Increasingly, humans are impacting areas where wild and endangered species live and are protected. However, we know very little about how organisms respond to multiple stressors, or the cumulative effects of stress. At present, the most effective means of measuring stress on many wild animals, especially endangered birds, are hormone levels, especially those associated with stress or physiological state, in fecal samples, which provide a ready means of assessing stress in species. However, the validity of this technique still needs to be verified for many species and for many hormones. This project will conduct experiments needed to establish the validity of the fecal hormone measures used to quantify these pressures in Northern Spotted Owls, their response to stress, which could be psychological, nutritional, and/or reproductive stress. With present methods for extracting hormones, small fecal samples appear to have higher hormone concentrations than larger samples. This is likely due to a higher extraction efficiency for these small samples. This study will develop methods for hormone extraction for all fecal hormones that will be equally efficient, independent of sample size and validate the fecal thyroid hormone measure for use in northern spotted owls, as well as other species.
This study will be among the first of its kind to use non-invasive hormone measures to examine impacts facing wildlife, and will address a major technical problem that will have impacts for all studies on wild animals where fecal hormones are used. This project includes extensive outreach, and training of interns of diverse backgrounds in research methods and federal policy. The project provides post-doctoral training for one woman and half time graduate student support. This work is important for the protection and habitat management for the Northern Spotted Owl, a federally protected species. The study will also engage the local off-highway vehicle clubs, and enlist them directly in the project as collaborators, increasing their understanding of, and likely compliance with, mitigation efforts. This study effectively involves cooperation of researchers, wildlife managers, and affected user groups.
