TY - JOUR
T1 - Camera trapping reveals trends in forest duiker populations in African National Parks
AU - O'Brien, Timothy G.
AU - Ahumada, Jorge
AU - Akampurila, Emmanuel
AU - Beaudrot, Lydia
AU - Boekee, Kelly
AU - Brncic, Terry
AU - Hickey, Jena
AU - Jansen, Patrick A.
AU - Kayijamahe, Charles
AU - Moore, Jennifer
AU - Mugerwa, Badru
AU - Mulindahabi, Felix
AU - Ndoundou-Hockemba, Mireille
AU - Niyigaba, Protais
AU - Nyiratuza, Madeleine
AU - Opepa, Cisquet K.
AU - Rovero, Francesco
AU - Uzabaho, Eustrate
AU - Strindberg, Samantha
PY - 2020/6
Y1 - 2020/6
N2 - Bushmeat hunting is widely cited as cause for declines of wildlife populations throughout Africa. Forest duikers (Bovidae, Cephalophinae) are among the most exploited species. Whether current harvest rates imperil duikers is debated because of the difficulty of accurately assessing population trends. To assess population trends, we first reviewed literature for historical duiker population estimates. Second, we used systematic camera-trap monitoring to assess population trends for 15 populations of nine duiker species in six national parks in Central and East Africa. We analysed annual monitoring data using Royle-Nichols heterogeneity-induced occupancy models to estimate abundance/sample point and derive occupancy estimates. Published density estimates indicate that duiker populations declined significantly throughout Africa between 1973 and 2013. There was a wide range of densities depending on species ((Formula presented.) range: 0.26–20.6 km−1) and whether populations were hunted ((Formula presented.) =6.3 km−1) or unhunted ((Formula presented.) = 16.3 km−1). More recent analysis of camera-trap monitoring produced different results. Estimated mean point abundance over time was between 0 and 0.99 individuals/point for four populations, between 1.0 and 1.99 for six populations, and greater than 2.0 for five populations. We observed five populations of duikers with negative trends in point abundances, although only one trend was significant and point abundance estimates for three populations were above 2.0 in the final survey year. Six populations showed positive trends in point abundance (three significant), and the remaining populations displayed no trends. Average occupancy was high (Ψ > 0.60) except for three populations. While literature indicates that historical population declines have occurred, most duiker populations appear relatively healthy in monitored parks. Our results indicate that these parks are effective in protecting most duikers despite hunting pressure. We recommend that systematic, standardized camera-trap monitoring be initiated in other African parks in combination with point-abundance models to objectively assess forest ungulate population trends.
AB - Bushmeat hunting is widely cited as cause for declines of wildlife populations throughout Africa. Forest duikers (Bovidae, Cephalophinae) are among the most exploited species. Whether current harvest rates imperil duikers is debated because of the difficulty of accurately assessing population trends. To assess population trends, we first reviewed literature for historical duiker population estimates. Second, we used systematic camera-trap monitoring to assess population trends for 15 populations of nine duiker species in six national parks in Central and East Africa. We analysed annual monitoring data using Royle-Nichols heterogeneity-induced occupancy models to estimate abundance/sample point and derive occupancy estimates. Published density estimates indicate that duiker populations declined significantly throughout Africa between 1973 and 2013. There was a wide range of densities depending on species ((Formula presented.) range: 0.26–20.6 km−1) and whether populations were hunted ((Formula presented.) =6.3 km−1) or unhunted ((Formula presented.) = 16.3 km−1). More recent analysis of camera-trap monitoring produced different results. Estimated mean point abundance over time was between 0 and 0.99 individuals/point for four populations, between 1.0 and 1.99 for six populations, and greater than 2.0 for five populations. We observed five populations of duikers with negative trends in point abundances, although only one trend was significant and point abundance estimates for three populations were above 2.0 in the final survey year. Six populations showed positive trends in point abundance (three significant), and the remaining populations displayed no trends. Average occupancy was high (Ψ > 0.60) except for three populations. While literature indicates that historical population declines have occurred, most duiker populations appear relatively healthy in monitored parks. Our results indicate that these parks are effective in protecting most duikers despite hunting pressure. We recommend that systematic, standardized camera-trap monitoring be initiated in other African parks in combination with point-abundance models to objectively assess forest ungulate population trends.
KW - Abundance
KW - Africa
KW - bushmeat
KW - camera trapping
KW - Forest duikers
KW - occupancy
KW - protected areas
KW - Royle-Nichols models
U2 - 10.1002/rse2.132
DO - 10.1002/rse2.132
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85075028361
SN - 2056-3485
VL - 6
SP - 168
EP - 180
JO - Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
JF - Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
IS - 2
ER -