Development of innovative approaches to estimate density of Sika deer using camera traps and UAVs

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07487
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: NAKASHIMA Yoshihiro 日本大学, 生物資源科学部, 助教 (80722420)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高柳 敦 京都大学, 農学研究科, 講師 (70216795) ; 伊勢 武史 京都大学, フィールド科学教育研究センター, 准教授 (00518318) ; 鮫島 弘光 公益財団法人地球環境戦略研究機関, その他部局等, リサーチマネージャー (80594192)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 密度推定 / 自動撮影カメラ / ドローン / 野生動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study is to establish accurate and cost-effective approaches to estimate population size or density of Sika deer using camera traps and UVAs. For the former, we performed 3-D modeling on antler of male Sika deer and recognize the individuals to apply capture-recapture model. For the latter, we flew a UVAs in a forest in Gumma prefecture to test whether animals are recognizable from the air. The results showed that both methods are potential to estimate the density of Sika deer, although several constrains should be solved. In particular, a combination of individual recognition by camera traps by 3-D modeling and capture-recapture model are an efficient approach to estimate Sika deer's density.

Free Research Field

生態学