3.3 Behaviour Responses
| Programme Title: | Population and behavioural responses of wild possums to fertility control |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Phil Cowan |
| Institution: | Landcare Research, Lincoln |
| Programme Goal: | To determine the demographic and behavioural responses of possum populations to fertility control. |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Demographic responses to fertility control |
| Research Leader: | Dr David Ramsey |
Description:
Assess the effects of fertility control on possum population dynamics in six study sites where 0%, 50% or 80% of female possums are sterilised by:
- estimating annually by capture-mark-release methods, population size, breeding, recruitment and survival in February, June and September;
- completing annual adjustments to levels of sterility and immigration in the study populations to maintain experimental treatments; and
- undertaking age-structured population analysis to determine the effects of fertility control on population parameters at different stages in the life cycle.
Produce progress and annual reports and give one conference presentation.
Objective 2
| Objective Title: | Behavioural responses to fertility control |
| Research Leader: | Dr David Ramsey |
Description
Determine the effects of fertility control on the social organisation and mating behaviour of possums in the wild by:
- measuring the effects of sterility treatments on home ranges, denning behaviour and interactions of male and female radio tagged possums;
- measuring the effects of GnRH treatment on home ranges, denning behaviour and interactions of male and female radio tagged possums; and
- estimating the prevalence of Leptospira balcanica at control and 80% sterilisation treatment sites in Objective 1.
Provide progress and annual reports and give one poster presentation.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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