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AlASKA ~ Al.JTK)R ITY
SUSITNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
ENVIRCNIENTAL STliDIES
PROCED~ES ~l.IAL
SUBTASK 7.ll
WILDLIFE ECOLDGY-
F~ERS
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Terre1trial
Environmental
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M.ASKA ~ AlJTH)RITY
SUSITNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
ENVIRCNJENTAL STliDIES
PROCEDLRES ~LIAL
SUBTASK 7.11
WILDLIFE ECOLOGY-
FrnBEARERS
Submitted by
Terrestrial Envirorm:mtal Specialists, Inc .
and
Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
to
Acres American, Inc .
Group Leader ( 'IES )
July 1980
AL ASKA POW ER AUTHORITY
Copy No . 2-\ ---
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This procedures manual is a controlled document. Each copy is
numbered and issued in trust to an individual whose name is
recorded on a distribution log maintained by Terrestrial
Environmental Specialists, Inc., in Phoenix, New York. Amendments
to this document, as they are issued, will be sent to the
authorized holder of each copy. Upon completion of the project
(or by December 31, 1982) all copies of the manual are to be
returned to Terrestrial Environmental Specialists, Inc •
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PROCE DURE S MANUAL
SUBTASK 7 .11, WILD LIFE/F URBEARERS
CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. TECHNICAL PROCEDURES
III. DATA PROCEDURES
IV. QUALITY CONTROL
v. SCHEDULE
VI. PERSONNEL
VI I. LITERATURE CITED
LIST OF FIGURE S
FIGURE 1. Northern bench and canyon wall
study sites, showing established transects
and, for bench transects, season of transect
data collection .
FIGURE 2. Northern bench and Watana study
sites, showing established transects and,
for bench transects, season of data col-
lection.
FIGURE 3. Snow transect intersection with
red fox trail. For this data collection
point one hare track and two willow
ptarmigan tracks would be recorded.
FI GU RE 4 . Sample snow tran sect d ata
collection sheet.
FIGURE 5 . Schedule
P . 2
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1 3
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I. INTRODUCTI ON
The o b j ectives of Phase I furbearer studies are to determine
the probable impacts of the proposed Susitna Hydroelectric
Project upon the following species: red fox, Vulpes fu lva;
coyote, Cani s latrans; lynx, Lynx canadensis; mink, Mustela
vison; pine marten, Martes americana; river o tter, Lutra
canadensis; short-ta~led weasel, Mustela erminea; least
weasel, Mustela rixosa; muskrat, onaatra-zibethica and
beaver, Castor canad~nsis.
Specific objectives for Phase I are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Determine general abundance of each species in the
study area .
Assess habitat preferences of each species .
Analyze seasonal use of habitats and degree and
type of u tilization of habitats for each species.
Project the probab le impacts of the proposed
development o~ each species .
a. Assess lik ly changes in habitats f rom the
proposed action .
b. Project changes in abundance of furbearers in
res ponse to habitat changes.
c . Predict other, non-habitat related impacts
upon furbearers .
II. TECH NICAL PROCEDURES
For the purposes of Phase I studies, the study area is
defined as the proposed impoundment zones, all land and
water within 8 horizontal miles of the impoundment zones and
the downstream floodplain as far as Go ld Creek and within 3
horizontal miles of the river.
Data will be gathered from three principal sources.
A . Snow Transect Data
Transects will be established and utilized in
four major phy siographic t y pes. These ty~es are
listed below, with the corresponding local study site:
1. Upland bench. Deadman-Tsusena bench, Figure 1 and
2. Canyon walls. Watana dams ite area (Figure 1' and
established).
3 . Creek bottoms. Watana Creek, Tsusena Creek,
Figure 2.
4. Downstream floodplain. Portage Creek, Gold Creek ,
(to be established) .
2.
to be
Transects will be numbered and marked on topographic maps
to be kept on f :.le. Transects will be run by snowmachine,
skis or snowshoe:s, depending upon .terrain. Whe n the track
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Fig ure 1. Nor t hern ben ch and wall study sites , .,
TO" canyo n
sh ow i ng established tran s ects a nd, for bench trans ects ,
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s easo n of transect data coll ection .
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Figure 2. Northern bench ·and Watana Creek
bottom study sites, showing established
transects and, for bench transect s, season
of data collection .
