Muskrat population recovery following habitat re-establishment near southwestern Lake Erie
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Published source details
Kroll R.W. & Meeks R.L. (1985) Muskrat population recovery following habitat re-establishment near southwestern Lake Erie. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 13, 483-486.
Published source details Kroll R.W. & Meeks R.L. (1985) Muskrat population recovery following habitat re-establishment near southwestern Lake Erie. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 13, 483-486.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Restore or create wetlands Action Link |
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Restore or create wetlands
A before-and-after study from the 1960s to 1981 of a marshland alongside Lake Erie, Ohio, USA (Kroll & Meeks 1985) found that marshland restoration was associated with increased numbers of muskrat Ondatra zibethicus. Population trends were not tested statistically. Four to five years after marsh restoration started, the average number of muskrat pelts collected in the annual harvest (3,657–5,583) was higher than four years prior to restoration (376). The number of pelts was similar to that 10 years prior to restoration, before the marshland was degraded by high water levels (3,681 pelts). Muskrat pelt prices did not significantly affect harvest size. Marsh was restored by reconstructing dikes to facilitate water level control. Muskrat harvest figures were obtained from trappers, who traditionally trapped the same areas each year. The harvest was not directly regulated.
(Summarised by: Nick Littlewood)
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