REVIEW: Wildlife camera trapping: a review and recommendations for linking surveys to ecological processes

摘要: Summary Reliable assessment of animal populations is a long-standing challenge in wildlife ecology. Technological advances have led to widespread adoption camera traps (CTs) survey distribution, abundance and behaviour. As for any method, trapping must contend with sources sampling error such as imperfect detection. Early applications focused on density estimation naturally marked species, but there growing interest broad-scale CT surveys unmarked communities. Nevertheless, inferences based detection indices are controversial, the suitability alternatives occupancy debatable. We reviewed 266 studies published between 2008 2013. We recorded study objectives methodologies, evaluating consistency protocols designs, extent which considered error, linkages analytical assumptions species ecology. Nearly two-thirds surveyed more than one majority used response variables that ignored (e.g. presence–absence, relative abundance). Many opportunistic did not explicitly report details design deployment could affect conclusions. Most estimating capture–recapture methods spatially explicit becoming prominent. Few estimated focusing instead modelling or measures abundance. While detectability, most define key components framework site) discuss potential violations model site closure). Studies using relied equal expected relationships measured responses underlying ecological processes movement). Synthesis applications. The rapid represents an exciting transition methodology. remain optimistic about technology's promise, call consideration abundance, movement by cameras, including thorough reporting methodological assumptions. Such transparency will facilitate efforts evaluate improve reliability trap surveys, ultimately leading stronger helping meet modern needs effective inquiry biodiversity monitoring.