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Habitat Preferences |
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North American river otters prefer riparian or woody habitats surrounding rivers. These areas provide important habitat, movement corridors, and resources for wildlife. In South Dakota, these habitats are degraded and fragmented by human development. This leads to changes in vegetative cover, increased erosion and run off, negatively affected fish populations, and poor water quality. As otters are semi-aquatic, their exposure to water and land contaminants makes them exceptionally sensitive to environmental changes.
Corridors or passageways are essential for connecting patches of habitat, this is important in fragmented landscapes. For a species to fully recover barriers impeding connectivity need to be addressed. Understanding the habitat preferences of otters and the connectivity of those habitats will help inform overall health of riparian areas and inform otter recovery and management decisions. |
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Population Status |
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River otters were once listed as a state endangered species because of habitat loss and overharvest. Following a concern for their status - South Dakota Game Fish and Parks began recording otter sightings as early as 1979. In the 1990s the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe reintroduced a population of otters in South Dakota and they have since continued to recover across the state. As a result of these successful recovery efforts river otters were removed from the state endangered species list in 2020.
If you'd like more information on SD GFP's management, please visit their website!
If you'd like more information on SD GFP's management, please visit their website!
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Project Description |
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I will be assessing the impacts of streambank land use, land management practices, habitat structure, and water quality on river otter habitat quality. To do this I am using trail cameras to non-invasively monitor otters across South Dakota.
Understanding their population after being delisted from the endangered species list is crucial for maintaining sustainable populations. My project will fill in the gaps of presently missing data on otter distribution, as well as identify potential barriers to habitat connectivity. River otters use of riparian areas can provide information on overall health of waters and riparian habitats. This project will better inform river otter conservation and management as well as provide information on riparian habitat health. |