Small Mammal and Hare Surveys
Monitoring the heartbeat of northern ecosystems...
Small mammals and hares play a keystone role in both arctic and boreal ecosystems. They are a major prey species for many northern carnivores.
Cyclic fluctuations in the abundance of small mammals and hares is shown are repeated fluctuations in the abundance of their predators. The Small Mammal and Hare Surveys in the Northwest Territories are designed to monitor changes in voles, mice, lemmings, shrews and hares in many sites across all ecozones in the Northwest Territories using standard protocols.
Click here for the Small Mammal and Hare Survey Graphs.
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Partnerships
Renewable Resource Officers, wildlife co-management boards, government biologists, casual employees, academic researchers, and environmental consultants have performed data collection since the beginning of the survey in the late 1980s. At some sites, students assisted in data collection as part of research camps or school field courses. The surveys are successful because of the following agencies:
Government of Nunavut
Government of the Northwest Territories
Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board
Sahtu Renewable Resources Board
Université Laval
University of British Columbia
International Polar Year 2007-08
The Small Mammal Survey in the Northwest Territories is part of a full proposal under IPY called Arctic Wildlife Observatories Linking Vulnerable EcoSystems.
Hantavirus Testing
Each year, some survey specimens are sent for hantavirus testing. This infection is transmissible from mice to humans by simple inhalation of dried excrement and can cause serious illness. Testing was initiated in 1994. In 1998, cases of hantavirus were reported as far north as near Fort McMurray, Alberta. To date, there is no evidence that hantavirus is present in NWT. For more information, contact: Dr. Brett Elkin, Wildlife Veterinarian.
Species Identification and Distribution Project
The distribution of some species of small mammals in the NWT is not clear. In addition, some species are hard to identify in the field - see the GNWT identification booklet. The surveys help map species distribution by keeping track of species identified at each survey location. All location coordinators are strongly encouraged to send specimens to a recognized museum and to send new information on species identification back to the survey coordinator. The recommended long-term repository for small mammal specimens from the NWT is the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
Survey Locations - Descriptions
Click on any survey location in either the NWT or Nunavut map for a summary description of survey duration, habitats, lists of coordinators, latitude and longitude, method modifications, citing instructions, and other information.
Survey Results
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The Small Mammal and Hare Surveys in the Northwest Territories are part of a network of surveys done across Canada to monitor these important species.
Make a Graph here for the Northwest Territories and for other jurisdictions in Canada. Survey results from the NWT are presented in graphs, displayed per location, or grouped by ecozone or by jurisdiction.
Information and data from the NWT Small Mammal and Hare Surveys have been used in many studies. Please follow citation instructions for each location if you are using these results in your work. Raw data are also available upon request: see contact information for each location.
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Survey Coordinator
We always welcome new location coordinators. If you wish to participate, perform the survey in a new location, or find more information on the survey, please contact:
Dr Suzanne Carrière
Ecosystem Management Biologist
Wildlife Division
Environment and Natural Resources
Government of the Northwest Territories
Survey Library - Selected readings
Banfield, A. W. F. 1981. The mammals of Canada. Unv. of Toronto Press. Toronto.
Boonstra, R., Krebs, C.J., and Stenseth, N.C. 1998. Populations cycles in small mammals: the problem of explaining the low phase Ecology. 79:1479-1488.
Finerty, J. P. 1980. The population ecology of cycles in small mammals. Yale University, New Haven.
Krebs, C. J. 1996. Population cycles revisited. J. of Mamm. 77: 8-24.
Shank, C.C. 1997. The Northwest Territories Small Mammal Survey: 1990-1996. Manuscript report 107. Gov. of the NWT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife Division,
Yellowknife, NT.
Tungilik, J. and Shank, C.C. 1994. The Northwest Territories Small Mammal Survey, Interim report for 1994. Gov. of the NWT, Department of Renewable Resources, wildlife Management Division, Yellowknife, NT.