| Summary: | Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2001 I studied marten (Martes americana) abundance and ecology in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve during 1991-1993. Using a multiple sample, mark-recapture estimator, I estimated marten densities to be 0.69, 0.41, and 0.45 martens/km² during each August for 1991-1993, respectively. Density estimates were derived with the boundary-strip method to address the edge effect inherent in live-trapping studies. During the study, marten density declined 43% between 1991 and 1992 and remained low during 1993. I hypothesize that a decline in primary prey (i.e., microtine rodents) and increased environmental stress (i.e., cold temperatures and snow cover) contributed significantly to the decline in marten abundance. Using carcassess provided by trappers, I documented that female martens had lower ovulation rates and overall fecundity during winter 1991-1992, and as a result of low recruitment during summer 1992, the number of martens harvested by trappers decreased 85% during the 1992-93 trapping season.
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