Keywords
harvest, Illinois, population modeling, river otter, trapping
Abstract
Population modeling is an invaluable tool for predicting wildlife population dynamics and the effects of management. I created a state-space population model for unharvested river otters in the Illinois, Kaskaskia, and Wabash river basins in Illinois, and modeled future harvest at 5%, 10%, and 20% levels. River otter populations increased in the absence of harvest during 2000-2009 to 8,408 ± 1,934 individuals (λ = 1.11 ± 0.09). Harvest at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% levels resulted in continued population growth over time, with annual harvest numbers ranging from 446 - 1,786 in 2010 to 884 - 2,614 in 2014, depending on harvest scenario. I concluded that river otter populations in Illinois were thriving and capable of withstanding a regulated harvest.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2016.03210.x
