![]() However, the authors did not consider additions to pitfall trap designs such as extended rim plates or guidance barriers although these have been used in previous studies. A recent meta-analysis by Brown & Matthews (2016) discussed many pitfall trap parameters (diameter, depth, colour, rain covers, preservatives and the use of funnels) and even proposed a standardized trap design. Although the limitations of pitfall traps in respect to trait filtering and reflecting diversity and abundances in a habitat appropriately have been intensively discussed, the method is still the best standardized and comparable approach to study ground dwelling arthropods and due to comparative low handling time allows for sufficient replication ( Driscoll, 2010 Kotze et al., 2011).ĭifferent features of pitfall trap designs have undergone review and research over the last decades in order to improve and standardize trap designs: colour of traps ( Buchholz et al., 2010), the presence and colour of rain covers ( Buchholz & Hannig, 2009 Csázár et al., 2018), sampling intervals ( Schirmel et al., 2010), spatial distribution ( Ward, New & Yen, 2001), different preservatives ( Schmidt et al., 2006 Skvarla, Larson & Dowling, 2014) as well as pitfall trap diameters and the use of funnels ( Csázár et al., 2018 Lange, Gossner & Weisser, 2011). Investigators contemplating the use of drift fences and traps in any context should read both accounts.Proposed nearly a century ago, pitfall traps remain one of the most commonly applied sampling methods in ecological field studies and are widely used for the assessment of ground dwelling arthropod taxa which are of high importance in modern ecosystem functioning research ( Brown & Matthews, 2016). Some materials and procedures are common to both techniques. Use of drift fences and traps to monitory amphibian activity at breeding ponds is discussed in the section "Drift Fences Encircling Breeding Sits", below (technique 9). In this section, I discuss the use of this technique to obtain data on amphibians away from breeding ponds. Drift fence arrays or pitfall grids can be left in place for long-term monitoring. Population density can be estimated with this latter technique if used in conjunction with mark-recapture techniques (see Chapter 8). Pitfall traps arrayed in a grid without fences can also be used to study the population ecology and habitat use of selected species. They also can yield data on relative abundances and habitat use of selected species. Drift fences with pitfall traps can be used to determine species richness at a site and to detect the presence of rare species. ![]() 1988) used these techniques to sample amphibians. For example, 9 of 17 field studies reported for management of terrestrial vertebrates (Sarzo et al. ![]() Traps (described below) can be pitfalls, funnel traps, or a combination of the two.ĭrift fences with pitfall or funnel traps and pitfall traps without fences are used commonly to inventory and monitor populations of amphibians and reptiles. Straight-line drift fences typically are short barriers (5-15 m) that direct animals traveling on the substrate surface into traps places at the ends of or beside the barriers. ![]()
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