Oklahoma Project: Snapshot USA

Oklahoma Project

Snapshot USA

August 2021 - December 2022

Personnel

Robert Lonsinger, Co-Principal Investigator

Participating Agencies

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. In 2019, a network of scientists launched Snapshot USA, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife using cameras across the United States. Surveys in 2019 collected data at 1,509 camera sites within 110 camera arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across all 50 states In 2019, surveys were conducted over a 14-week period in the fall. This effort resulted in 166,036 detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. Images were processed through the Smithsonian’s eMammal data repository and included an expert review to ensure taxonomic accuracy. All survey data were made available in a recent data publication (Cove et al. 2021; Ecology). This project is a continuation and expansion of initial Snapshot USA, and creates a new camera array in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma). Data collected will be archived at the Smithsonian and made available for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans.

Research Publications

Research Publications	Publication Date
Cove, M. V., R. Kays, H. Bontrager, C. Bresnan, M. Lasky, T. Frerichs, R. Klann, T. E. Lee Jr., S. C. Crockett, A. P. Crupi, K. C. B. Weiss, H. Rowe, T. Sprague, J. Schipper, C. Tellez, C. A. Lepczyk, J. E. Fantle‐Lepczyk, S. LaPoint, J. Williamson, M. C. Fisher‐Reid, S. M. King, A. J. Bebko, P. Chrysafis, A. J. Jensen, D. S. Jachowski, J. Sands, K. A. MacCombie, D. J. Herrera, M. van der Merwe, T. W. Knowles, R. V. Horan III, M. S. Rentz, L. S. E. Brandt, C. Nagy, B. T. Barton, W. C. Thompson, S. P. Maher, A. K. Darracq, G. Hess, A. W. Parsons, B. Wells, G. W. Roemer, C. J. Hernandez, M. E. Gompper, S. L. Webb, J. P. Vanek, D. J. R. Lafferty, A. M. Bergquist, T. Hubbard, T. Forrester, D. Clark, C. Cincotta, J. Favreau, A. N. Facka, M. Halbur, S. Hammerich, M. Gray, C. C. Rega‐Brodsky, C. Durbin, E. A. Flaherty, J. M. Brooke, S. S. Coster, R. G. Lathrop, K. Russell, D. A. Bogan, R. Cliché, H. Shamon, M. T. R. Hawkins, S. B. Marks, R. C. Lonsinger, M. T. O'Mara, J. A. Compton, M. Fowler, E. L., K. E. Andy, J. L. Belant, D. E. Byer Jr., T. M. Kautz, D. G. Scognamillo, C. M. Schalk, M. S. Leslie, S. L. Nasrallah, C. N. Ellison, C. Ruthven, S. Fritts, J. Tleimat, M. Gay, C. A. Whittier, S. A. Neiswenter, R. Pelletier, B. A. DeGregorio, E. K. Kuprewicz, M. L. Davis, A. Dykstra, D. S. Mason, C. Baruzzi, M. A. Lashley, D. R. Risch, M. R. Price, M. L. Allen, L. S. Whipple, J. H. Sperry, R. H. Hagen, A. Mortelliti, B. E. Evans, C. E. Studds, A. P. K. Sirén, J. Kilborn, C. Sutherland, P. Warren, T. Fuller, N. C. Harris, N. H. Carter, E. Trout, M. Zimova, S. T. Giery, F. Iannarilli, S. D. Higdon, R. S. Revord, C. P. Hansen, J. J. Millspaugh, A. Zorn, J. F. Benson, N. H. Wehr, J. N. Solberg, B. D. Gerber, J. C. Burr, J. Sevin, A. M. Green, Ç. H. Şekercioğlu, M. Pendergast, K. A. Barnick, A. J. Edelman, J. R. Wasdin, A. Romero, B. J. O'Neill, N. Schmitz, J. M. Alston, K. M. Kuhn, D. B. Lesmeister, M. A. Linnell, C. L. Appel, C. Rota, J. L. Stenglein, C. Anhalt‐Depies, C. Nelson, R. A. Long, K. J. Jaspers, K. R. Remine, M. J. Jordan, D. Davis, H. Hernández‐Yáñez, J. Y. Zhao, and W. J. McShea. 2021. Snapshot USA: the first coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States – data from 2019. Ecology. Online early. doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3353. \| Abstract \| Publisher Website	April 2021	With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14‐week period (17 August ‐ 24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian’s eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the USA. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban‐wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot‐usa, as well as future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species‐specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.
