scholarly journals Snap happy: camera traps are an effective sampling tool when compared with alternative methods

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 181748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver R. Wearn ◽  
Paul Glover-Kapfer
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Technological Advances

Camera traps have become a ubiquitous tool in ecology and conservation. They are routinely deployed in wildlife survey and monitoring work, and are being advocated as a tool for planetary-scale biodiversity monitoring. The camera trap's widespread adoption is predicated on the assumption of its effectiveness, but the evidence base for this is lacking. Using 104 past studies, we recorded the qualitative overall recommendations made by study authors (for or against camera traps, or ambiguous), together with quantitative data on the effectiveness of camera traps (e.g. number of species detected or detection probabilities) relative to 22 other methods. Most studies recommended the use of camera traps overall and they were 39% more effective based on the quantitative data. They were significantly more effective compared with live traps (88%) and were otherwise comparable in effectiveness to other methods. Camera traps were significantly more effective than other methods at detecting a large number of species (31% more) and for generating detections of species (91% more). This makes camera traps particularly suitable for broad-spectrum biodiversity surveys. Film camera traps were found to be far less effective than digital models, which has led to an increase in camera trap effectiveness over time. There was also evidence from the authors that the use of attractants with camera traps reduced their effectiveness (counter to their intended effect), while the quantitative data indicated that camera traps were more effective in closed than open habitats. Camera traps are a highly effective wildlife survey tool and their performance will only improve with future technological advances. The images they produce also have a range of other benefits, for example as digital voucher specimens and as visual aids for outreach. The evidence-base supports the increasing use of camera traps and underlines their suitability for meeting the challenges of global-scale biodiversity monitoring.

scholarly journals Scavenging in the Anthropocene: Human impact drives vertebrate scavenger species richness at a global scale

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Sebastián-González ◽  
JM Barbosa ◽  
JM Pérez-García ◽  
Z Morales-Reyes ◽  
F Botella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Latitudinal Patterns

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large-scale patterns of species richness and diversity in terrestrial vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages, which provide key ecosystem functions and services. We used a worldwide dataset comprising 43 sites, where vertebrate scavenger assemblages were identified using 2,485 carcasses monitored between 1991 and 2018. First, we evaluated how scavenger richness (number of species) and diversity (Shannon diversity index) varied among seasons (cold vs. warm, wet vs. dry). Then, we studied the potential effects of human impact and a set of macroecological variables related to climatic conditions on the scavenger assemblages. Vertebrate scavenger richness ranged from species-poor to species rich assemblages (4–30 species). Both scavenger richness and diversity also showed some seasonal variation. However, in general, climatic variables did not drive latitudinal patterns, as scavenger richness and diversity were not affected by temperature or rainfall. Rainfall seasonality slightly increased the number of species in the community, but its effect was weak. Instead, the human impact index included in our study was the main predictor of scavenger richness. Scavenger assemblages in highly human-impacted areas sustained the smallest number of scavenger species, suggesting human activity may be overriding other macroecological processes in shaping scavenger communities. Our results highlight the effect of human impact at a global scale. As species-rich assemblages tend to be more functional, we warn about possible reductions in ecosystem functions and the services provided by scavengers in human-dominated landscapes in the Anthropocene.

scholarly journals Modern Life as a Factor of Childhood Obesity: A Brief Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Warly Neves de Araujo ◽  
Randra Karoline Rodrigues Inacio ◽  
Amanda Aguiar Barros ◽  
Daniela Santos do Nascimento ◽  
Eva Coelho da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ideal Weight ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Negative Factors ◽  
The Relationship

Childhood obesity has grown worryingly on a global scale one of the biggest influencers are technological advances exposed early to children. Therefore, this study aimed to seek in the literature the relationship between modernity and the high incidence of children above their ideal weight. The research is a systematic literature review on the factors that are linked to the high prevalence of children above their ideal weight today. After the analysis of the studies, it is notorious the impact generated by technology on the health and development of children when they are used early. Concluding the present study that the negative factors that have been contributing to the triggering of childhood obesity are: passive habits, that is, little physical activity, the large number of hours spent in front of TV, video game, DVD between Other electronic devices this combined with poor consumption feeding of high fat and sugar products and lack of physical exercise are factors that reflect a negative response in children’s lives favoring body fat accumulation.

