Transect versus grid trapping arrangements for sampling small-mammal communities

Abstract

We compared transect and grid trapping arrangements for assessing small-mammal community composition and relative abundance for 2 years in 2 forest cover types in west-central Montana, USA. Transect arrangements yielded more total captures, more individual captures, and more species than grid arrangements in both cover types in both years. Differences between the 2 methods tended to be greatest when small mammals were least abundant, suggesting that advantages of transect arrangements for obtaining basic community information may be greatest when sampling returns are poorest. Our results suggest that transect arrangements are more efficient than grids for small-mammal surveys and studies of small-mammal community composition because transects provide better resolution of community structure for a given effort.

Citation

Pearson, Dean E.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2003. Transect versus grid trapping arrangements for sampling small-mammal communities. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 31(2): 454-459.