A Comparison of Survey Techniques for Medium- to Large-Sized Mammals in Forested Wetlands

Rockhill, Aimee P.; Sollman, R.; Powell, Roger A.; DePerno, Christopher S.

doi:10.1656/058.015.0112

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The joint use of all four methods also yielded the maximum richness in each locality. These results support the hypothesis that single methods seldom provide a complete description of mammal assemblages, which is partly due to method’s species-specificity [ 62 , 63 ] and partly the consequence of a biased detection towards the most conspicuous or abundant species [ 53 , 55 ]. Nevertheless, there are still numerous examples of large-scale mammal surveys that use a single detection method for characterising mammal communities without explicitly testing its efficiency and consistency [ 64 , 65 , 66 ], thus overlooking the risk of underestimating community indices.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Estimates of Species Richness and Composition Depend on Detection Method in Assemblages of Terrestrial Mammals

Suárez-Tangil

Rodrı́guez

2021

Animals

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Detecting rapid changes in mammal composition at large spatial scales requires efficient detection methods. Many studies estimate species composition with a single survey method without asking whether that particular method optimises detection for all occurring species and yields reliable community-level indices. We explore the implications of between-method differences in efficiency, consistency, and sampling effort for the basic characterisation of assemblages of medium to large mammals in a region with three contrasted Mediterranean landscapes. We assessed differences between camera traps, scent stations, scat surveys, and track surveys. Using track surveys, we detected all species present in the regional pool (13) and obtained the most accurate description of local species richness and composition with the lowest sampling effort (16 sampling units and 2 survey sessions at most). Had we chosen camera traps, scent stations, or scat surveys as the only survey method, we would have underestimated species richness (9, 11, and 12 species, respectively) and misrepresented species composition in varying degrees. Preliminary studies of method performance inform whether single or multiple survey methods are needed and eventually which single method might be most appropriate. Without such a formal assessment current practices may produce unreliable and incomplete species inventories, ultimately leading to incorrect conclusions about the impact of human activity on mammal communities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Estimates of Species Richness and Composition Depend on Detection Method in Assemblages of Terrestrial Mammals

Suárez-Tangil

Rodrı́guez

2021

Animals

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“…they require manual resetting after each capture, while camera traps are ‘multi-catch’ traps (e.g. [15,49,50]). Live traps also require an animal to be attracted by a bait or lure, interact with a foreign object in the environment (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, live-trapping methods are typically optimized for a relatively narrow set of species (e.g. [50,51]). A major benefit of live-trapping, however, is that animals are physically caught, meaning that samples can be taken from animals, they can be marked for the purposes of studying population dynamics and they can be GPS- or radio-tagged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snap happy: camera traps are an effective sampling tool when compared with alternative methods

2019

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Camera traps have become a ubiquitous tool in ecology and conservation. They are routinely deployed in wildlife survey and monitoring work, and are being advocated as a tool for planetary-scale biodiversity monitoring. The camera trap's widespread adoption is predicated on the assumption of its effectiveness, but the evidence base for this is lacking. Using 104 past studies, we recorded the qualitative overall recommendations made by study authors (for or against camera traps, or ambiguous), together with quantitative data on the effectiveness of camera traps (e.g. number of species detected or detection probabilities) relative to 22 other methods. Most studies recommended the use of camera traps overall and they were 39% more effective based on the quantitative data. They were significantly more effective compared with live traps (88%) and were otherwise comparable in effectiveness to other methods. Camera traps were significantly more effective than other methods at detecting a large number of species (31% more) and for generating detections of species (91% more). This makes camera traps particularly suitable for broad-spectrum biodiversity surveys. Film camera traps were found to be far less effective than digital models, which has led to an increase in camera trap effectiveness over time. There was also evidence from the authors that the use of attractants with camera traps reduced their effectiveness (counter to their intended effect), while the quantitative data indicated that camera traps were more effective in closed than open habitats. Camera traps are a highly effective wildlife survey tool and their performance will only improve with future technological advances. The images they produce also have a range of other benefits, for example as digital voucher specimens and as visual aids for outreach. The evidence-base supports the increasing use of camera traps and underlines their suitability for meeting the challenges of global-scale biodiversity monitoring.

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Presence of trailers reduces culvert‐style trap success in American black bears (Ursus americanus)

Paton,

Frame,

Nielsen

et al. 2024

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Live capture is an important tool for wildlife research, conservation, and management as it allows for insight into movement, behavior, demographics, diet, and health of wildlife populations. Live capture is also used for conservation translocations or to remove animals from human‐wildlife conflict situations. Improving trapping efficiency is beneficial for ethical considerations of wildlife handling, human safety, and the best use of limited resources. American black bears (Ursus americanus) are often captured using traps. Culvert‐ and box‐style traps are frequently transported using a trailer, and some are affixed to trailers, elevating the trap from the ground. Traps can be set on the ground or on trailers to reduce the set‐up and take‐down times. Although trap elements such as length, height, and visibility can influence trapping efficiency, it is unknown whether trailer presence influences capture success. We assessed the influence of single‐axle trailer presence on capture success of trapping black bears in northeastern Alberta, Canada, during spring 2022 and 2023. We compared capture success between the 2 methods and the influence of trailer presence on age and sex class. Sixty traps were set for a total of 472 trap‐nights resulting in 133 captures of 80 individual bears. Traps set with trailers present required, on average, 1.6 times more trap‐nights per capture (4.9) than those set without trailers (3.1). When only considering new captures, traps with trailers present required 1.9 times more trap‐nights to capture a bear, at 8.5 trap‐nights/capture for traps on trailers and 4.5 trap‐nights/capture when trailers were absent. Trailer presence reduced the success of overall and initial bear captures but did not influence recapture success or the proportion of captured bear age and sex classes. We conclude that wildlife researchers and managers should consider improving trap efficiency of black bears by removing traps from trailers.

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A Comparison of Survey Techniques for Medium- to Large-Sized Mammals in Forested Wetlands

Cited by 6 publications

References 60 publications

Estimates of Species Richness and Composition Depend on Detection Method in Assemblages of Terrestrial Mammals

Estimates of Species Richness and Composition Depend on Detection Method in Assemblages of Terrestrial Mammals

Snap happy: camera traps are an effective sampling tool when compared with alternative methods

Presence of trailers reduces culvert‐style trap success in American black bears (Ursus americanus)

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