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B.
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of a subject animal is encountered, the fol l owing data will
be recorded:
l.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Species of animal
Vegetation type to Viereck level III or IV
% canopy cover (45° cone)
Distance to water (not frozen)
Water type (lacustrine, riverine, etc.)
Snow depth at the first track on either side of the
transect (2 measurements)
Snow hardness, top 2 inches
Estimated age of tracks
S lope
Aspect
Elevation (MSL)
Physiographic type (2 levels of resolution)
Number of hare tracks within 10 m of intersection
Number of ptarmigan tracks within 10 m of intersection
Number of red squirrel tracks within 10 m of intersection
Note: For the purposes of Nos. 13-15, a track is the
group of marks made by an individual animal entering
the 10 m circle once. See Figure 3.
Snow Tracking
Snow trails of individual subject animals will be located
by the following techniques. On each of the established and
proposed transects, points will be chosen by selecting random
distances from the beginning. A random number table will be
employed . After this point is chosen, a random magnetic
compass bearing will be chosen (increments of 10°) with a
random number table and that bearing followed until the trail
of the furbearer of interest is intersected. This trail will
be followed in each direction until the trail is lost or 25
sampling points have been reached . The sampling points will
be at fixed distances, by species as follows:
Red Fox 500 meters
Coyote 500 meters
Lynx 500 meters
Pine Marten 100 meters
Mink 30 meters
River Otter 30 meters
Short-Tailed Weasel 30 meters
Least Weasel 30 meters
At these sampling points the trail will be sampled for
the parameters measured on snow transects (see "A" above ) .
Additionally, an index to snow hardness will be obtain-
ed by measuring the depth of 3 foot prints at each sample
point when following the trail of an indiv idual animal. Foot
print depth and penetrometer readings will be compared f or
each sample point. Along transects, penetrometer readings
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Hare Tracks
~\-W i ll ow Ptarmigan
~, Tracks
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Snow Depth
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Hardness Sampling
a Points
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Figure 3. Snow transect intersec tion with red fox trail.
For this data collection point one hare track and two willow
ptarmigan tracks would be recorded .
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will be taken every 500 m as well as other parameters required
Jn the transect data sheet. Snow tracking will be conducted for
2 weeks out of each 8 week sampling period provided at least
one inch of new snow has fallen since previous tracking effort .
Radio Telemetry
Limited telemetry studies will be conducted on foxes,
pine martens, mink and short-tailed weasels. Radio location
data will be gathered to determine home range size and shape
and daily and seasonal movement patterns and to locate den
sites and scats. Home range will be determined using the
minimum area technique and computer programs available at
the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Radio transmitters will
be placed on the following species in sufficient numbers
to obtain the following numbers of working collars:
Red Fox 10
Pine Marten 12
Mink 4
Short-Tailed Weasel 8
Animals will be collared in representative habitats in the
Susitna study area . Where possible , family groups will be
collared. Transmitters will be manufactured by AVM In stru-
ment Co., 3101 West Clark Road, Champaign , IL 61820 and
operate in the 164.000 to 164.90u t1Hz band.
Miscellaneous
In the course of live trapping for radio collaring, scats
will be secured from traps. Scats will be dried and stored
and analyzed for species of food items using dissecting micro-
scopes. Reference collections of seeds and mammal hairs and
bones are available at the University of Alaska. Scats will
be characterized as to percent frequency occurrence of food
items and used to indicate seasonal and habitat-specific food
preferences. Information on past furbearer numbers will be
sought f rom i~dividuals who have trapped in and near the study
area in the past. Carcasses will be procured from trappers
operating near the Susitna River . Informa~ion on fox den
sites may be available from other Acres team members. Track
identification is a subjective and subtle skill, for which
few references exist. The principal one is Murie (1954).
Snow depth will be measured to the nearest centimeter with
a meter stick . Snow hardness will be measured with a recording
spring penetrometer , which is being custom manufactured in
Sweden (Olof Erickson, Vaxtbrologiska Institutionen, Villavagen
14, Box 559, S 751 Uppsala, Sweden). Survey of muskrat pushups
and beaver structures will be conducted at breakup time in
spring of each year. A helicopter will be used to examine
lakes, ponds and marshy areas at a time when snow is nearly
absent from lake ice, yet the ice is not yet melted.