scholarly journals The use of environmental DNA in monitoring aquatic biodiversity for conservation: a review of challenges and opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring ◽  
Aquatic Biodiversity ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Global Biodiversity

Evidence-based decision-making in conservation and natural resource management is often constrained by lack of robust biodiversity data. Technology offers opportunities for enhanced data collection, with satellite-based remote sensing increasingly complemented by Earth-based sensors such as camera traps, acoustic recording devices and drones. In aquatic as well as terrestrial systems, environmental DNA is increasingly promoted as a tool to monitor species diversity and community composition. But if conservationists and natural resource managers are to know when to use eDNA, they need to understand its relative advantages and disadvantages, and when it can be used with or instead of other tools. In this paper, I expand on two recent publications (Stephenson 2020; Stephenson et al. 2020) to review lessons learned from the application of eDNA, especially metabarcoding, to the monitoring of aquatic biodiversity for conservation and to identify factors affecting its relevance and applicability. Over the past decade there have been many advances in technological solutions for biodiversity monitoring. eDNA and various remote sensing tools offer opportunities to create the enabling conditions for enhanced biodiversity monitoring, and are becoming cheaper and easier to use for scientists, public and private sector resource managers, and citizen scientists. Nonetheless, a number of challenges need to be addressed to, for example, improve the standardisation of tool use and to enhance capacity for the use, storage, sharing and analysis of huge volumes of data, especially in high-biodiversity countries. More studies comparing the relative efficiency and cost-effectiveness of different tools with different species in different habitats would help managers choose the right tools for their needs and capacity and better integrate them into monitoring schemes. eDNA is becoming the go-to option for the monitoring of aquatic species diversity and community composition and has also proven successful in some terrestrial settings. eDNA is especially useful for monitoring species that are in low densities or difficult to observe with traditional observer-based methods; indeed, several studies show eDNA metabarcoding techniques have a much better detection probability overall for taxa such as amphibians and fish. In some cases, eDNA has been shown to complement other tools when used together, by either increasing animal detection probabilities or increasing the number of indicators that can be measured at one site. This suggests that, in future, more effort should be made to test the effectiveness of integrating eDNA with one or more other tools to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of measuring indicators and to increase the diversity of species detected. For example, eDNA could be combined with camera traps for monitoring vertebrates visiting waterholes. Testing multiple tools would also provide better opportunity to quantify when and how traditional observer-based methods can complement the technological solutions and when they are more cost-effective. However, it is noteworthy that, in general, the taxa for which data are most lacking, such as invertebrates, plants and fungi, are still those less easily monitored by eDNA and other new technologies. This suggests a focus only on technological solutions for biodiversity monitoring may perpetuate existing taxonomic data biases. I conclude by discussing the international policy context and the relevance of eDNA for monitoring global biodiversity indicators. Several opportunities exist to integrate eDNA into monitoring programmes to measure government, business and civil society contributions towards delivery of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Impact of the Global, Extensible Electronic Health Record

2011 ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Forslund ◽  
David G. Kilman
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The World ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
The Impact

With the arrival of the “World Wide Web,” we have witnessed a transition toward a truly global perspective with respect to electronic health records. In recent years, much more discussion has focused on the potential for international virtual electronic health records and what is required for them to become a reality in the world today (Kilman & Forslund, 1997). As the Internet becomes more ubiquitous and Web-enabled, we see access to electronic health records using these technologies becoming more commonplace. Even so, these Web-enabled health records still remain technologically isolated from other medical records in the distributed continuum of care; much of the standardization challenge still stands before us. We have witnessed startling technological advances, but we still face considerable obstacles to the goal of having globally standardized electronic health records. In this chapter we describe some of the issues associated with Web-enabled health records, the role of standards in the evolution of Web-enabled health records, and some of the barriers to the development of globally accessible electronic health records. We discuss possible ways to overcome these barriers and the kinds of benefits and opportunities that global health records will help provide. The global scale perspective makes more evident the very real and potentially tragic consequences of prolonged and unnecessary delays in deploying these technologies. Therefore, in an effort to promote a fuller consciousness of health safety, the chapter concludes with a comparative look at the negative impact of impediments in the movement toward global extensible electronic health records.

scholarly journals Exploration of Teaching Preferences of Instructors’use of Social Media

