Methods For Ecological Research On Terrestrial Small Mammals

All the information researchers, students, and practitioners need to conducted innovative, state-of-the-art research on small mammals. Rodents and insectivores constitute the vast majority of mammals on our planet, yet we often overlook the importance of this group. As seed dispersers, prey species, and disease regulators, these animals are critical to the functioning of our ecological systems. While considerable material exists that describes these species, there has been no dedicated guide explaining how to effectively research them—until now. Methods for Ecological Research on Terrestrial Small Mammals is a one-stop resource compiling all the information readers need to conduct state-of-the-art research on small terrestrial mammals across the globe. The authors cover the full spectrum of issues, from capture, handling, identification, reproduction, demography, and taxonomy to behavior, diet, evolution, diseases, movements, morphometrics, and more. They also: • highlight the latest techniques while carefully explaining the tried-and-tested methods needed to conduct rigorous scientific inquiries; • provide step-by-step examples and case studies, demonstrating how the methods discussed can be used in actual research projects; • compare and contrast methodologies, analytical techniques, and software packages, helping researchers determine which pathways and tools will yield the best results for their studies. A comprehensive and invaluable resource, Methods for Ecological Research on Terrestrial Small Mammals is a must-have for any ecologist working on small mammals.

A comprehensive and invaluable resource, Methods for Ecological Research on Terrestrial Small Mammals is a must-have for any ecologist working on small mammals.

This volume, first published in 1975, looks at small mammal populations with emphasis being placed on their ecology and energy dynamics. It discusses the most productive research techniques and research objectives. The second part of the book deals with the roles of small mammals in ecosystems.

The ability of small mammals to exploit environmental resources, based upon a rapid adaptation to short-term changes in population and/or the environment, as well as to a variety of local conditions, implies a strong impact upon natural resources. The role played by small mammal consumers in the flow of energy within natural and man-modified ecosystems is therefore of equal importance to that of larger, longer-lived species which have been studied more intensively. This volume, first published in 1975, looks at small mammal populations with emphasis being placed on their ecology and energy dynamics. It discusses the most productive research techniques and research objectives. The second part of the book deals with the roles of small mammals in ecosystems ranging from the tropics to the tundra and special consideration is given to the impact of rodents on man. Research workers in the fields of mammalogy and ecology will find this an essential book and agriculturists, foresters and anyone concerned professionally with the control of small mammals will find much that is of value to their work.

A summary of much of the experimental work on the spatial ecology of small mammals. This field has entered an exciting stage with such new techniques as GIS and systems modeling becoming available. Leading contributors describe and analyze the most well-known case studies and provide new insights into how landscape patterns and processes have had an impact on small mammals and how small mammals have, in turn, affected landscape structure and composition.

Eight authors have written authoratative reviews aimed at rodent control workers, conservationists and mammologists. Includes chapters on life-history strategies, population dynamics, and the role of small mammals in ecosystems as reservoirs of disease and as agricultural pests.

Animals of this size face different physiological and ecological challenges than larger mammals.

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation provides a thorough summary of the available scientific evidence of what is known, or not known, about the effectiveness of all of the conservation actions for wild terrestrial mammals across the world (excluding bats and primates, which are covered in separate synopses). Actions are organized into categories based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifications of direct threats and conservation actions. Over the course of fifteen chapters, the authors consider interventions as wide ranging as creating uncultivated margins around fields, prescribed burning, setting hunting quotas and removing non-native mammals. This book is written in an accessible style and is designed to be an invaluable resource for anyone concerned with the practical conservation of terrestrial mammals. The authors consulted an international group of terrestrial mammal experts and conservationists to produce this synopsis. Funding was provided by the MAVA Foundation, Arcadia and National Geographic Big Cats Initiative. Terrestrial Mammal Conservation is the seventeenth publication in the Conservation Evidence Series, linked to the online resource www.ConservationEvidence.com. Conservation Evidence Synopses are designed to promote a more evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation. Others in the series include Bat Conservation, Primate Conservation, Bird Conservation and Forest Conservation and more are in preparation. Expert assessment of the evidence summarised within synopses is provided online and within the annual publication What Works in Conservation.