Guam, USGS Closed Population (NWFN), an experimental eradication of brown treesnakes in a 5-ha study site, 2016 - 2023
Dates
Publication Date
2023-10-30
Start Date
2016-10-24
End Date
2023-04-27
Citation
Nafus, M.G., Collins, A., Viernes, M., Hopkins, C., and Nacpil, A., 2023, Guam, USGS Closed Population (NWFN), an experimental eradication of brown treesnakes in a 5-ha study site, 2016 - 2023: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9QRWKQB.
Summary
These data represent a case study on managing the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam within a 5 ha snake enclosure located on Northern Guam. The site code (NWFN or North West Field North) reflects a location on Andersen Air Force Base, Northern Guam, which has been a study site for close to two decades. The experimental process followed an adaptive resource management process to develop an integrated pest management strategy for either eradication or validating whether extant species (rodents, lizards, and birds) would respond to population suppression over a 6 year removal effort. The program included an evaluation of the Aerial Delivery System, as well as a comparison of bait species (quail, chickens, rats, and [...]
Summary
These data represent a case study on managing the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam within a 5 ha snake enclosure located on Northern Guam. The site code (NWFN or North West Field North) reflects a location on Andersen Air Force Base, Northern Guam, which has been a study site for close to two decades. The experimental process followed an adaptive resource management process to develop an integrated pest management strategy for either eradication or validating whether extant species (rodents, lizards, and birds) would respond to population suppression over a 6 year removal effort. The program included an evaluation of the Aerial Delivery System, as well as a comparison of bait species (quail, chickens, rats, and mice) and size (large, small) on take rates, as well as snake removal. Additionally, later in the removal effort the data involve a comparative capture rate for snakes in live traps using mice or birds as the live lure. The final data include rates of hand capture based removal. During the period of the study snake population was monitored intensively using mark-recapture approaches. During the nocturnal visual surveys we also monitored the full scope of extant prey species (lizards, rats, and birds), which allows the snake population data to be compared with prey response.
NWFN Eradication Final Data Release v3.xml Original FGDC Metadata
View
72.58 KB
application/fgdc+xml
Related External Resources
Type: Related Primary Publication
Nafus, M.G., Reyes, A., Fies, T., and Goetz, S.M., 2024, Adaptive resource management: Achieving functional eradication of invasive snakes to benefit avian conservation: Journal of Applied Ecology, v. 61, no. 4, p. 733–745, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14597.
The data were collected to use to test how and whether brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) could be eradicated within a snake exclusion barrier in a manner that could be scaled up to large scales. The appropriate use of these data is limited to demographic calculations or understanding snake and/or prey response to control application for snakes within a fully closed population on Guam.
Preview Image
Brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) climbing a tree. Credit: Melia Nafus.