Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom
Abstract In light of global biodiversity loss, there is an increasing need for large‐scale wildlife monitoring. This is difficult for mammals, since they can be elusive and nocturnal. In the United Kingdom, there is a lack of systematic, widespread mammal monitoring, and a recognized deficiency of d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Ecological Solutions and Evidence |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12180 |
| _version_ | 1797976233979412480 |
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| author | Pen‐Yuan Hsing Russell A. Hill Graham C. Smith Steven Bradley Sian E. Green Vivien T. Kent Samantha S. Mason Jonathan Rees Mark J. Whittingham Jim Cokill MammalWeb Citizen Scientists Philip A. Stephens |
| author_facet | Pen‐Yuan Hsing Russell A. Hill Graham C. Smith Steven Bradley Sian E. Green Vivien T. Kent Samantha S. Mason Jonathan Rees Mark J. Whittingham Jim Cokill MammalWeb Citizen Scientists Philip A. Stephens |
| author_sort | Pen‐Yuan Hsing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In light of global biodiversity loss, there is an increasing need for large‐scale wildlife monitoring. This is difficult for mammals, since they can be elusive and nocturnal. In the United Kingdom, there is a lack of systematic, widespread mammal monitoring, and a recognized deficiency of data. Innovative new approaches are required. We developed MammalWeb, a portal to enable UK‐wide camera trapping by a network of citizen scientists and partner organizations. MammalWeb citizen scientists contribute to both the collection and classification of camera trap data. Following trials in 2013–2017, MammalWeb has grown organically to increase its geographic reach (e.g. ∼2000 sites in Britain). It has so far provided the equivalent of over 340 camera trap‐years of wild mammal monitoring, and produced nearly 440,000 classified image sequences and videos, of which, over 180,000 are mammal detections. We describe MammalWeb, its background, its development and the novel approaches we have for participation. We consider the data collected by MammalWeb participants, especially in light of their relevance to the main goals of wildlife monitoring: to provide spatial data, abundance data and temporal behavioural data. MammalWeb can complement existing approaches to mammal monitoring. Explicit accounting for spatial and temporal patterns in animal activity enables accounting of bias relative to ad hoc observational data. Estimating abundance presents challenges, as for many camera‐trapping studies, but we discuss the potential of the data as they stand, and opportunities to advance their value for abundance estimation. Challenges remain to MammalWeb's central missions of enhancing engagement with and connection to nature, and delivering policy‐relevant data on Britain's wild mammals. We discuss these challenges and the opportunities they provide for advances in respect of engagement, science and financial security. Our approach reduces administrative burden and increases spatial coverage and, as such, MammalWeb provides a useful addition to existing case studies of citizen science camera‐trapping program design. We believe MammalWeb is an important step towards fulfilling calls for UK‐wide mammal monitoring and our description of challenges identifies an agenda for fulfilling that purpose. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:48:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77f0c6dcf01f4d2dbd26a507202e6197 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2688-8319 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:48:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Solutions and Evidence |
| spelling | doaj.art-77f0c6dcf01f4d2dbd26a507202e61972022-12-27T06:06:38ZengWileyEcological Solutions and Evidence2688-83192022-10-0134n/an/a10.1002/2688-8319.12180Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United KingdomPen‐Yuan Hsing0Russell A. Hill1Graham C. Smith2Steven Bradley3Sian E. Green4Vivien T. Kent5Samantha S. Mason6Jonathan Rees7Mark J. Whittingham8Jim Cokill9MammalWeb Citizen Scientists10Philip A. Stephens11Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKDepartment of Anthropology Durham University Durham UKNational Wildlife Management Centre Animal and Plant Health Agency York UKDepartment of Computer Science Durham University Durham UKConservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKDurham Wildlife Trust Tyne and Wear UKConservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKConservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle‐Upon‐Tyne UKDurham Wildlife Trust Tyne and Wear UKConservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKConservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences Durham University Durham UKAbstract In light of global biodiversity loss, there is an increasing need for large‐scale wildlife monitoring. This is difficult for mammals, since they can be elusive and nocturnal. In the United Kingdom, there is a lack of systematic, widespread mammal monitoring, and a recognized deficiency of data. Innovative new approaches are required. We developed MammalWeb, a portal to enable UK‐wide camera trapping by a network of citizen scientists and partner organizations. MammalWeb citizen scientists contribute to both the collection and classification of camera trap data. Following trials in 2013–2017, MammalWeb has grown organically to increase its geographic reach (e.g. ∼2000 sites in Britain). It has so far provided the equivalent of over 340 camera trap‐years of wild mammal monitoring, and produced nearly 440,000 classified image sequences and videos, of which, over 180,000 are mammal detections. We describe MammalWeb, its background, its development and the novel approaches we have for participation. We consider the data collected by MammalWeb participants, especially in light of their relevance to the main goals of wildlife monitoring: to provide spatial data, abundance data and temporal behavioural data. MammalWeb can complement existing approaches to mammal monitoring. Explicit accounting for spatial and temporal patterns in animal activity enables accounting of bias relative to ad hoc observational data. Estimating abundance presents challenges, as for many camera‐trapping studies, but we discuss the potential of the data as they stand, and opportunities to advance their value for abundance estimation. Challenges remain to MammalWeb's central missions of enhancing engagement with and connection to nature, and delivering policy‐relevant data on Britain's wild mammals. We discuss these challenges and the opportunities they provide for advances in respect of engagement, science and financial security. Our approach reduces administrative burden and increases spatial coverage and, as such, MammalWeb provides a useful addition to existing case studies of citizen science camera‐trapping program design. We believe MammalWeb is an important step towards fulfilling calls for UK‐wide mammal monitoring and our description of challenges identifies an agenda for fulfilling that purpose.https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12180biodiversitycamera trapscitizen scienceconservation biologyengagementmammal monitoring |
| spellingShingle | Pen‐Yuan Hsing Russell A. Hill Graham C. Smith Steven Bradley Sian E. Green Vivien T. Kent Samantha S. Mason Jonathan Rees Mark J. Whittingham Jim Cokill MammalWeb Citizen Scientists Philip A. Stephens Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom Ecological Solutions and Evidence biodiversity camera traps citizen science conservation biology engagement mammal monitoring |
| title | Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom |
| title_full | Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom |
| title_fullStr | Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom |
| title_short | Large‐scale mammal monitoring: The potential of a citizen science camera‐trapping project in the United Kingdom |
| title_sort | large scale mammal monitoring the potential of a citizen science camera trapping project in the united kingdom |
| topic | biodiversity camera traps citizen science conservation biology engagement mammal monitoring |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12180 |
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