American pika (Ochotona princeps) monitoring and model development in Glacier National Park, Montana
Moyer-Horner L. 2010. American pika (Ochotona princeps) monitoring and model development in Glacier National Park, Montana. University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI
Summary of a large scale research effort by Lucas Moyer-Horner (2007 - 2009) to address the status of northern pika (Ochotona princeps) in the park, detection densities, and how pika responds behaviorally to temperature. American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are sentinels of mammalian climate changeresponse. Populations have been disappearing from many of their lowest elevation sites in theGreat Basin and recent research has linked losses to high mean summer temperatures. Pikamonitoring efforts, many volunteer-centered, are being initiated across the mountain west in aneffort to quantify their status range-wide. However, little is known about: pika detectability byvolunteers, the status of northern pika populations, how pikas respond behaviorally totemperature, and the mechanisms by which temperature mediates site extirpations. From 2007 –2009 we conducted a large-scale research effort in Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana,aimed at addressing each of those knowledge gaps. We found minimal observer bias amongtrained biotechs on numerous metrics of pika presence and density. Volunteers showedconsistency at spotting pikas, for which sitting surveys were sufficient. GNP contains > 400suitable habitat patches and > 300 site surveys revealed a relatively large pika population ofroughly 1800 – 3600 individuals. Higher pika densities were predicted by higher elevations,more forbs and mosses, and surveys conducted later in the season or during mornings andevenings. Observations at eight sites for 288 hours showed that above-talus activity was morefrequent during cooler temperatures and at higher elevations. The biophysical model,NicheMapper, indicated that higher activity at cooler sites may, in part, be driven by greatermetabolic demands, and that lower elevations provide less available time to be active.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Moyer-Horner, Lucas
- Date of Issue
- 2010-08
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- citizen science, Climate Change, mammal studies, Modeling, pika, Wildlife