23. Data collection, monitoring and planning in wildlife management.

Question 1

Data collection

Answer 1

There are different approaches towards data collection: direct, indirect, new/old methods
Estimation: determination of a population parameter based on sampling. The sample are represented in space and time, support by mathematics statistics. Estimation methods:
Population assessment techniques:
* Indices
* Population estimation methods:
o All individual seen – complete census, census on sample plots
o Not all individual seen – counts, capture
Data collection happens after the objectives, statistical hypothesis and methodology have been set

Question 2

Methods of data collection (Brown hare):

Answer 2

1. Counting (estimation)
2. Estimation of reproduction (sample hunting at start and end of hunting season, min. 30 individuals. Assess placental scars, shows number of new-borns in the last breeding season) + assess sex ration
3. Age estimation (stroh-mark on ulna, dry matter weight of eye lenses)(teeth and antlers in deer)
4. Estimation of mortality: Total mortality during summer = breeding stock’s mortality + newborn’s mortality during summer (Breeding stock: difference in number of animals in spring vs. fall, new borns: placental scars and Juvenile/Adult ratio)
5. Condition evaluation: Measurement: kidney-fat index (KFI = Fat weight (around kidney (g))/Kidney weight (g)), body weight (young) , antler size (deer)

Question 3

Population estimations

Answer 3

Direct methods (i.e. based on the direct observation of animals, also with statistical calibration)
* Direct counts on transects (transects like triangle or squares)
* Drive counts
* Distance sampling (DS)
* Aerial counts (direct counts or DS, thermographic, drones, helicopters…)
* Capture-Mark-Recapture CMR (also with camera traps)
* Camera traps (CT)
Indirect methods (i.e. based on the detection of presence signs, but not on living animals)
* Hunting bag statistics (including hunting bag recalculations; indices)
* Snow tracks
* Pellet counts
* Genetic analyses of pellets
* Genetic analyses of hunting bags
Others (i.e. include other relevant methods – direct or indirect – applied or susceptible to be applied on the target species)
* Statistical modelling

Question 4

Population parameters

Answer 4

• The main population parameters for wildlife management:
  o Survival by age (or mortality),
  o fecundity (reproduction) by age,
  o age distribution (frequency distribution of ages),
  o sex ratio,
  o numbers (or density)
• Correlate statistics calculated
  o rate of birth
  o rate of death
  o rate of increase

Question 5

Calculating Pop. Parameters

Answer 5

1. Sex ratio of breeding stock = sex ratio of captured hares in previous season
2. Number of female in the breeding stock = Number of estimated breeding stock * sex ratio
3. Number of juvenile in autumn population = Number of population in autumn Juvenile/Adult ratio (r)
4. Number of adult in autumn population = autumn population – Number of juvenile
5. Number of adult female in autumn population = Number of adult female * sex ratio of the sample bag
6. Number of kindled (fertilised) female during the year = (Number of female in spring – Number of adult female in autumn) * 0,5 * fertility rate
7. Number of newborns = Number of kindled female during the year * average placental scars
8. Mortality of breeding stock in summer = Number of adult female in autumn – Number of female in spring Survival of bred. stock in summer = 1 – adult mortality rate
9. Mortality of offspring in summer = Number of newborns – Number of juvenile in autumn
   Survival of offspring in summer = 1 – offspring mortality rate
   10.Mortality of autumn population in winter = 20% in the case of harvesting!

Question 6

Monitoring:

Answer 6

Monitoring implies a repeated assessment of status of some quantity, attribute, or task within a defined area over a specified time period.

Active observation: Direct observation or capture, Indirect, tracks, DNA
Passive observation: Camera traps, Hunters data, Roads kills
Telemetry: Pit-tags, VHF radio-tracking, GPS-tracking

The following of the changes in the natural or artificial environment. It can be:
* Regular or standardized (it works with tested methods (estimation methods) → the estimation is a part of the monitoring)
* Direct: reassures the parameter itself (counting of hares, trapping predators)
* Indirect: measured the effect of the parameter (water quality through number of otters, population abundance of deer through crop damage)
* Factors: train of persons, bias, precision, sampling, space, time, repetition, regularity
Population monitoring
* Assessment of:
o spatial distribution, abundance, density
o other population attributes
o Detect important change in magnitude and direction (trend)
o index monitoring
o collects data that are rough guess of population trend
o inferential monitoring
o assessment protocol that uses unbiased estimators of spatial distribution and abundance

Question 7

Planning:

Answer 7

Is the progression of steps to determine what we have, what we want and how to get there.
* Delicate social or organizational activity of developing a optimal strategy for solving problems in order to achieve a desired set of objectives
* Depends on the species, question, project
* Goals and objectives need to be clear
Components of an effective wildlife management plan include:
* Clear management goals and objectives – by priority
* A resource inventory
* Site specific habitat improvement recommendations
* A schedule for conducting management practices
* Record keeping an evaluation of management efforts and their impacts on wildlife habitat
Management plan overview
- Introduction and purpose
- Recommendations
- Implementation
- Monitoring
- Supporting documents

Question 8

Summary

Answer 8

• Conservation planning is an essential component of wildlife management
• Planning guides management to ensure careful evaluation and execution of management plans
• Planning occurs at many levels
• Coordination and integration among participants is key
• Planning process can be summarized as a series of logical steps
• Management plans add structure