Mesocarnivore habitat use data in the Central Platte Valley, Nebraska, USA, using scent-baited motion-censored camera traps: comparing use of prairie-meadow edges to interiors

Description

Baited camera traps were deployed through systematic and strategic sampling efforts to gather data on mesocarnivore use of meadow-prairie edge verse interior habitats as well as to gather information on the mesocarnivore community present within conservation properties in the CPRV, Nebraska. The database is presented as three Microsoft Excel documents. Page 1 entitled “Site Description & Sample Effort” describes all sampling sites providing: camera ID, the sampling method (transect vs. incidental), latitude and longitude, deployment dates for each site/camera (Date Start/Date End), a general habitat description (e.g.- Wet Meadow, Cottonwood Savanna, etc.) with notes describing the rationales for incidental camera placements (e.g.- Vulpes vulpes sign), whether the trap was baited or not (e.g.- Yes/No), and data notes on why data is missing or why some sites were discontinued (e.g.- Camera stolen, etc.). Page 2 contains the “Full Database” which again includes the Camera ID in addition to: whether the camera trapping site represents an edge (1), transitional (2), or interior habitat (3), the central standard time of the first photo documenting a mesocarnivore detection (e.g.- 1:37:00 AM), the moon phase at that time (e.g.- full moon, etc.), the species detected using scientific nomenclature (e.g.- Canis latrans), the number of individual animals of a particular species discernable from that series of photos (No. Individuals), the number of images taken during a series of motion censored photos, whether the photos demonstrated the mesocarnivore(s) interacting with our baiting station (Bait Interaction, 1 = yes, 0 =no), and a narrative description of the species’ behavior from the photo series. Finally, in page 3 of the Microsoft Excel document the metadata for the first two datasets is presented.

Steps to reproduce

We set up a total of 15 numbered and baited wooden stakes (~2.5 cm diameter, ~30 cm tall after positioning in ground) in front of motion censored trail cameras (Cuddeback Long-Range IR 20 MP Trail Camera, Green Bay, WI 54307) along five 300 meter (m) sampling transects beginning at prairie-meadow edges and continuing toward their interiors. Baited stakes were placed about ~2.5 m in front of trail cameras, which were mounted on a piece of rebar standing about 40 cm tall after being pounded into the ground. Each linear transect included three cameras, one camera at 0 m (edge), one at 150 m (intermediate), and one at 300 m (interior). Traps were baited weekly with a tablespoon of bait intended to attract a wide variety of mesocarnivores (Caven’s Predator Bait Plus, Minnesota Trapline Products, Inc., Pennock, MN 56279). Cameras were set to take a photo every 15 seconds as motion was detected. Each site had a novel habitat edge, including agriculture (corn and alfalfa), a road, a pond, a river, and woodland habitat. All prairies were bordered by, at minimum, a two-track road and in four of five cases, a perimeter fence. Pasture units ranged from 35 ha to 121 ha but were adjacent to other prairie units on at least three of four sides. Vegetation around the camera trap sites was cut weekly with pruning shears to keep vegetation out of the camera’s frame. An additional 4 motion censored trail cameras (Reconyx HC600 HyperFire Infrared Digital Game Camera Holmen, WI, 54636, USA) were strategically placed throughout the research area to sample mesocarnivore species diversity in a variety of habitats. These were considered “incidental” sampling locations. A fifth trail camera (Cuddeback) was later added to the incidental sampling effort after being removed from a decommissioned transect. Several unbaited incidental camera trapping locations followed American Beaver (Castor canadensis) activity as they can be an important prey item for Coyotes (Canis latrans). All trapping sites were categorized based on the dominant vascular plant species cover broadly following habitat categories including: Wet Meadow, Lowland Tallgrass Prairie, Riparian Shrubland, Cottonwood Woodland, Cottonwood Savanna, or Eastern Redcedar Woodland. Additionally, adjacent waterbodies were described as ponds (historically excavated for sand and gravel), river, or slough habitats when present. Cameras were first deployed 11 July 2015 and last retrieved 13 December 2015. However, several transect cameras were not deployed for the full length of the project as a result of theft and damage from cattle trampling. Cameras were deployed to incidental sampling locations for various lengths of time throughout the study period with the aim of detecting as many mesocarnivore species as possible. In all 28 locations were sampled for mesocarnivores.

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