Monitoring Mongolian Biodiversity Wildlife Picture Index (WPI)

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1 Monitoring Mongolian Biodiversity Wildlife Picture Index (WPI) Zoological Society of London in cooperation with World Bank-NEMO and UNDP Altay Sayan Project and with the Park Administration of Mongolia

2 Mongolia Undergoing rapid social, environmental and economic change Increased illegal hunting and wildlife trade Red List for Mammals, initiated by World Bank, indicates that 79% of large ungulates and 12% of carnivores are listed as threatened with extinction (Clark et al. 2006)

3 Reversing Wildlife Declines Define scope and severity of wildlife population declines To help define and communicate trends in Mongolian biodiversity by implementing a large scale monitoring strategy based on camera trapping called WPI (Wildlife Picture Index)

4 Convention on Biological Diversity Target to reduce the current rate of loss of biodiversity for 2010 WPI will help Mongolia meets its commitment to monitor progress towards this target

5 Why are camera traps (& WPI) a good tool to meet these goals? Non-obtrusive Low observer error Scientifically robust Does not require highly skilled staff Can be used to reliably compare different sites Low cost (compared to studies of equal rigor) Interesting for the general public and policy makers

6 WPI Methodology Developed by world s leading experts Led by ZSL and WCS but included WWF, Conservation International, and Flora and Fauna International

7 WPI: What is it? Community level biodiversity based approach for monitoring medium to large terrestrial vertebrates using presence/absence based occupancy statistics and indices of abundance Includes both community level and species level trends Possible, in some cases, to estimate populations based on count and occupancy

8 In order to determine trends in biodiversity, WPI recommends that Camera stations placed systematically within fixed sampling blocks Placed along a gradient from most human influence to least Implemented annually for site based priority setting and management Can be implemented in different habitats and biological communities

9 Calculating the Index Produces an indicator of the mean rate of population change for a species or for a suite of vertebrate species Geometric mean method described by Buckland et al Need multiple years of data

10 Pilot Study: Myangan Ugalzat Tsegtseg Soum, Hovd Aimag 30 day period To test camera stations Figure out feasibility Refine methods for future training Report findings Assist Park Administration in managing its park

11 Location in Western Mongolia

12 Camera Station Lay Out Grid I in Buffer Zone 20 camera stations 20 sq km grid Lower elevation Dry steppe More human disturbance* Grid II in Core Area of Park 20 camera stations 20 sq km grid Higher elevation Dry steppe, steppe and wet meadow Less human disturbance*

13 Methods: Camera Preparation & Set Up

14 Camera station maintenance

15 Other wildlife sampling techniques Point Counts - Bird density - Bird diversity

16 Small mammal trapping: abundance and diversity

17 Acoustic monitoring: Bats

18 Mist netting: Bird Diversity

19 Findings

20 Grid I: Findings Many pikas! Marmots Small birds such as wheatears

21 Grid I: Red Fox and Corsac

22 Grid I: Argali

23 Grid II: Findings

24 Grid II: Findings

25 Grid II: Wildlife

26 Grid II: Livestock and Herder

27 Conclusions Camera stations worked well Livestock were attracted to our camera stations, which caused problems With the help of the local community, this project could be a success

28 Project Expansion 100 camera stations Training for rangers and herder groups Set up and maintain for 3 months each year for 3 years at several sites

29 Future of WPI

30 Thanks

31 Funded by the Zoological Society of London and World Bank/NEMO