Estimating forest antelope population densities using distance sampling with camera traps

Traditional transect survey methods for forest antelopes often underestimate density for common species and do not provide sufficient data for rarer species. The use of camera trapping as a survey tool for medium and large terrestrial mammals has become increasingly common, especially in forest habi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oryx 2022-05, Vol.56 (3), p.345-351
Main Authors: Amin, Rajan, Klair, Hannah, Wacher, Tim, Ndjassi, Constant, Fowler, Andrew, Olson, David, Bruce, Tom
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bias
Body weight
Cameras
Endangered & extinct species
Estimates
Forests
Habitats
Mitochondrial DNA
Polls & surveys
Population density
Sampling
Sampling methods
Species
Terrestrial environments
Ungulate conservation
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:Traditional transect survey methods for forest antelopes often underestimate density for common species and do not provide sufficient data for rarer species. The use of camera trapping as a survey tool for medium and large terrestrial mammals has become increasingly common, especially in forest habitats. Here, we applied the distance sampling method to images generated from camera-trap surveys in Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, and used an estimate of the proportion of time animals are active to correct for negative bias in the density estimates from the 24-hour camera-trap survey datasets. We also used multiple covariate distance sampling with body weight as a covariate to estimate detection probabilities and densities of rarer species. These methods provide an effective tool for monitoring the status of individual species or a community of forest antelope species, information urgently needed for conservation planning and action.
ISSN:0030-6053
1365-3008
DOI:10.1017/S0030605320001209