Monitoring the UK’s terrestrial mammals using camera traps: from the field to the classroom

Across the world, biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, heavily driven by anthropogenic activities. In order to understand ecosystem changes, and to conserve or manage species effectively, ecological monitoring on large spatial and temporal scales is needed. For some taxa, this is relatively straightforward. However, due to the nocturnal and elusive nature of many species, monitoring of terrestrial mammals can be challenging. In this thesis, I explore how camera traps and citizen science can be used to improve terrestrial mammal monitoring efforts in the UK. Firstly, I use the camera trap distance sampling method to calculate densities of a range of mammal species in North-East England, UK. The density estimates produced were similar to previously published estimates, and estimates for some species are amongst the most precise produced to date. Secondly, I evaluate spatial bias in MammalWeb, a camera trap citizen science dataset, by comparing subsets of data from MammalWeb to data from my systematic camera trapping survey. Habitat bias in the MammalWeb dataset impacted the species captured and measures of occupancy and habitat at a regional-level. I show that by sub-setting analysis to habitat level, the impact of spatial bias can be reduced; however, expanding spatial coverage of the MammalWeb project would be valuable in the future. In the second part of the thesis, I focus on a study engaging primary schools in camera trapping to monitor wildlife in their school grounds. I show that school pupils benefitted from participating in this project by gaining knowledge of UK mammal species and increasing their connection to nature. Schools also contributed valuable data to the MammalWeb project by uploading footage from a range of habitats, including some currently under-represented in the MammalWeb database. Teachers were very positive about the project, although some noted challenges to engaging long-term; there were also differences in longevity of engagement, depending on whether schools took part in a pupil workshop or teacher training. The findings presented throughout this thesis will help drive forward how MammalWeb and other projects with similar objectives can use camera trapping and citizen science approaches to maximise benefits in the areas of both ecological monitoring and engagement. More generally, my results highlight the potential of citizen science and camera trapping for improving large-scale mammal monitoring and ultimately, for tackling the challenges we face in managing widespread biodiversity loss.