Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Girish A. Punjabi, Linnea Worsoe Havmoller, Rasmus Worsoe Havmoller, Dusit Ngoprasert, Arjun Srivathsa
Summary: Large carnivores play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem integrity, but estimating their population size is challenging. This study examined the application of different models to estimate the population size of endangered dholes and found that some models produced reliable estimates while others overestimated the population size.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ulrike H. Taron, Johanna L. A. Paijmans, Axel Barlow, Michaela Preick, Arati Iyengar, Virgil Dragusin, Stefan Vasile, Adrian Marciszak, Martina Roblickova, Michael Hofreiter
Summary: The Asiatic wild dog, once widespread throughout Eurasia and even reaching North America during the Pleistocene, is now largely restricted to South and Southeast Asia. The fossil record of the dhole is scattered and complicated by overlap in size and morphology with other canid species. Genetic data has been essential in identifying species affiliation of fossil specimens. Ancient dhole sequences show high divergence from modern dhole sequences, but the scarcity of data limits a more comprehensive analysis.
Article
Zoology
Qi Wang, Chunmei Shi, Dan Liu, Guangshun Jiang
Summary: The study used different lateral body images to extract body measurements and analyzed the relationship between body weight and measurements using artificial neural network and power regression models. Among all ANN models, the one built with rectangle fitting image had the smallest mean square error. Additionally, nonlinear regression models were fitted for body weight-age relationship, with logistic model selected for male tigers and Gompertz model for female tigers.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
R. S. Davis, E. L. Stone, L. K. Gentle, W. O. Mgoola, A. Uzal, R. W. Yarnell
Summary: The decline in global carnivore populations has increased the demand for assessing carnivore densities in understudied habitats. The use of the spatial partial identity model (SPIM) in estimating leopard and spotted hyaena densities in Kasungu National Park resulted in low density estimates, possibly due to various factors such as low carrying capacity or reduced prey availability from poaching. The SPIM method offers improved precision in density estimation compared to conventional methods and is beneficial in surveys with limited camera traps.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Peter Johanns, Timm Haucke, Volker Steinhage
Summary: This paper introduces a fully automatic method called AUDIT for estimating the distance between camera and observed animals accurately. It leverages state-of-the-art depth estimation and alignment techniques, eliminating the need for reference image comparisons or capturing reference image material. Evaluation on an unseen dataset demonstrates that AUDIT achieves high accuracy in distance estimation.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Xiaoxing Bian, Xuchang Liang, Byron Weckworth, Dorje Jyal, Vanessa Hull, Le Yang
Summary: Knowledge of population abundance is essential for wildlife management and conservation, especially for rare species such as the snow leopard. This study used camera trapping to estimate the density of snow leopards in a previously unsurveyed area on the Tibetan Plateau, with a result of 1.40 individuals per 100 km(2). The findings provide an important baseline reference for future population trend assessments and conservation measures.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gates Dupont, J. Andrew Royle, Muhammad Ali Nawaz, Chris Sutherland
Summary: The study proposes using a genetic algorithm to optimize sampling designs and compares the performance of designs based on different model-based criteria, finding that these designs outperform existing recommendations in terms of bias, precision, and accuracy in population size estimation.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. Laguardia, K. S. Gobush, S. Bourgeois, S. Strindberg, G. Abitsi, F. Ebouta, J. M. Fay, A. M. Gopalaswamy, F. Maisels, R. Ogden, L. J. T. White, E. J. Stokes
Summary: The study compared the performance of DNA-SCR, CT-SCR, and LTDS in forest elephant population surveys. The integrated feasibility index indicates that DNA-SCR and LTDS are equally acceptable in terms of the combination of area coverage, precision, and cost, suitable for large (national or regional) spatial scales for forest elephant density estimation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. Harihar, D. Lahkar, A. Singh, S. Kumar Das, M. F. Ahmed, R. H. Begum
Summary: This study applied SMR models to estimate leopard densities at Manas National Park in India, with a high proportion of melanistic leopards captured. The research highlights the potential of SMR models for revisiting past camera trap survey data and generating valuable information on populations.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Stefano Palmero, Joe Premier, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Pedro Monterroso, Marco Heurich
Summary: Robust monitoring is crucial for successful conservation planning, especially for elusive and low-density species like felids. This study examined the impact of sampling designs on the precision of population density estimates for territorial felids. Analysis of 137 camera-trapping and spatial capture-recapture studies revealed that the number of individuals captured, recapture frequency, and capture probability are the most important variables affecting precision. Guidelines for future studies and a reporting protocol were provided to improve the reproducibility and comparability of spatial capture-recapture research.
Article
Zoology
Ruben Portas, Bettina Wachter, Piet Beytell, Kenneth H. Uiseb, Joerg Melzheimer, Sarah Edwards
Summary: This study estimated leopard population densities in protected areas of northern Namibia. The results showed that leopard densities were low regardless of whether it was in the Khaudum National Park with an annual average rainfall of 450 mm or the Lower Hoanib River with an annual average rainfall of 25 mm. This is important for understanding the population dynamics of leopards in northern Namibia and for implementing effective conservation measures.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Victor H. Montalvo, Carolina Saenz-Bolanos, Juan C. Cruz-Diaz, Eduardo Carrillo, Todd K. Fuller
Summary: This study used camera trap data and satellite telemetry data from one female jaguar to estimate jaguar population density in northwestern Costa Rica. The findings highlight the importance of telemetry data in improving field design and parameter estimation, and recommend population assessments of at least three consecutive months to reduce bias in density estimates.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tobias Baumgartner, Benjamin Paassen, Stefanie Klatt
Summary: Collecting large datasets for investigations into human locomotion is expensive and labor-intensive. Accurate methods for 3D human pose estimation in the wild could assist with collecting datasets for analyzing running kinematics from TV broadcast data. However, current state-of-the-art 3D human pose estimation methods are not yet accurate enough for kinematics research, as small differences in 3D angles play a significant role in biomechanical research.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eric Ash, David W. Macdonald, Samuel A. Cushman, Adisorn Noochdumrong, Tim Redford, Zaneta Kaszta
Summary: This study highlights the importance of scale optimization in modelling tiger habitat selection, with key relationships observed at broader spatial scales. Optimization of different factors may lead to various habitat suitability assessments and conservation recommendations.
Article
Biology
Ben C. Stevenson, Rachel M. Fewster, Koustubh Sharma
Summary: Spatial capture-recapture models are commonly used to estimate animal density, but the assumption of independence in detection records at different detectors may not hold due to spatial correlation caused by animals moving around the survey region. This study introduces a latent detection field into the model to address this issue and highlights the predictable bias in SCR models with unmodeled spatial heterogeneity.
