Methods
In order to make this project successful, the team of six APBI 260 students will need to assess the current state of the blueberry field at the UBC Farm. This assessment will require a map of the blueberry field stating what types of mulches are located in what rows, as well as the fertilizers used within each row. The visible rodent infested areas will be recorded on the map; this may require the students to pull up and replace the plastic mulch currently used in the rows.
Because the group may be restricted to available live traps for catching rodents, the traps will be randomly placed within three rows of each block for each trial set. The traps must be rotated through each of the row blocks, using a random sampling method, at least once in order to analyze the recorded data. Because no harm to the rodents is necessary, once the rodents are caught they will be placed in a bucket, photographed and then released into the Pacific Spirit Park. The rodents must not be in the traps for more than 24 hours, therefore once the traps are in place two team members will be checking the traps and replacing them into the next block within 24 hours. Taking photographs will allow the group to compare to a list of possible rodents at the UBC Farm so they can be identified. Each rodent will be identified as to where it was found and in what mulch and fertilized area of the blueberry row and at what tree in that specific row. After each block of the blueberry field has been sampled for rodents, the team will analyze the data to confirm whether or not specific types of mulches tend to attract rodents, and specifically what types of rodents.
Equipment Required:
– Rodent Traps (live traps)
– Wooden Planks (to cover the rodent traps)
– Blueberry Field Map
– Hammer (to pound plastic mulch steak back into ground)
– Writing Utensils for labeling
– Bucket(s)
– Grains and bedding
– Pamphlet outlining local mouse, rat vole, and shrew species