AUTHORS: Angel Justus, Missouri Western State University; Grace Allen, Missouri Western State University; Walter Bicklein, Missouri Western State University; Cooper Bien, Missouri Western State University; Boaz Evans, Missouri Western State University; Veronica Hendrickson, Missouri Western State University; Zachary Hendrickson, Missouri Western State University; Anna Livers, Missouri Western State University; Emily McClellan, Missouri Western State University; Terence Mercado, Missouri Western State University; Jada Sharp, Missouri Western State University; Autumn Shull, Missouri Western State University; Kyla Spradlin, Missouri Western State University; Carissa Ganong, Missouri Western State University; Cary D. Chevalier, Missouri Western State University.
ABSTRACT: Quantifying mammal abundance, species richness, and diversity is a key aspect of wildlife management. Missouri Western faculty and students collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution and the Snapshot USA project to inventory mammal biodiversity on the MWSU campus using Browning Dark Ops Pro DCI trail cameras. We installed eight game cameras throughout the 143-acre forested natural area on campus and swapped out SD cards weekly for eight weeks each fall (September-November, 2022-2024), ensuring that all cameras were at least 200 m apart. We acquired over 180,000 images and identified mammals to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Photos were uploaded to the Wildlife Insights database as part of the Snapshot USA project and will eventually be available to the public. Here we present data on mammalian species richness and relative abundance from our sites and compare our results to similar studies. This project provides baseline data on mammalian communities in an urban natural area and also illustrates the value of applied learning collaborations between institutions of higher education and national scientific institutions.
