Limitations of recreational camera traps for wildlife management and conservation research: a practitioner's perspective.
The availability of affordable 'recreational' camera traps has dramatically increased over the last decade. We present survey results which show that many conservation practitioners use cheaper 'recreational' units for research rather than more expensive 'professional' equipment. We present our perspective of using two popular models of 'recreational' camera trap for ecological field-based studies. The models used (for >2 years) presented us with a range of practical problems at all stages of their use including deployment, operation, and data management, which collectively crippled data collection and limited opportunities for quantification of key issues arising. Our experiences demonstrate that prospective users need to have a sufficient understanding of the limitations camera trap technology poses, dimensions we communicate here. While the merits of different camera traps will be study specific, the performance of more expensive 'professional' models may prove more cost-effective in the long-term when using camera traps for research.
The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK. scott.newey@hutton.ac.uk.|Faculty of Applied Ecology, Hedmark University College, Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway. scott.newey@hutton.ac.uk.
Scott
S
Newey
The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK. p.davidson.08@aberdeen.ac.uk.|School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK. p.davidson.08@aberdeen.ac.uk.
Paul
P
Davidson
dot.rural, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA, UK. nazirs7@lsbu.ac.uk.
Sajid
S
Nazir
Electronics Research Group, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UK. g.fairhurst@abdn.ac.uk.
Gorry
G
Fairhurst
Electronics Research Group, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UK. fverdicc@abdn.ac.uk.
Fabio
F
Verdicchio
The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK. justin.irvine@hutton.ac.uk.
R Justin
RJ
Irvine
Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK. r.vanderwal@abdn.ac.uk.
René
R
van der Wal
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D062069:Inventions; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D011998:Recreation
Camera trap; Digital innovation; False negative; False positive; Sensors; Trail camera