Hog Island VA Small-Mammal Trapping 1989-2015

This dataset contains information on long-term small mammal trapping on the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER. Four transects on Hog Island are included in the data, each of which was trapped at least twice each year, typically in the spring and autumn (note: Transect T2 was not trapped every year). Along each transect Sherman Live Traps were placed every 12.5 m along the transect, with an alternating offset of 2.5 m (to remove traps from the path running down the transect). This leaves a total inter-trap distance of 15 m. Traps were baited with peanut butter wrapped in waxed paper and were run sequentially for at least 3 nights in a row. Traps in areas that would experience tidal flooding were placed on styrofoam plastic platforms to provide flotation during high tides. Captured animals were individually tagged with numbered fingerling fish tags placed in the right ear, inspected for sex and sexual characteristics, weighed with a spring scale to the nearest gram and released at the point of capture.

本数据集收录了弗吉尼亚海岸保护区（Virginia Coast Reserve）长期生态研究（Long-Term Ecological Research，简称LTER）站点的小型兽类长期诱捕相关数据。数据涵盖霍格岛（Hog Island）上的4条样带，每条样带每年至少开展2次诱捕作业，通常为春季与秋季（注：T2样带并非每年均设置诱捕）。每条样带每隔12.5米布设1台谢尔曼活捕笼（Sherman Live Traps），并以2.5米的间隔交错排布，避免捕笼沿样带形成通行障碍，最终捕笼间的实际间距为15米。捕笼以蜡纸包裹的花生酱作为诱饵，且连续至少3个夜晚开展诱捕作业。对于易遭遇潮汐淹没区域的捕笼，将其安装在聚苯乙烯塑料平台上以在涨潮时提供浮力。捕获的小型兽类将通过植入右耳的编号仔鱼标签进行个体标记，同时记录其性别及第二性征，使用弹簧秤称量至1克精度，并在捕获地点原地放归。