Guam, USGS Closed Population (NWFN), an experimental eradication of brown treesnakes in a 5-ha study site, 2016 - 2023

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.

本数据集为关岛北部一处5公顷棕树蛇（brown treesnake，Boiga irregularis）入侵物种管控案例研究，研究区域设于关岛北部的棕树蛇围合管控区内。该研究点位编码为NWFN（North West Field North，西北场北区），位于关岛北部安德森空军基地内，作为长期研究场地已近二十年。本实验采用适应性资源管理流程，旨在制定综合虫害管理策略，以实现棕树蛇根除目标，或验证在为期6年的种群移除工作中，现存物种（啮齿类、蜥蜴及鸟类）是否会对种群压制措施产生响应。该项目包含空中投放系统（Aerial Delivery System）的性能评估，同时对比了诱饵物种（鹌鹑、鸡、大鼠及小鼠）与诱饵规格（大、小）对蛇类取食率及移除效果的影响。此外，在移除工作后期，数据集还包含以小鼠或鸟类作为活诱饵的活体诱捕器中蛇类的捕获率对比数据。最终数据集同时涵盖人工捕获移除的相关比率数据。研究期间，团队采用标记重捕法对棕树蛇种群开展高强度监测；在夜间目视调查阶段，团队还对全部现存猎物类群（蜥蜴、大鼠及鸟类）进行了全面监测，由此可将蛇类种群数据与猎物响应情况进行对比分析。