The effect of habitat and human disturbance on the spatiotemporal activity of two urban carnivores: The results of an intensive camera trap study

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(3)

Published: March 1, 2022

Abstract With rising urbanization, the presence of urban wildlife is becoming more common, increasing need for wildlife‐friendly spaces in planning. Despite this, understanding limited to how exploits environments and interacts with human populations, this vital our ability manage conserve habitats. Here, we investigate two mammal species, red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) European badger Meles meles ), exploit environments. Using intensive camera trap surveys, assessed habitat disturbance influenced spatiotemporal activity these species across south‐west London. Firstly, found elevated levels both at boundaries within built‐up areas, suggesting movement paths follow anthropogenic features. However, badgers were most active woodland, indicating importance high cover habitats suitable setts foraging. Secondly, negatively affected by activity, whilst foxes unaffected. Further investigation suggested may adapt their patterns avoid disturbance, less plastic. Whilst results study are useful conservation management also show potential factors which either facilitate or limit from fully exploiting

Language: Английский

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Human vs. machine: Detecting wildlife in camera trap images

Ecological Informatics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 72, P. 101876 - 101876

Published: Oct. 27, 2022

As the capacity to collect and store large amounts of data expands, identifying evaluating strategies efficiently convert raw into meaningful information is increasingly necessary. Across disciplines, this processing task has become a significant challenge, delaying progress actionable insights. In ecology, growing use camera traps (i.e., remotely triggered cameras) on wildlife led an enormous volume images) in need review annotation. To expedite trap image processing, many have turned field artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning models automate tasks such as detecting classifying images. contribute understanding utility AI tools for images, we evaluated performance state-of-the-art computer vision model developed by Microsoft Earth named MegaDetector using from ongoing study Arctic Alaska, USA. Compared labels determined manual human review, found reliably presence or absence images generated motion detection settings (≥94.6% accuracy), however, was substantially poorer collected with time-lapse (≤61.6% accuracy). By examining where failed detect wildlife, gained practical insights animal size distance limits discuss how those may impact other systems. We anticipate our findings will stimulate critical thinking about tradeoffs automated process help inform effective implementation designs.

Language: Английский

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Spatiotemporal Patterns of Wolves, and Sympatric Predators and Prey Relative to Human Disturbance in Northwestern Greece

Diversity, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 15(2), P. 184 - 184

Published: Jan. 28, 2023

In an era of increasing human pressure on nature, understanding the spatiotemporal patterns wildlife relative to disturbance can inform conservation efforts, especially for large carnivores. We examined temporal activity and spatial wolves eight sympatric mammals at 71 camera trap stations in Greece. Grey temporally overlapped most with wild boars (Δ = 0.84) medium-sized > 0.75), moderately brown bears 0.70), least roe deer 0.46). All were mainly nocturnal exhibited low overlap (humans, vehicles, livestock, dogs; Δ 0.18–0.36), apart from deer, which more diurnal 0.80). Six out nine species increased their nocturnality sites high disturbance, particularly wolves. The detection was negatively associated paved roads, dogs. bears, boars, foxes closer settlements. Our study has applied implications wolf human–wildlife coexistence.

Language: Английский

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Sampling understory birds in different habitat types using point counts and camera traps

Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 119, P. 106863 - 106863

Published: Aug. 28, 2020

Point counts are widely used to assess bird diversity. However, this method has some limitations and can be affected by observer bias. For reason, it is commonly complemented with other methods (e.g., mist-nets, sound recordings). Surprisingly, camera traps rarely on birds, despite being a common approach for wildlife monitoring. This many advantages: minimum interference, little demanding in the field, cost-effective, operated over large areas long periods. We contrasted results of point along 450-km transect, comprising four habitat types (old- second-growth native forests, logged abandoned forestry plantations). detected 21 understory species using (effectiveness 91.3%) 18 78.3%). From those, we 16 both methods. Species richness estimations across habitats were variable when counts, but found similar traps. performed better large-bodied conspicuous species, less biased towards body size conspicuousness than cases. Camera useful diversity, providing counts. Furthermore, obtain if use simultaneously.

