Using Camera Traps to estimate Habitat Preferences and Occupancy Patterns of Vertebrates in Boreal Wetlands

Abstract

Wetlands are a critical habitat for boreal mammals and birds that rely on them for breeding, foraging, and resting. However, wetlands in boreal regions are under increasing natural and human pressure, leading to a reduction in habitat availability for these species. To inform management and conservation of wildlife, camera traps can help investigate habitat preferences. We aimed to evaluate the effect of habitat features on the occupancy of mammals and birds in boreal wetlands, namely beaver ponds and peatland ponds. We used a multispecies occupancy model to estimate the habitat associations of 11 mammals and 45 avian species detected at 50 ponds during the summers of 2018 and 2019 in Northern Quebec. The patterns of habitat response do not lend support to the hypothesis that beaver ponds host higher levels of occupancy of birds and mammals than peatland ponds. Our results suggest that certain mammals, such as Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and River Otters (Lontra canadensis), and birds including the American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), Common Raven (Corvus corax), Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), and Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) preferred peatland ponds, whereas the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) preferred beaver ponds. We found a few effects of distance to roads, but no effect of amount of forest cover on species occupancy. The occupancy of 27% of mammals and 24% of birds decreased with increasing latitude. These findings offer valuable insights for the preservation of different wetland types and their associated wildlife communities.