Remote camera monitoring across a statewide park network

Tailoring approaches for specific applications

Mark AntosParks Victoria

Kally YuenParks Victoria

Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute

First things first

• Signs of Healthy Parks monitoring initiative– Identify key park values, threats and existing monitoring– Prioritise monitoring needs– Develop clear objectives– Assess where, when and how- which is the best method?– Management relevance – Data analysis plan and staff feedback

• All this needs to happen before anyone deploys a camera

Great Otway NP

Mornington Peninsula NP

Getting the methods right

• Protocol based approach– Developed by experts at ARI (DSE)

• Using a suite of complementary methods

Two case studiesGreat Otway NP

• Is fox baiting effective in reducing fox activity?

• Is there a positive response from prey species?

Fairly large, intact and diverse landscape

Mornington Peninsula NP

• Which mammal species are present in the park?

• Which areas are important for native mammals?

Linear park with large edge to area ratio

Great Otway NPHeathy woodland Wet forest

Fox baiting

20 sites

No baiting

20 sites

Fox baiting

20 sites

No baiting

20 sites

>2km >2km

Comparing meat vs oat lures

Monitoring since 2009

Fox baiting since 2010

Great Otway NP- refining the methodNo of active camera days

Year Median Mean SD Range

2009 16.5 16.6 4.0 1-21

2010 21 19.0 6.5 1-28

2011 23 22.4 1.8 16-28

2012 22 21.8 2.8 10-27

Influence of bait type: No. of sites with detection (2009-11)

Species Meat baits Oat-peanut butter

Antechinus spp 20 7

Long-nosed Bandicoot 19 16

Southern Brown Bandicoot 3 0

Long-nosed Potoroo 5 2

Black Wallaby 31 37

Bush Rat 28 31

Cat 32 25

Dog 5 0

Fox 22 16

Bassian Thrush 29 34

Great Otway NP- Analysis

• Dynamic occupancy model (MacKenzie et al 2003) used to estimate site occupancy probability for each year

• AIC used to rank a set of 14 candidate models• AIC weights used to assess whether poison has an effect on

occupancy probabilities • All models with Δ AIC <2 compared to top ranked model were

used to derive occupancy probabilities

Effect of fox baiting on occupancy probability over time

Species Sum AICwt Level of support

Red Fox 5% very weakNative animals combined 25% not strongPotoroos and bandicoots 17% not strongBassian Thrush 90% very strong

The summation is over the six models which allow for the possible effect of fox-poison baiting on the occupancy rate over time.

Great Otway NP- Foxes and snack-sized mammals

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0.6

0.8

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Occ

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2009 2010 2011 2012

Fox occupancy rate for each year ± 1 SE

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0.6

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2009 2010 2011 2012

Bandicoot & potoroo occupancy rate for each year ± 1 SE

Great Otway NP- Bassian Thrush

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Occ

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0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

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2009 2010 2011 2012

fox poison bait appliedno fox poison bait

Bassian Thrush occupancy rates ± 1 standard error

Lessons and limitations

• Pilot studies are critical• Experimental design is critical• Be prepared to review and refine• Adequate sampling and spatial segregation?• Other variables (habitat, climate, cats etc)?

Benefits• Better understanding of predator distribution• Better understanding of native fauna distribution• Improved staff skills

Mornington Peninsula

• Over 150 randomly allocated survey points (>1km apart)• Stratified by vegetation type• Roll out of cameras over autumn/winter with oat baits

Mornington Peninsula

• 32 native spp recorded• 6 exotic spp• Surprises

– Long-nosed Bandicoots and White-footed Dunnart well represented– Lewin’s Rail recorded at 5 sites– Broad-toothed Rat?

Using the data

Highest value area

Mid range areas

Dysfunctional? corridor

Urban pressure

Next steps

• Results used to help with planning– Predator control– Planned burns– Weed works and habitat restoration

• Repeat survey in 2 years– Compare results- link to State of the Parks reporting– Measure management effectiveness

Concluding remarks

• Be clear about monitoring objectives and make sure you are using the best method

• Acknowledge limitations of the method• Pilot studies and test runs are really useful• Don’t underestimate data curation and analysis time• Be prepared for surprises and to make the most of them

Thanks

• Great Otway NP– Emma Danby– Carlie Bronk– Gary Summers– Mick Biddle– Sylvia van de Peet– Lachie Davis– Suzanna McCoy– Scot Mitri

• ARI– Michael Scroggie– Jenny Nelson– Peter Menkhorst

• Mornington Peninsula– Brendan McKay– Louise Bracy– Kim Kott– Sarah Dodd– Danny Hudson– Alisson Bolden– Darren Mitchell

• PV mapping support– Jenny Bunnage– Steve Shelley

• Trust for Nature– Ben Cullen