How much is enough? Estimating the minimum sampling required for effective monitoring of African reserves

摘要: Effective biological monitoring in developing countries requires a balance of rigour and practicality. Unfortunately, there exist few general guidelines to help practitioners design programs that reach this balance. Here, we analyse 33-year program from Ghana, West Africa, provide both specific suggestions for countries. Since the late 1960s Ghana Wildlife Division has monitored more than 40 wildlife species with monthly surveys at sites throughout Ghana's nature reserves. These data present unparalleled opportunities illuminate scale pattern changes animal abundance over time forces drive these changes. We used sub-sampling four two savanna reserves identify minimum level necessary reliably detect populations 5-year intervals. similar approach estimate sampling needed infer hunters Our results highlight relative importance comprehensive spatial temporal suggest requirement no less one site per every 285 km2 large 65 km2 smaller discuss briefly cost effective relevance our other regions Africa world.