Date of Graduation

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Animal Science

Advisor/Mentor

Apple, Jason

Committee Member/Reader

Rosenkrans, Charles F. Jr.

Committee Member/Second Reader

Willson, John D.

Abstract

Billy Barquedier is a National Park located in the Stann Creek district of Belize that contains Neotropical vegetation and wildlife. This study was performed in order to provide a baseline inventory and appearance frequency patterns of the terrestrial mammals located within Zone 1 of the park near a waterfall. The goal of the data and information collected during this study is to gain a greater understanding of the biodiversity and activity patterns of terrestrial mammals within the park and across Belize as a whole. The use of camera traps, small Sherman live traps, large live traps, and tracking methods were used for this study. A non-random sampling method in which the researcher placed camera traps and live traps on or near human-made or animal-made trails was used in order to identify as many species as possible in the eight-week study period. Bait including the local fruit Mamey Apple (Pouteria sapota) was also used in order to attract wildlife to the study area. The researcher hypothesized at least eight species would be identified during the eight-week study period. The results indicated eleven species were identified, therefore the null hypothesis less than eight species would be identified was rejected and the alternative hypothesis that at least eight species would be identified was accepted. The use of the non- random sampling method introduces bias into the data and consequently, definite conclusions about relative density and abundance of animals in the area cannot be drawn by this study alone. However, several chi-squared tests were run and revealed statistically significant evidence animals appeared more frequently in the central region of the study site, during the first three days the cameras were set out, and during the nighttime hours (2000 to 0459).

Keywords

Neotropical; terrestrial; mammals; inventory; diversity; service learning

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