Language: Английский

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Habitat disturbance can alter forest understory bird activity patterns: A regional-scale assessment with camera-traps

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 479, P. 118618 - 118618

Published: Sept. 22, 2020

Language: Английский

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Estimating animal size or distance in camera trap images: Photogrammetry using the pinhole camera model

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13(8), P. 1707 - 1718

Published: May 4, 2022

Abstract As camera trapping has become a standard practice in wildlife ecology, developing techniques to extract additional information from images will increase the utility of generated data. Despite rapid advancements practices, methods for estimating animal size or distance using captured have not been standardized. Deriving sizes directly creates opportunities collect metrics such as growth rates changes body condition. Distances animals may be used quantify important aspects sampling design effective area sampled distribution camera's field‐of‐view. We present method pixel measurements an image estimate conceptual model photogrammetry known ‘pinhole model’. evaluated performance this approach both stationary three‐dimensional targets and field setting live captive reindeer Rangifer tarandus ranging camera. found total mean relative error estimated distances cameras our simulation was −3.0% 3.3% −8.6% 10.5%, respectively. In simulation, estimates were statistically different between settings within models, models measured dimension calculations. provide recommendations applying pinhole context. Our produced robust single while remaining easy implement generalizable trap installations, thus enhancing its variety applications expanding use novel ways.

Language: Английский

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A novel efficient wildlife detecting method with lightweight deployment on UAVs based on YOLOv7

IET Image Processing, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 18(5), P. 1296 - 1314

Published: Jan. 8, 2024

Abstract Efficient animal detection is essential for biodiversity protection. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely used because of their low costs and minimal environmental intrusion. However, using UAVs practical poses two challenges: (a) the UAV's fly highly to avoid disturbing animals, resulting in small object problems; (b) limited processing power makes large state‐of‐the‐art (SOTA) methods (e.g., You Only Look Once V7, YOLOv7) difficult deploy. This work proposes WILD‐YOLO based on YOLOv7 deal with problems. To detect objects, improves upon by adding a head part. enable real‐time field environments UAVs, lighten FasterNet GhostNet significantly reduce model size. Compared YOLOv7, reduces number parameters, making it suitable lightweight deployment UAVs. Additionally, comparisons other models such as YOLOv7‐tiny, YOLOv5‐s, YOLOv4‐s MobilenetV2 datasets are conducted. The experimental results demonstrate that this proposed method outperforms approaches has great potential effective wildlife complex encountered

Language: Английский

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Limited spatiotemporal niche partitioning among mesocarnivores in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Competition drives community composition and structure in many ecosystems. Spatial temporal niche partitioning, which competing species divide the environment space or time, are mechanisms that may allow for coexistence among ecologically similar species. Such division of resources be especially important carnivores African savannas, support diverse carnivore assemblages. We used camera traps to explore patterns spatial partitioning four mesocarnivore Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park: large-spotted genet (

Language: Английский

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Monitoring wildlife abundance through track surveys: A capture-mark-recapture inspired approach to assess track detection by certified trackers in the Kalahari, Botswana

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 51, P. e02924 - e02924

Published: March 29, 2024

The surveying of animal tracks is a cost-effective wildlife monitoring technique in conservation, provided the substrate suitable for to imprint and observers are skilled enough detect identify them. However, as with every method quantifying population abundance, it can be biased if track detectability not accounted for. Track has two components: probability p1ˆ an movement path intersect sampling unit at least once p2ˆ detection. Here, we measured p2ˆ, often overlooked, tested what extent affected by conditions, applying capture-mark-recapture approach driven survey 12 species Kalahari, Botswana. We also characterized quantified disagreements between pairs on identification ageing tracks. Except fresh (≤24 old) being slightly more detectable (p2ˆ= 0.77 vs 0.61) reliably identified (probability agreement = 0.92 0.87) than older tracks, demonstrated that high most importantly largely constant across conditions highly observer pairs. Species mismatches were rare (8% tracks) limited specific couples close species, materializing into confusion rather directional bias. Where derivation abundance from counts (e.g. Formozov–Malyshev–Pereleshin formula), our results relative validate use surveys Kalahari. Our conclusion potentially applicable large range environments globe, especially where skills present among local communities, conservation benefit both people, fostering their coexistence.

Language: Английский

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Low-power, Continuous Remote Behavioral Localization with Event Cameras

2022 IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 33, P. 18612 - 18621

Published: June 16, 2024

Language: Английский

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