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selcan Kilis ◽  
Yasemin Gülbahar ◽  
Christian Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Social Media Platform ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Teaching Preferences ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Abstract With the excessive use of social media in the 21st century, attempts to integrate social media within higher education have also increased. In this area, research has been particularly focused on the aspects of students, rather than the instructors. This study puts the emphasis on the instructors with the aim to explore their use of social media in educational settings. Their respective teaching preferences were explored, from a pedagogical perspective, with the help of a Social Media Toolkit. The toolkit was developed to guide instructors that want to integrate social media in their teaching. This study was designed as a descriptive study and quantitative data was collected from 583 instructors from 39 countries. The participants responded to four main questions in an online environment. Results revealed that instructors mostly prefer to teach their subject at the applying and understanding levels. They frequently use text-based materials and design their courses as problem-based or on a presentation model. They mostly prefer to assess students using alternative methods based on their performance, like portfolios, group works, etc. whilst classical methods were also preferred. Overall findings indicated that any instructor from any discipline or culture can transform courses onto a social media platform thanks to many different and varied features provided by social media tools.

Evaluation of camera traps for monitoring European rabbits before and after control operations in Otago, New Zealand

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. David M. Latham ◽  
Graham Nugent ◽  
Bruce Warburton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Vantage Point ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Control Operation ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽  
European Rabbits

Context European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are reaching plague proportions again in some parts of New Zealand as the effect of rabbit haemorrhagic disease begins to wane. Effective monitoring techniques are required to quantify the success of alternative methods of controlling rabbits, such as poisoning. Aim To evaluate camera traps as a method of estimating the percentage of rabbits killed in a poison control operation, and to compare results obtained from cameras with those from traditional monitoring methods (spotlight transects and vantage-point counts). Methods We deployed cameras and conducted vantage-point counts and spotlight transects to compare a priori statistical power. We then used these monitoring methods to estimate percentage kill from a case study rabbit-control operation using sodium fluoroacetate (compound 1080). Key results Cameras had good statistical power to detect large reductions in rabbit numbers (>90%) and the percentage kill estimated using cameras was comparable with spotlight transects and vantage-point counts. Conclusions Cameras set up at fixed sampling locations can be an effective method of quantitatively assessing rabbit population control outcomes. We recommend that ≥6 cameras per 100 ha should remain active for at least 5 days before and 5 days following control, so as to obtain reliable estimates of percentage kill. Implications Cameras may be preferable to conventional monitoring methods where there is insufficient area to walk or drive transects, terrain is too rugged or scrubby for transects, and there are no or few vantage points from which to count rabbits.

scholarly journals UTILIZING AUDIO VISUAL AIDS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL FOR THE EIGHT GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 3 BANAWA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
irmawati
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Test Cycle ◽  
Eighth Grade Students ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Speaking Skills

This study aims to improve the speaking skill of the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Banawa in the use of audio visual aids. This research was conducted through action research consisting of two cycles. Each cycle consists of two meetings. Researcher work collaboratively with Teacher of English and students. The research data is in the form of qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data obtained through test cycle I and test cycle II. Meanwhile, qualitative data were obtained from observation during the implementation of the action; interview with Teacher of English and the eighth grade students from class VIII A; and discussion with Teacher of English. Data in the form of field notes, interview transcripts, and photographs. The validity of the data is obtained by applying utilization Audio Visual Aids, results and processes. The results show that there was an increase in students' speaking skills through the use of audio visual aids. The audio-visual tool used in this study was video and slide. Videos were taken from youtube.com in the form of dialogue in certain expressions. These videos can attract students' attention and increase their learning motivation. Students can have a better understanding of the use of English in real situations when they learn appropriate English-language models through audio-visual aids (video and slide). Students make improvements in several aspects of speaking skills, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency and comprehensibility. They are more confident in speaking English. They have more opportunities to talk. They actively participate during the teaching and learning process. In addition, they did not hesitate to ask the teacher when they found difficulties. The research findings are also supported by the results of students' speaking achievement which increased from 57.78 in cycle I to 72.67 in cycle II.

scholarly journals The Rapid Rise of Next-Generation Natural History

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie I. Tosa ◽  
Emily H. Dziedzic ◽  
Cara L. Appel ◽  
Jenny Urbina ◽  
Aimee Massey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Genetics And Genomics ◽  
Scientific Endeavor ◽  
Community Science ◽  
Electronic Sensors ◽  
New Phase ◽  
Deductive Research

