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Scaling‐up camera traps: monitoring the planet's biodiversity with networks of remote sensors
Author(s) -
Steenweg Robin,
Hebblewhite Mark,
Kays Roland,
Ahumada Jorge,
Fisher Jason T,
Burton Cole,
Townsend Susan E,
Carbone Chris,
Rowcliffe J Marcus,
Whittington Jesse,
Brodie Jedediah,
Royle J Andrew,
Switalski Adam,
Clevenger Anthony P,
Heim Nicole,
Rich Lindsey N
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1002/fee.1448
Subject(s) - convention on biological diversity , biodiversity , citizen science , global network , metadata , environmental resource management , remote sensing , scale (ratio) , environmental monitoring , global biodiversity , data science , computer science , geography , ecology , environmental science , cartography , telecommunications , world wide web , biology , botany
Countries committed to implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2011–2020 strategic plan need effective tools to monitor global trends in biodiversity. Remote cameras are a rapidly growing technology that has great potential to transform global monitoring for terrestrial biodiversity and can be an important contributor to the call for measuring Essential Biodiversity Variables. Recent advances in camera technology and methods enable researchers to estimate changes in abundance and distribution for entire communities of animals and to identify global drivers of biodiversity trends. We suggest that interconnected networks of remote cameras will soon monitor biodiversity at a global scale, help answer pressing ecological questions, and guide conservation policy. This global network will require greater collaboration among remote‐camera studies and citizen scientists, including standardized metadata, shared protocols, and security measures to protect records about sensitive species. With modest investment in infrastructure, and continued innovation, synthesis, and collaboration, we envision a global network of remote cameras that not only provides real‐time biodiversity data but also serves to connect people with nature.