in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. PARTICIPANTS: Matthew Gompper, PI - Provided primary oversight for the project. Training and professional development were provided to four students (Harvey Hackett, PhD student; Damon Lesmeister, MS student; Ryan Monello, PhD student; Morgan Wehtje, MS student). TARGET AUDIENCES: Presentations on the results of this work were made during 2007 at the following scientific meetings: 2007 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference Meeting; Annual Meeting of the Central Plains Society of Mammalogists; Annual Meeting, American Society of Mammalogists; Annual Meeting, Arkansas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
We have validated the use of non-invasive techniques for surveying rare carnivores in Missouri. We have identified the presence of the endangered, S1, eastern spotted skuynk throughout the Missouri Ozarks. We have preliminarily created predicitive distribution maps for several Missouri carnivores.
Publications
- Siripunkaw, C., C. Kongrit, K. M. Faries, R.J. Monello, M. E. Gompper, and L. S. Eggert. (2008) Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the raccoon (Procyon lotor) Molecular Ecology Resources 8:199-201.
- Monello, R.J. and M.E. Gompper (2007) Biotic and abiotic predictors of tick (Dermacentor variabilis) abundance and engorgement on free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor). Parasitology 134:2053-2062.
- Hackett, H.M., D.B. Lesmeister, J. Desanty-Combes, W.G. Montague, J.J. Millspaugh, and M.E. Gompper. (2007) Detection rates of eastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius) in Missouri and Arkansas using live-capture and non-invasive Techniques. American Midland Naturalist 158:123-131.
- Herzog, C., R.W. Kays. J.C. Ray, M.E. Gompper, W.J. Zielinski, R. Higgins, and M. Tymeson (2007) Using Patterns in Track Plate Footprints to Identify Individual Fishers. Journal of Wildlife Management 71: 955-963.
- Junge, R.E., K. Bauman, M. King, and M.E. Gompper (2007) A serologic assessment of exposure to viral pathogens and Leptospira in an urban raccoon (Procyon lotor) population inhabiting a large zoological park. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 38:18-26.
- Sasse, D.B. and M.E. Gompper (2006) Geographic distribution and harvest dynamics of the eastern spotted skunk in Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 60:119-124.
- Gompper, M.E., R.W. Kays, J.C. Ray, S.D. LaPoint, D.A. Bogan, and J. R. Cryan (2006) A comparison of non-invasive techniques to survey carnivore communities in Northeastern North America. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34:1142-1151.
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