Pushups on lakes will be counted and beaver dams and lodges
recorded on 1:63 ,360 scale maps. In spring of each
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year aerial surv eys will be conducted of fu rbearer sign along
the Susitna River between Gold Creek and the mouth of the
Chulitna Ri ver . Da ta will be gathered on species occurrence,
using tracks and o ther sign as indicators of presence.
III. DATA PROCEDURES
Draft data recording sheet for snow transect data is ,•.ttached
(Figure 4) .
Parametric and nonparametric analyses will be made o :: movement
data, animal-habitat associations and pro j ections of pro bable
impact. Statistical programs available in SPSS (Nie, et al .
1975) and BMDP (Brown 1977) will be utilized as well as-programs
being developed specifically for data generated during t his
inv estigation. Drs. Samuel Harbo a nd Edward Murphy are ass i sting
in formulation of appropriate methods o f compiling, summarizing and
analyzing data.
A.
B.
I V . QUALITY CONTROL
Data
Data will be stored in the following manner:
1.
2 •
3.
Directly on field data sheets.
Computer tape -to be stored in ~rving Building, OAF.
Disc files in main computer cen ~er, Bunnell Building,
OAF.
Equipment
Equipment verification will be as follows:
l.
2 .
Telemetry
Field tests will be made in which trans-
mitters are placed at known locations to deter-
mine accuracy of portable ground-to-ground
antennas and aerial tracking systems. The
accuracy and precision of computer programs
designed to plot telemetry data will be checked
by direct comparison with manually prepared
plots of locations .
Snow Hardness
Accuracy of penetrometer will be checked on a
spring scale.
C. Output
Output accuracy o f computer programs will be
determined by comparison with calculatio ns g enerated
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with a desk calculator . Plots of radio telemetry
locations will be compared to plots prepared manually .
D. Transcription of Data
E.
Transcription of data from one form to another
and to computer data files will be checked fo r accuracy
by a second investigator .
Data Collection
Data collection biases due to differences in
the ability of wo rkers to identify and interpret field
signs wi ll be minimized by continuous mutu~l checks
in the field . Biases should be held to a minimum in
this manner.
V . SCHEDULE
Copy attached(Figure 5)
VI . PERSONNEL
Key personnel of the furbearer studies group are as follows:
Principal Investigator: Dr . Phillip S. Gipson
Assistant Leader
Project Investigators:
Alaska Cooperative Wi ldlife Research Unit
University of Alaska
Fairbanks , Alaska 99701
Qualification of Principal Investigator .
Extensive experience supervising research
projects under remote field conditions.
Established scientific standing as evi-
denced by publications describing the
results of independent research. Ability
to formulate, supervise and prepare reports
treating ecological studies of northern
mammals.
Mr. Steven w. Buskirk
Graduate Fellow
Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Re search Unit
University of Alaska
Fairoanks, Ala ska 99701
Mr. T. Winston Ho b good
Graduate Fellow
Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
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Qualifications of Pro j ect I nvesti gators.
Experience conducting field research
projects under remote conditions. Minimum
of bachelo r's degree in bio log ical sciences
or related field. Ability t o carry out
field research a n d prepare reports of
results.
Group Leader: Edward T . Reed
Environmental Scientist
Terrestrial Env ironmental Specialists , Inc.
Phoenix , New Yo rk 13135
Qualifications of Group Leader.
Six y ears of experience evaluating project
impacts on wildlife p o pulations.
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• I-' tv • • J!CriVIT'f Literature Review Field Sanpli.nJ Data Analysis Re[X>rt Preparation Re[X>rts D.le to 1'F.S • JFt-1AMJ XXX XXX X X X XXX XXX X • • • 1980 JASOND JFMAMJ XX XXX X X X X X X xxxxxx XXX XXX X X Figure 5. Schedule. • • • • 1981 1982 JASOND JFM AMJ XXX XXX XXXXX}{ XXX X X X
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LITERATURE CITED
Brown, W. J. 1977. Biomedical Computer Programs P -Series.
University of California Press, 88 0 pp .
Murie, 0 . J. 1954. A Field Guide to Animal Tracks. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Co., 374 pp.
Nie , H., C. H. Hull, J. G. Jenkins, K. Steinbrenner, and
D. H. Bent. 1975. Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences. 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill Co., 675 pp .
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