FIELD RESEARCH
BAPP's field research is asking and answering important questions about the region's pumas, both in their natural state and as they adapt to human encroachment and activity:
· size and distribution of populations
· home ranges and movement patterns
· prey, predation and feeding
· reproduction, early life and dispersal
· interactions with the natural environment
· interactions with humans and the manmade environment
In addition to addressing core questions about the region's puma populations, a novel feature of BAPP's research is its use of custom-engineered GPS/Accelerometer collars. These collars record not just the cats' locations, but also their patterns of activity and behavior measured in three dimensions in real time. Using technology similar to that found on some video game controllers, the team is able to study and evaluate literally the energy of every footstep and movement at a fine grain level of detail. This innovation promises to reveal new insights and understanding about the biology of pumas and their interactions with both natural and manmade surroundings.
THREE FIELD STUDIES
Santa Cruz Study - Underway
The 1st phase of BAPP's field research is currently underway in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Under the direction of Dr. Chris Wilmers of UC Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz field team has captured 26 pumas for monitoring throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. To see photos and names for all the Santa Cruz cats go to the study cat page.
This work in Santa Cruz is especially important due to the fact that the Santa Cruz Mountains are dangerously close to losing all habitat connectivity with the rest of the state and becoming a 'habitat island.' Massive development in Silicon Valley in recent years has brought this region to the brink of ecological isolation, a condition which would undermine the genetic diversity of the species that live there and destroy the health and balance of the environment. BAPP's Santa Cruz puma research provides a key piece in the effort to establish the protection of critical movement corridors that can help preserve the health and biodiversity of this ecosystem.
East Bay Study - Startup Stage
For the 2nd phase of BAPP's field research, Felidae Conservation Fund in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District is spearheading the launch of a study in the East Bay. The East Bay study will examine puma population dynamics at the edges of the region's puma habitats, to gain a clearer understanding of 1) how the East Bay acts as a central connection point among several other major habitat areas, and 2) how pumas interact with one of the most extreme urban-wildland interfaces in the Bay Area at the transition between the East Bay Hills and the cities of Oakland and Berkeley. Currently in its startup stages with camera trapping in progress, this study is expected to begin puma captures in late 2012.
North Bay Study - Planning Stage
The 3rd and final phase of BAPP's field research will examine puma populations in the North Bay, including Marin, Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley and the North Coast. This phase of the research is projected to begin in 2014.
