From:	Cathryn Hoyt
Posted On:	Thursday, November 5, 2009, 11:14 am
Subject:	Survey protocols for arboreal species
Discussion:	Does anyone have a survey/monitoring protocol for butterflies that use oak trees as their larval food source? I have seen the Poling's Hairstreaks nectaring at flowers, but I suspect that an accurate population count will need to include the butterflies perching and ovipositing high in the trees. Any thoughts/references/or copies of protocols would be greatly appreciated!

Comments:

From:	Nathan Brockman
Posted On:	Friday, November 6, 2009, 1:18 pm
Comment:	The two methods I would suggest looking into would be mark-recapture or a transect route of some kind. As far as I know polingi is not a listed species so mark-recapture is a reasonable option. A listed species would require permits in advance to conduct this type of study due to the stalk and capture nature of this method. Mark-recapture or one of the many variations of this method can be time consuming. This method also require an understanding of the proper handling and marking of a butterfly. Mark-recapture is however a very good method for estimating populations size or individual movement. Due to the work done by E. Pollard and T.J. Yates in the UK, transect routes are often referred to as Pollard Walks. At its core, the Pollard Walk is a predetermined route run several times during the flight season with recorded start and stop times. The Walks also have a variety of other parameters set on the observer as to how fast they walk, the radius they are allowed to count individuals in, and the times of day they are allowed to run a survey. Pollard walks can give a good relative abundance number and quantifiable data for change over time if set up properly. It is important when setting up your Pollard Walk that it covers all the major habitat areas where the butterfly might be observed or you might miss the butterfly all together. Doug, Jaret, Mitch, Peter, and I have all set up and conducted Pollard walks. (Sorry if I left someone off the list that has done Pollard Walks in the past I just know the 5 listed have done it for sure) If you decide to go with this method I bet one of the individuals mentioned above or another member of the group that has done Pollard walks in the past would help you with the guideline portion. Actually, if you want a good book on the topic try “Monitoring Butterflies for Ecology and Conservation”, ISBN 0 412 40220 3. I suppose there is also the “checklist method”. Short explanation, go out in the field and see what you can find, mark the number down. This method can be hard to quantify over time. No mater which method you choose most of your observations will probably take place when polingi leaves the safety of the Oak trees. There maybe other methods which you could try but these are the ones that seem viable for this species. The following paragraph is for entertainment purposes only If you are worried about missing the individuals hiding in the canopy, “Invertebrate Surveys for Conservation” by T.R. New published in 1998, still list chemical knockdown as a method. Fortunately, shotguns loaded with small gauge shot are not longer listed.