Assessing global patterns in mammalian carnivore occupancy and richness by integrating local camera trap surveys

• Published in: Global Ecology and Biogeography
• Main Authors: Rich, Lindsey N., Davis, Courtney L., Farris, Zach J., Miller, David A. W., Tucker, Jody M., Hamel, Sandra, Farhadinia, Mohammad S., Steenweg, Robin, Di Bitetti, Mario Santiago, Thapa, Kanchan, Kane, Mamadou D., Sunarto, S., Robinson, Nathaniel P., Paviolo, Agustin Javier, Cruz, María Paula, Martins, Quinton, Gholikhani, Navid, Taktehrani, Ateih, Whittington, Jesse, Widodo, Febri A., Yoccoz, Nigel G., Wultsch, Claudia, Harmsen, Bart J., Kelly, Marcella J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
• Subjects: BIG DATA ANALYSIS; CAMERA TRAPS; CARNIVORE; GLOBAL; HIERARCHICAL BAYESIAN MODELS; MULTI-SPECIES MODELING; SPECIES RICHNESS; SPECIES OCCURRENCE; Otras Ciencias Biológicas; Ciencias Biológicas; CIENCIAS NATURALES Y EXACTAS; Arctic; Argentina; Canada; Kane; Misiones; Nordeste; Noruega; Norway; Quinton
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/47825

Aim:Biodiversity loss is a major driver of ecosystem change, yet the ecological data required to detect and mitigate losses are often lacking. Recently, camera trap surveys have been suggested as a method for sampling local wildlife communities, because these observations can be collated into a global monitoring network. To demonstrate the potential of camera traps for globalmonitoring, we assembled data from multiple local camera trap surveys to evaluate the interchange between fine- and broad-scale processes impacting mammalian carnivore communities.Location: Argentina, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Indonesia, Iran, Madagascar, Nepal, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, and the U.S.A.Methods:We gathered camera trap data, totalling>100,000 trap nights, from across five continents. To analyse local and species-specific responses to anthropogenic and environmental variables, we fitted multispecies occurrence models to each study area. To analyse global-level responses, we then fitted a multispecies, multi-area occurrence model.Results:We recorded 4,805 detections of 96 mammalian carnivore species photographed across 1,714 camera stations located in 12 countries. At the global level, our models revealed that carnivore richness and occupancy within study areas was positively associated with prey availability.Occupancy within study areas also tended to increase with greater protection and greater distances to roads. The strength of these relationships, however, differed among countries.Main conclusions:We developed a research framework for leveraging global camera trap data to evaluate patterns of mammalian carnivore occurrence and richness across multiple spatial scales.Our research highlights the importance of intact prey populations and protected areas in conserving carnivore communities. Our research also highlights the potential of camera traps for monitoring wildlife communities and provides a case study for how this can be achieved on a global scale. We encourage greater integration and standardization among camera trap studies worldwide, which would help inform effective conservation planning for wildlife populations bothlocally and globally. Fil: Rich, Lindsey N. Virginia Tech University; Estados Unidos Fil: Davis, Courtney L. University of Pennsylvania; Estados Unidos Fil: Farris, Zach J. Virginia Tech University; Estados Unidos Fil: Miller, David A. W. University of Pennsylvania; Estados Unidos Fil: Tucker, Jody M. U. S. Forest Service; Estados Unidos Fil: Hamel, Sandra. The Arctic University of NorwayTromsø; Noruega Fil: Farhadinia, Mohammad S. Iranian Cheetah Society; Irán. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Steenweg, Robin. State University of Montana; Estados Unidos Fil: Di Bitetti, Mario Santiago. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Sede Puerto Iguazu; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Thapa, Kanchan. Virginia Tech University; Estados Unidos Fil: Kane, Mamadou D. Senegalese National Parks; Senegal Fil: Sunarto, S. World Wildlife Fund; Indonesia Fil: Robinson, Nathaniel P. University of Montana; Estados Unidos Fil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Sede Puerto Iguazu; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Cruz, María Paula. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Sede Puerto Iguazu; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Martins, Quinton. The Cape Leopard Trust; Sudáfrica Fil: Gholikhani, Navid. Iranian Cheetah Society; Irán Fil: Taktehrani, Ateih. Iranian Cheetah Society; Irán Fil: Whittington, Jesse. Banff National Parks; Canadá Fil: Widodo, Febri A. World Wildlife Fund; Indonesia Fil: Yoccoz, Nigel G. The Arctic University of NorwayTromsø; Noruega Fil: Wultsch, Claudia. Virginia Tech University; Estados Unidos Fil: Harmsen, Bart J. University of Belize; Belice Fil: Kelly, Marcella J. Virginia Tech University; Estados Unidos