Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

Small Mammal Inventory and Monitoring: Small Mammal Sample Characteristics

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Metadata Provider

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

    • Address:
      705 Spear Street
      South Burlington, Vermont 05403
      United States of America

      Phone: (802) 391-4135
      Email: femc@uvm.edu
      Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

Abstract

    Inventory the species of small mammals present in the Browns River headwaters on Mount Mansfield; assess the habitat preferences of the species present; and monitor the presence of each species in the area.

People

  • Stephen Trombulak: Principal Investigator

Keywords

  • small mammals, trapping, weather,

Geographic Coverage

  • Coordinates
    • -72.84721667, 44.52928333
    • -72.81925, 44.52928333
    • -72.81925, 44.54301667
    • -72.84721667, 44.54301667
    • -72.84721667, 44.52928333

Data Table

  • Title: Small Mammal Sample Characteristics
  • Start Date: 1995-06-01
  • End Date: 1995-07-28
  • Description: Weather description, field workers, and trap IDs

  • Purpose: Inventory the species of small mammals present in the Browns River headwaters on Mount Mansfield; assess the habitat preferences of the species present; and monitor the presence of each species in the area.

  • Condensed Title: Z0050_SMIM_SampChars

  • Object Name: VMC.50.43

  • Data Type: mySQL
  • Citation: Stephen Trombulak. 1995. Small Mammal Sample Characteristics. Middlebury College. FEMC. Can be found at: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/small-mammal-inventory-monitoring/dataset/small-mammal-sample-characteristics

  • Online Distribution: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/small-mammal-inventory-monitoring/dataset/small-mammal-sample-characteristics

Attribute List

    Attribute Name: ID
    • Label: ID
    • Description: Auto-increment ID number
    • Storage Type: int
    • Measurment Type: ordinal
    Attribute Name: Record_number
    • Label: Record Number
    • Description: Record Number
    • Storage Type: int
    • Measurment Type: ordinal
    Attribute Name: date1
    • Label: Date 1
    • Description: Date when trap was placed
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: MM/DD/YYYY
    Attribute Name: date2
    • Label: Date 2
    • Description: Date when trap was recovered
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: MM/DD/YYYY
    Attribute Name: weather
    • Label: Weather
    • Description: Weather description
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: start_time
    • Label: Start Time
    • Description: Collection start time
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: hh:mm:ss
    Attribute Name: End_time
    • Label: End Time
    • Description: Collection end time
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: hh:mm:ss
    Attribute Name: Method
    • Label: Method
    • Description: Trap type method
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: site_elevation
    • Label: Site Elevation
    • Description: Site elevation
    • Storage Type: int
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: foot
    • Precision: 100
    • Unit: foot
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: site_discription
    • Label: Site Description
    • Description: Site description
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: Field_worker1
    • Label: Field Worker 1
    • Description: Name of primary field worker
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: Field_worker2
    • Label: Field Worker 2
    • Description: Name of secondary field worker
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: Traps
    • Label: Traps
    • Description: unknown
    • Storage Type: int
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: number
    • Precision: 1
    • Unit: number
    • Number Type: integer

Methods

  • Current Methods
    • Live trap plots
      • Started: 1994-06-01
      • Method Description: Plots for live traps were established at 1200 and 2200 ft. elevations.


  • Past Methods (no longer in use)
    • Small mammal data
      • Started: 1991-04-01
        Ended: 1995-11-01
      • Method Description: Initial information on small mammals at 4 elevation-habitat types has been collected using pitfall catches at drift fences as part of an amphibian survey on Mount Mansfield conducted since 1991.

    • Survey techniques
      • Started: 1994-05-01
        Ended: 1994-11-01
      • Method Description: Four techniques are used to survey: night-time live-trapping, pitfall traps at drift fences, morning transect walks, and road surveys.

    • Setting traps
      • Started: 1994-06-02
        Ended: 1994-07-25
      • Method Description: 40 live-traps per site were used in a 4 X 10 trap pattern at 10 m intervals. Traps were set in early evening hours, baited with rolled oats and peanut butter, then checked in the morning. Captured animals were identified to species and sexed, then released. Traps were set on 9 nights per site for a total of 720 trap nights from June 2 to July 25.

    • Unnamed Method
      • Started: 1995-06-01
        Ended: 1995-07-29
      • Method Description: Live traps were set on 8 nights at two locations: 3800 ft along the Sunset Ridge Trail and at 4200 ft. along the summit ridgeline. At each site, 20 traps were set in an irregular pattern (dictated by vegetation and terrain) within an area of 1 - 1.5 ha. Traps were set from June 1 through July 29.

    • Pitfall traps
      • Started: 1994-05-18
        Ended: 1994-11-01
      • Method Description: Pitfall traps associated with the amphibian survey drift fences were used: 2 at 1200 ft., one at 2200 ft. Pitfall traps were opened in the evening and checked the following morning, 12 times between May 18 and November 1.

    • Unnamed Method
      • Started: 1995-05-01
        Ended: 1995-11-01
      • Method Description: Pitfall traps were opened on 18 evenings between May 1 and November 1.

    • Small mammal activity
      • Started: 1994-06-03
        Ended: 1994-07-26
      • Method Description: Morning transect walks consisted of recording all small mammal activity while walking a 0.5 mile transect at 2200 feet or 0.25 mile transect at 1200 ft. Each transect was walked 9 times, once per week from June 3 through July 26.

    • Unnamed Method
      • Ended: 1994-11-01
      • Method Description: Transect walks were discontinued.

    • Road surveys
      • Started: 1994-06-03
        Ended: 1994-07-26
      • Method Description: Road surveys along roads within the Mount Mansfield Browns River and Stevensville Brook watersheds were driven mid-day and all mammals living or dead were recorded. This 9.8 mile route was driven 9 times, once each week between June 3 and July 26.

    • Unnamed Method
      • Ended: 1994-11-01
      • Method Description: Road surveys were discontinued.

Sampling Equipment

  • Drift fences, pitfall traps, folding traps, p
    • Started: 1991-04-01
      Ended: 1995-11-01
    • Sampling Description: 4-metal drift fences with 10 pitfall traps; Sherman and Tomahawk folding traps; permanent ear tags, individually coded.

Site Characteristics

  • Site Description: West slope of Mount Mansfield in the Browns River and Stevensville Brook watersheds. Drift fences at 1200, 2200, and 3200 feet. Permanent plot areas at 1200, 2200, 3800, and 4200 feet; representing areas of hardwoods, softwoods, stream and lake shores and the alpine zone.