Effectiveness of rodent control and monitoring techniques for a montane rainforest
- Author:
-
Nelson, Jay T., Woodworth, Bethaney L., Fancy, Steven G., Lindsey, Gerald D., Tweed, Erick J.
- Title:
- Effectiveness of rodent control and monitoring techniques for a montane rainforest
- Periodical:
- Wildlife Society Bulletin
- Year:
- 2002
- Volume:
- 30
- Pages:
- P. 82-92
- Subject:
-
Rats
Rodents control
Montane tropical forest
Birds protection
- Summary:
- Introduced black (Rattus rattus) and Polynesian (R. exulans) rats are damaging to native birds, insects, and plants in island ecosystems. In this study, rodent populations were controlled in a montane rainforest on the island of Hawaii to determine feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of ground-based rodent control in a rugged, remote rainforest habitat. Using rodenticide bait stations and snap-traps, treatment was conducted from January to April during the years of 1996 - 1999. Rodent numbers were monitored before, during, and after the control efforts in 48-ha treatment and reference areas where rodent control reduced abundance, each year, within one month after treatment began, by 58 - 90%. However, rodent numbers recovered to approximate pretreatment levels by the beginning of the following treatment year. The cost of equipment and supplies for rodent control for the first year was about $7,000 for a 1-km(superscript 2) grid and decreased to about $2,000 for 1 km(superscript 2) per year after the first year. It was found that rodent control, applied continuously for four months each year during the breeding season, may be effective in protecting nesting forest birds, but will not provide protection to plants and invertebrates vulnerable to predation throughout the year. The study found that it is also not likely to protect avian food resources during this period.
- Label:
- Animals
- URL:
- http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2075/stable/3784639
- Date:
- 2002
- Collection:
- Periodicals