Issue 4.5 is online today. This issue includes articles on species distribution models, connectivity, ecometabolomics, demography, image analysis and metabolites. There is also a freely available application paper entitled “RobOff: software for analysis of alternative land-use options and
conservation actions“.
About the cover: This image shows a female chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. During floods, animals often have to cross inundated areas to reach small islands with high-valued food items, such as fig fruits. While some animals enjoy the fresh water, most are stressed by the possibility of encountering crocodiles. To assess how wildlife is affected by such events, metabolites of glucocorticoids (stress hormones) and other hormones can be extracted and measured from faeces. Although a powerful and non-invasive method to answer questions regarding endocrinological processes in free-ranging animals, the long-term storage of hormone samples at remote field sites is of concern. The article linked to the picture, “Long-term storage effects in steroid metabolite extracts from baboon (Papio sp.) faeces – a comparison of three commonly applied storage methods“, assesses variation in hormones extracted from baboon faeces and stored under different conditions for a period of one year. The results underscore the strengths and weaknesses of different storage methods that can be performed at remote field stations.
Image credited to: Urs Kalbitzer.
To keep up to date with Methods newest content, have a look at our Accepted Articles and Early View articles, which will be included in forthcoming issues.
Methods Blog 