主要研究 今天

黄鼠狼家族的一员，渔鼠(Pekania pennanti)只生活在北美，是 它的皮毛很有价值. A combination of habitat loss and over trapping led to the near extinction of the fisher (sometimes referred to as a fisher cat) in the early 1900s. And while trapping limits (two per season in the Granite State) and reintroduction programs have helped bolster their numbers since then, 费舍尔的人群 在新罕布什尔州 在过去的二十年里，整个东北部都在稳步下降. 现在，多亏了一美元.200万美元的拨款 U.S. 鱼类及野生动物管理局 和 N.H. 渔猎署主要研究的研究人员说 生命科学与农业学院 将研究导致新英格兰北部渔民灭绝的原因, 并最终更好地了解健康 花岗岩州的渔民.

Rem摩尔, 自然资源与环境学助理教授, 共同领导这项研究吗, which he says will be unique to Northern New England and complement recent efforts in New York and Connecticut. 本研究的另一个新颖组成部分是与 大卫针, 分子细胞临床副教授, 生物医学科学和兽医病理学家 新罕布什尔州兽医诊断实验室 (NHVDL)，以评估和确定渔民死亡率.

“二十年前, 渔人诱捕成功率高, 但从那以后，它开始下降，并趋于平稳,莫尔解释道。. “其中的原因有很多疑问, so this new study will focus on survival and mortality rates and try to answer what fishers in Northern New England are dying from.”

影响渔民数量的因素

除了潜在的诱捕效应, 有几种理论可以解释为什么渔民数量在减少, like the rise of the state’s bobcat populations as bobcats will target and kill female fishers where their territories overlap, 摩尔补充说. Another troubling finding has been the presence of rodenticides in New England fishers tested at the NHVDL.

“我们实验室最近的检测发现了高浓度的灭鼠剂, 一种用于控制啮齿动物的特定杀虫剂, 以及 犬瘟热病毒, in New England fishers and we’ll be looking for data on that 以及 other diseases, 用组织病理学, 聚合酶链反应, 下一代测序, 以及寻找个人和人群健康趋势的其他测试,大卫·缝衣针说, NHVDL病理科主任，COLSA临床副教授.

Researchers say there a number of factors that could be causing rodenticide poisoning in fishers. 野生动物摄像机 show that 费舍尔的人群 appear to coexist with humans near developed areas in southeastern NH. That increases the possibility that rodenticides could play a role in fisher mortality because of its common use, 尤其是在冬季关闭避暑别墅的时候. Rodents who are exposed to the pesticide can be prey for the fishers and may in turn cause them harm as well.

保护的意义

Moll adds that fisher serve as an indicator species for the health of our Northeast forests, 在渔民中发现的问题可能预示着更广泛的问题.

“Fishers are an important part of the forest ecosystem and tell us a lot about the dynamics of the carnivore community,他说. “They help control rodent populations and are also one of the few predators that can successfully hunt porcupines, and that might have benefits for forest health by minimizing bark and tree damage caused by porcupines.”

同时还使用了在该州森林里设置的野生动物摄像机, the researchers for this study will track the fisher population by outfitting them with GPS collars to better track and monitor survival and field mortalities. The collars will also include transmitters with mortality sensors for field recovery. 针将分析病理结果, 还有一套寻找毒素的分子测试, 血源性病原体, 细菌, 病毒, 寄生虫, 以及其他可以识别组织疾病的数据.

“通过确定死亡原因, 我们可以增加一套评估该地区渔民数量的工具,莫尔补充道. “最终, we want to provide the best possible science so that these fishers can be managed and conserved effectively.”