Many ecologists have lamented the demise of natural history and have attributed this decline to a misguided view that natural history is outdated and unscientific. Although there is a perception that the focus in ecology and conservation have shifted away from descriptive natural history research and training toward hypothetico-deductive research, we argue that natural history has entered a new phase that we call “next-generation natural history.” This renaissance of natural history is characterized by technological and statistical advances that aid in collecting detailed observations systematically over broad spatial and temporal extents. The technological advances that have increased exponentially in the last decade include electronic sensors such as camera-traps and acoustic recorders, aircraft- and satellite-based remote sensing, animal-borne biologgers, genetics and genomics methods, and community science programs. Advances in statistics and computation have aided in analyzing a growing quantity of observations to reveal patterns in nature. These robust next-generation natural history datasets have transformed the anecdotal perception of natural history observations into systematically collected observations that collectively constitute the foundation for hypothetico-deductive research and can be leveraged and applied to conservation and management. These advances are encouraging scientists to conduct and embrace detailed descriptions of nature that remain a critically important component of the scientific endeavor. Finally, these next-generation natural history observations are engaging scientists and non-scientists alike with new documentations of the wonders of nature. Thus, we celebrate next-generation natural history for encouraging people to experience nature directly.

scholarly journals Phytoradiotherapy: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Treatment by Combining Radiotherapy With Phytomedicines

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Alfonzetti ◽  
Sayeda Yasmin-Karim ◽  
Wilfred Ngwa ◽  
Stephen Avery
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Radiation Treatment ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Synthetic Drugs ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Optimal Dosing ◽  
Technological Advances

Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective method of cancer treatment, but like any other method of cancer treatment, there are inherent limitations. While technological advances and a growing understanding of its biological effects have improved its results dramatically, the use of RT is still limited to certain patient populations and by normal tissue toxicities. The harmful side effects of treating patients with radiation can offset its therapy benefits, limiting its use in certain cases. Phyto, or plant-based, medicines offer a way to add to radiation treatment, while also protecting patients from its toxic side effects. Phytomedicines such as cannabinoids (CBD) and bitter melon extract have demonstrated therapeutic properties, including the ability to activate apoptotic death in cancer cells, diminish tumor progression, and generally decrease the incidence of several cancer types. In addition, herbal drugs have been shown to be powerful antioxidants with the ability to decrease toxicity of RT without the adverse side effects found in synthetic drugs. Furthermore, a number of phytomedicines have been shown to mitigate hypoxic conditions within the tumor microenvironment, creating a more radiosensitive disease and preventing tumorigenesis. The purpose of this article is to examine the merits and demerits of employing phytomedicines during RT. Results from studies that have tested the effects of combining radiotherapy with supplemental herbal treatment are discussed along with perspectives on where additional research is needed to advance “Phytoradiotherapy”. Overall, experimental evidence points to the fact that phytomedicines have significant potential to enhance RT, with need for cross-disciplinary collaborations to establish optimal dosing combinations with evidence-base for clinical translation.

scholarly journals NONVOLANT MAMMALS IN A FRAGMENT OF ARBOREAL CAATINGA IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (04) ◽  
pp. 894-903
Author(s):  
Izar Aximoff ◽  
◽  
John Philip Medcraft ◽  
Anthony Caravaggi ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
The State ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Sheep Breeding ◽  
Active Search ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

The state of Paraiba is one of those with the most degraded Caatinga that presents the large gap of knowledge concerning the mammal fauna. Mammals are among the taxa most affected by this. In this sense, we evaluated non-volant mammals’ richness and composition between March 2013 and February 2020 in a Caatinga fragment (121 ha). We used active search (336 hours) and camera traps (1,200 night traps). We recorded 20 species, including four threatened ones. Carnivora was the most representative order (7 species), followed by Rodentia (4 species). The richness of non-volant mammals found represents 35.6 % of the total number of such species in the Caatinga. This species richness is greater than that found in other studies in the state. The presence of these mammal species was mainly due to the recovering vegetation that resulted from the great planting effort and also due to cessation of hunt, cattle and sheep breeding that had existed on the farm for over thirty years. Our findings highlight the importance of this particular reserve due to the large number of species registered.

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