The use of floating rafts to detect and trap American mink Mustela vison for the conservation of water voles Arvicola terrestris along the River Wensum in Norfolk, England
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Published source details
Thompson H. (2006) The use of floating rafts to detect and trap American mink Mustela vison for the conservation of water voles Arvicola terrestris along the River Wensum in Norfolk, England. Conservation Evidence, 3, 114-116.
Published source details Thompson H. (2006) The use of floating rafts to detect and trap American mink Mustela vison for the conservation of water voles Arvicola terrestris along the River Wensum in Norfolk, England. Conservation Evidence, 3, 114-116.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Remove/control non-native mammals Action Link |
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Remove/control non-native mammals
A before-and-after study in 1997–2005 along a river in Norfolk, UK (Thompson 2006) found that after controlling invasive American mink Mustela vison, the proportion of sites occupied by water voles Arvicola terrestris increased. Results were not tested for statistical significance. After two years of mink control, a higher proportion of sites were occupied by water voles (27 of 59 sites, 46%) than before control (21 of 62 sites, 35%). No mink signs were found at any survey sites in 2005. Over 280 mink were trapped and euthanised along the River Wensum and its tributaries using traps on banks (1.3–1.6 mink/traps over 3 years, 262 individual mink) and rafts (1.8–2.2 mink/raft over 2 years, 18 individual mink). Between 200 and 220 bank traps (in 2004-2006) and 5-10 raft traps (in 2004-2005) were deployed. Raft traps were arranged in clusters of two to four with clusters at 1–5 km intervals. Water voles were surveyed in 1997 (62 sites), 2003 (60 sites) and 2005 (59 sites) by searching for water vole signs (e.g. latrines, burrows) along 500 m sections of waterway.
(Summarised by: Ricardo Rocha)
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