Prof. Helen Regan from San Diego State University and her Masters student, Lisa Markovchick-Nicholls, collaborated with the San Diego Tracking Team (SDTT) to investigate environmental and human land-use variables associated with animal movement in urbanized areas. The SDTT are a volunteer group who have been conducting citizen-based monitoring of animal tracks for over 10 years. This is the first time their considerable data set had been statistically analysed and used for decision making for future monitoring and management activities. This work resulted in recommendations for improvement on data collection and reporting protocols and a manuscript submitted for publication (see below). Most importantly it provided a formal avenue for the group to contribute to County-wide monitoring conducted by government agencies.

Publication
Markovchick-Nicholls, L., H.M. Regan, D.H. Deutschman, A Widyanata, B. Martin, L. Noreke and T.A. Hunt. Relationships between human disturbance and wildlife land use in urban habitat fragments. Conservation Biology  (in press).

 

Contact: Prof Helen Regan