Carnivore biodiversity in Tanzania: revealing the distribution patterns of secretive mammals using camera traps

摘要: Biodiversity monitoring is critical to assess the effectiveness of management activities and policy change, particularly in light accelerating impacts environmental for compiling national responses international obligations agreements. Monitoring methods able identify species most likely be affected by pinpoint those changes with strongest impacts, will enable managers target efforts towards vulnerable significant threats. Here we take a new approach carnivore monitoring, combining camera-trap surveys ecological niche factor analysis distribution patterns habitat use mammalian assemblages across northern Tanzania. We conducted 11 over 430 stations 355 trap-days. recorded 23 out 35 known occur Tanzania report major extensions bushy-tailed mongoose Bdeogale crassicauda, previously thought rare. Carnivore biodiversity tended higher parks than game reserves forest reserves. explored seven which had sufficient information. All found near rivers southern Acacia commiphora woodlands (except one species), avoided deciduous shrubland, favouring woodland and/or open grassland. avoid croplands suggesting that conversion agriculture could have serious implications distribution. Our study provides first example where data are combined analyses reveal spatial otherwise elusive poorly inform reserve design land-use planning. methodology represents potentially powerful tool can site-based wildlife makers as well agreements on conservation. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation Zoological Society London.