Cameras or camus? Comparing snow tracks and camera traps for estimating unmarked wildlife densities. скачать в хорошем качестве

Cameras or camus? Comparing snow tracks and camera traps for estimating unmarked wildlife densities.

SLN Webinar – Cameras or camus? Comparing snow track surveys and camera traps to estimate densities of unmarked wildlife populations in the Russian Far East https://snowleopardnetwork.org/2024/1... Population density is a valuable metric used to manage wildlife populations. In the Russian Far East, wildlife managers use the Formozov-Malyushev-Pereleshin (FMP) snow tracking method to estimate densities of ungulate prey for hunting management and Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) conservation, since the carrying capacity of a landscape for tigers is closely linked with the density of available prey biomass. Yet, climate change and challenges with survey design call into question the reliability of the FMP, and wildlife managers are looking for alternative methods. Camera traps offer a promising new tool, but their suitability for monitoring prey remains unclear. Working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve, Scott and colleagues applied a rigorous scientific design of random sampling to estimate densities of preferred prey of the Amur tiger using both FMP and camera-based methods. They also converted these density estimates to prey biomass following conventions in the literature. They found that, while both track surveys and camera traps provided consistent estimates of density, cameras required more resources and effort to implement. They also consider the demands of random sampling of the landscape as restrictive, especially in other parts of the tiger’s range with more challenging terrain. Finally, they found that insignificant differences in density estimates between methods still led to large differences in prey biomass, emphasizing the need for more robust methods. About our Speaker: Scott Waller is a wildlife biologist working for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Temperate Asia regional program. He grew up in Northwest Montana surrounded by wildlife and wild places. From 2015-2019, he began his career working as a technician trapping grizzly bears for Montana Fish Wildlife and Park’s population monitoring program. After graduating with a BA in conservation biology in 2018, he traveled to the Russian Far East to volunteer for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Russia program, a collaboration between WCS and the Russian-registered NGO “ANO WCS”. Scott received his MSc in wildlife biology from the University of Montana in 2022 studying methods to monitor preferred prey of the Amur tiger, which is the topic of his presentation in this series. Today, Scott works primarily with WCS-supported programs in Russia and China, helping address conservation challenges for Amur tigers and leopards such as habitat fragmentation and prey recovery. About our Facilitator: Eugenia Bragina (Genya) was born and raised in Russia. At the age of 13, she decided that conservation is the best choice for a profession. After getting her PhD in Moscow State University, Russia, this decision brought her to work for WCS in Russia. Her projects include research on species as diverse as Amur tiger, Long-tailed goral, Spectacled eider and cranes. She developed a capacity building program delivering courses on data analysis, GIS, leadership, human dimension in wildlife and other important skills for Russian conservationists. She is a Conservation Director for all WCS projects in Russia making sure that our work is prioritized, efficient and impactful.