Ethan Hammer

Wildland Resources

Mentor: Dr. Nicki Frey

Remote Camera Surveys to Inventory and Monitor Wildlife in Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument, located in Utah, is host to numerous types of vegetation in varying climates. Forests, meadows and unique ‘redrock’ habitats created by the Claron sandstone formations of southern Utah provide rich wildlife resources. Our project to monitor and inventory wildlife in the monument in 2018 is the most recent survey of the area since 2002. Our project used two remote camera survey methods. In addition to the traditional method of placing camera to capture large mammals, we developed a method to detect small mammals. Motion-sensor remote cameras were set at ground level approximately 1/2 meter from a 1/3m -long corrugated plastic tube. With this combined methodology, over twenty unique mammalian species have been identified in the National Monument- including five species that were previously unseen and unconfirmed in the monument. The small mammal detection method was equally as effective as the traditional (large-mammal) method in detecting large and medium mammalian species while being more effective in detecting small mammalian species. We conclude that this new remote camera survey method is an effective way to survey mammalian species of all sizes for an area’s richness.