A wildlife conservation project in Borneo has been using camera traps to study the species diversity in a protected lowland rainforest. Fifty camera trap st...

(a) Species identification from Table 4.1: [2]

• Most commonly detected: Wild boar, detected at 48 out of 50 camera stations with 2,450 total detections over 12 months. [1]
• Rarest: Pangolin, detected at only 2 camera stations with just 5 total detections. [1]

(b) Why large predators like the tiger were detected at very few stations: [2]

• Tigers are apex predators that require very large territories (often over 100 km²) to find enough prey. This means they are naturally spread very thinly across the forest, and any individual tiger would only pass through a small number of camera trap locations. [1]
• As top predators, tigers are naturally much less abundant than the herbivores they prey on. The ecological principle of energy transfer between trophic levels means that each successive level supports roughly 10% of the biomass of the level below, so there are far fewer tigers than deer or wild boar. [1]

(c) Two advantages of camera traps over direct observation: [2]

• Camera traps can operate continuously, 24 hours a day, and are particularly effective at detecting nocturnal and crepuscular (dawn/dusk-active) species that researchers would rarely see during daylight surveys. Many tropical mammals are most active at night. [1]
• Camera traps do not disturb the animals, so they record natural behaviour patterns. Human observers can alter animal behaviour through their presence (noise, scent, movement), introducing bias into population estimates. Camera traps avoid this observer effect entirely. [1]

(d) The Critically Endangered classification and threats to pangolins: [3]

• Critically Endangered means the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. It is the most severe IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild and Extinct, indicating that without urgent intervention, the species may disappear entirely. [1]
• Pangolins are the world's most heavily trafficked mammals. They are poached for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine in parts of Asia despite having no proven medicinal value (the scales are made of keratin, the same protein as human fingernails). [1]
• Their forest habitat is being destroyed by logging, agricultural expansion (particularly palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia) and infrastructure development. As forests shrink and fragment, pangolin populations become smaller and more isolated, making them even more vulnerable to poaching. [1]

(e) How camera trap data could inform a conservation plan: [4]

• The data reveals which species are present and their relative abundance. Species with very few detections (pangolin: 5, tiger: 12) can be identified as priority targets for specific conservation measures such as anti-poaching patrols. [1]
• Detection patterns across the 50 camera stations can identify which areas of the forest are most important for key species. If endangered species are concentrated in certain zones, patrol routes and ranger stations can be positioned to protect those areas most effectively. [1]
• The 12-month dataset provides a baseline for population monitoring. Future surveys using the same camera stations can be compared with this data to measure whether conservation actions (anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration) are producing measurable results. [1]
• Understanding species overlap and activity patterns helps managers identify critical habitats that serve multiple species. For example, areas where both elephants and tigers are detected may be important corridors connecting habitat patches and should be protected from development. [1]