Species inventory and assessment of large-and medium-size mammals and pheasants using camera trapping in the Chebaling National Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province

Abstract

Infrared-camera technology (i.e. camera trapping) has been widely used recently for species inventories and related assessment of terrestrial vertebrates in protected areas across the world. In this study, we provide a case study for how to assess species inventory data of terrestrial birds and mammals based on camera trapping in the Chebaling National Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province. Using camera trapping data from 2017 across the whole area with 80 grids (grid size, 1 km2) in the reserve, we recorded 15 medium and large mammal species and three pheasant species. Based on species accumulation curves as a function of grids and camera days when 90% of expected species richness was recorded in the reserve, the minimum grids with fixed camera days and the minimum camera days with fixed grids were less during the wet season (June–August) than during the dry season (October–December). Moreover, the minimum grids with fixed camera days and the minimum camera days with fixed grids during the dry season were less than during the wet season. Based the camera trapping data, the species inventory assessment in the reserve can cover species lists and species richness of terrestrial birds and mammals, as well as relative abundance, distribution and voucher images of each species. Therefore, the Chebaling case based on the whole-area species inventory and assessment can provide technical references for China’s natural protected areas.