Mammal inventory of Alaska's National Parks and Preserves, Kenai Fjords National Park. Annual report 2003
Cook JA and MacDonald SO. 2003. Mammal inventory of Alaska's National Parks and Preserves, Kenai Fjords National Park. Annual report 2003. National Park Service
This report details the inventory of mammals in Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) between 7 and 28 July 2003 as part of a cooperative effort of the Beringian Coevolution Project at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico and the Inventory and Monitoring Program of the National Park Service of Alaska. We begin the process of documenting the approximately 26 species of land mammals that occur or probably occur in the park, with a primary focus on small mammals (i.e., shrews, bats, voles, lemmings, weasels, porcupine, squirrels, and hare). This survey resulted in 748 primary specimens of four small mammal species. Across all localities sampled, cinereus shrew (Sorex cinereus) and northern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys rutilus) were the most frequently captured species, comprising over 88% of all animals sampled. This inventory provided the first specimens of cinereus shrew, montane shrew (Sorex monticolus), northern red-backed vole, and tundra vole (Microtus oeconomus) from KEFJ. Further sampling effort is still needed to add pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi), singing vole (Microtus miurus), northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), hoary marmot (Marmota caligata), red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), ermine (Mustela erminea), and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) to the park¿s list of specimen-documented species. The findings from this study, when combined with specimen information gathered from a review of holdings in other major collections, bring the total number of documented small mammal species in KEFJ to 4 of 14 potential species, or 29% coverage. The specific products of this inventory begin building a collection of well-prepared, well-documented, and diverse preparations of mammal specimens and associated materials (tissues, parasites, fecal samples, digestive tracts) for taxonomic, zoogeographic, ecological, genetic, parasitological, epidemiological, and other research and management purposes.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Cook, Joseph; MacDonald, Stephen
- Date of Issue
- 2003-01
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KEFJ , SWAN
- Keywords
- Alaska, Inventory, KEFJ, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai Peninsula, Mammals, Museum Specimens, Small Mammals, Southwest Alaska Network, SWAN