Developing optimal monitoring protocol for mesocarnivores in Maine
Advisor: Dr. Alessio Mortelliti, UM-Orono
Committee: Dr. Wally Jakubas, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Dr. Cynthia Loftin, UM-Orono and USGS Cooperative Unit
Dr. Daniel Hayes, UM-Orono, Wheatland Geospatial Analysis Laboratory
Dr. Pascal Berrill, Humboldt University, Silviculture and Restoration
Committee: Dr. Wally Jakubas, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Dr. Cynthia Loftin, UM-Orono and USGS Cooperative Unit
Dr. Daniel Hayes, UM-Orono, Wheatland Geospatial Analysis Laboratory
Dr. Pascal Berrill, Humboldt University, Silviculture and Restoration
This research will assess the efficacy of using arrays of motion-triggered trail cameras, an increasingly popular and robust tool for wildlife research, to collect biologically relevant information on occupancy and detection patterns for mesocarnivores in Maine. Understanding trends in the abundance and distribution of carnivores is important at global, regional and local scales due to their ecological role, their aesthetic and economic value, and the numerous threats to their conservation. American martens (Martes americana) and fisher (Pekania pennanti) are medium-sized carnivores (mesocarnivores) native to North America, and methods to track changes in population independent of harvest reports will be valuable to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. These species are also likely to respond to habitat changes that occur as a result of timber extraction, and we are conducting surveys across landscape features to create a natural experiment and enable comparison between different forest types, harvest history, and degree of fragmentation.
Winter 2017 Pilot Season