SNAPSHOT USA 2020: A second coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3775 Roland Kays^1,2, Michael V. Cove², Jose Diaz³, Kimberly Todd³, Claire Bresnan³, Matt Snider¹,Thomas E. Lee, Jr.⁴, Seth C. Crockett⁴, Anthony P. Crupi⁵, Katherine C.B. Weiss^6,7, Helen Rowe⁸, Tiffany Sprague⁸, Jan Schipper⁷, Christopher A. Lepczyk⁹, Jean E. Fantle-Lepczyk⁹, Jon Davenport¹⁰, Zach Farris¹⁰, Jacque Williamson¹¹, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid¹², Drew Rezendes¹², Alexandra J. Bebko¹², Petros Chrysafis¹³, Alex J. Jensen¹⁴, David S. Jachowski¹⁴, Katherine C. King¹⁵, Brandon McDonald¹⁵, Daniel J. Herrera¹⁶, Marius van der Merwe¹⁷, Robert V. Horan III¹⁹, Michael S. Rentz²⁰, LaRoy S.E. Brandt²¹, Christopher Nagy²², Sean P. Maher²⁴, Andrea K. Darracq²⁵, George Hess³, Matthew E. Gompper²⁶, Stephen L. Webb²⁷, John P. Vanek²⁸, Diana J. R. Lafferty²⁹, Tru Hubbard²⁹, Jorie Favreau³¹, Jack Fogarty³¹, Steven Hammerich³³, Michelle Halbur³³, Morgan Gray³³, Christine C. Rega-Brodsky³⁴, Caleb Durbin³⁴, Elizabeth A. Flaherty³⁵, Jarred Brooke³⁵, Stephanie S. Coster³⁶, Richard G. Lathrop³⁷, Katarina Russell³⁷, Daniel A. Bogan³⁸, Hila Shamon¹, Robert C. Lonsinger⁴², M. Teague O'Mara⁴³, Justin A. Compton⁴⁴, Melinda Fowler⁴⁴, Erika L. Barthelmess⁴⁵, Katherine E. Andy⁴⁵, Jerrold L. Belant⁴⁶, Dean E. Beyer, Jr.⁴⁷, Daniel G. Scognamillo⁴⁸, Chris Schalk⁴⁸, Caroline N. Ellison⁵⁰, Chip Ruthven⁵⁰, Sarah Fritts⁵¹, Jaquelyn Tleimat⁵¹, Mandy Gay⁵¹, Christopher A. Whittier⁵², Sean A. Neiswenter⁵³, Robert Pelletier⁵³, Brett A. DeGregorio⁵⁴, Erin K. Kuprewicz⁵⁵, Miranda L. Davis⁵⁵, Carolina Baruzzi⁵⁷, Marcus A. Lashley⁵⁶, David Mason⁵⁶, Derek R. Risch⁵⁸, Maximilian L. Allen^59,60, Laura S. Whipple⁶⁰, Jinelle H. Sperry⁶¹, Patrick Wolff⁶¹, Robert H. Hagen⁶², Alessio Mortelliti⁶³, Amay Bolinjcar⁶³, Marketa Zimova⁶⁸, Sean T. Giery⁷⁰, Summer D. Higdon⁷², Ronald S. Revord⁷², Christopher P. Hansen⁷³, Joshua J. Millspaugh⁷³, Adam Zorn⁷⁴, Nathaniel H. Wehr⁷⁵, Brian D. Gerber⁷⁷, Kylie Rezendes⁷⁷, Jessie Adley⁷⁷, Jennifer Sevin⁷⁸, Austin M. Green⁷⁹, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu^79,80, Mary E. Pendergast⁸¹, Kayleigh Mullen⁸¹, Tori Bird^81b, Andrew J. Edelman⁸², Tim Hawig⁸², Joanne R. Wasdin⁸², Andrea Romero⁸³, Brian J. O'Neill^83b[KR1] , Noel Schmitz^83b, Rebecca A Vandermus⁸³, Jesse M. Alston⁸⁴, Kellie M. Kuhn⁸⁵, Damon B. Lesmeister⁸⁶, Cara L. Appel⁸⁷, Christopher Rota⁸⁸, Jennifer L. Stenglein⁸⁹, Christine Anhalt-Depies⁸⁹, Carrie Nelson⁹⁰, Robert A. Long⁹¹, Paula MacKay⁹¹, Kathryn R. Remine⁹¹, Mark J. Jordan⁹², Mark Elbroch⁹³, Dylan Bergman⁹⁴, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli⁹⁵, Kim Sager⁹⁵, Haydée Hernández-Yáñez³, William J. McShea³ \| Abstract \| Download	April 2022	<b>Abstract</b>: Managing wildlife populations in the face of global change requires regular data on the abundance and distribution of wild animals but acquiring these over appropriate spatial scales in a sustainable way has proven challenging. Here we present the data from Snapshot USA 2020, a second annual national mammal survey of the United States of America. This project involved xx scientists setting camera traps in a standardized protocol at 1481 locations across 102 arrays in 43 states for a total of 51,988 trap-nights of survey effort. Most (58) of these arrays were also sampled during the same months (September and October) in 2019, providing a direct comparison of animal populations in two years that include data from before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. All data were managed by the eMammal system, with all species identifications checked by at least two reviewers. In total we recorded 114,749 detections of 77 species of wild mammals, 9200 detections of at least 25 species of birds, 15,847 detections of seven domestic animals and 23,705 detections of humans or their vehicles. Spatial differences across arrays explained more variation in the relative abundance than temporal variation across years for all 38 species modeled, although there are examples of significant site-level differences between years for many species. Temporal results show how species allocate their time and can be used to study species interactions, including between humans and wildlife. These data provide a snapshot of the mammal community of the USA for 2020 and will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, and the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns.

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oklahoma Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources