Caught on Camera : Are Humans a Safety Cue for Mammalian Vertebrates?

Abstract

Anthropogenic pressures are changing the environment at spatial and temporal scales to drive ecological change. Fear of humans in human-altered landscapes may substitute for predation pressures that were historically imposed by large mammalian carnivores. This project addresses the impact of human activities on the assemblages of free-living mammals as part of a long-term behavioral ecology study at Briones Regional Park in California by analyzing photos from automated-camera traps. Using “digiKam,” the image software organizer, and the R statistical package “camtrapR,” we will report on the variation in the visitation rates by mammals across space and time to uncover the interrelationships among multiple species within the park. Our dataset documents the activity patterns of mammals and offers insights into the potential effects of visitation by humans on the lives of these mammals. This information will offer insights into the activity schedule of these animals to better understand the behavioral ecology of these animals and useful information for wildlife managers as burgeoning human populations visit natural areas.