Camera Trap Detection Rate

AUS-AIF-CON-CTR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 100 to 150 Detections per 100 trap-nights
Optimal Range: 100 to 150
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

Final Benchmark Recommendation and Interpretation Indicator Name: Camera Trap Detection Rate Reference Value: 100 - 150 (total native fauna)

Metric Definition:

Camera Trap Detection Rate (CTR) as the number of animal detection events per unit of sampling effort, typically expressed as detections per 100 trap-nights.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the total detection rate for a diverse native fauna community in a high-integrity arid conservation landscape, serving as an aspirational target for a healthy system.

Justification:

This benchmark represents the total detection rate for a diverse native fauna community in a high-integrity arid conservation landscape. It is derived from a large-scale, methodologically robust proxy study in the Mount Isa Inlier and should be considered an aspirational target for a healthy system. Confidence is 'Moderate' as the source study used bait and was in a rocky, not floodplain, biome.

Sources (2)

Preview of Rocky landform specialists of the Mount Isa Inlier: camera trapping ..., accessed July 30, 2025,
Rocky landform specialists of the Mount Isa Inlier: camera trapping ..., accessed July 30, 2025, Journal

Optimising camera trap surveys for the rocky landform fauna of the Mount Isa Inlier, Queensland - USC Research Bank

View Source
Preview of Rocky landform specialists of the Mount Isa Inlier: camera trapping reveals seasonal occupancy and habitat associations of a unique faunal assemblage in an ancient landscape
Rocky landform specialists of the Mount Isa Inlier: camera trapping reveals seasonal occupancy and habitat associations of a unique faunal assemblage in an ancient landscape Journal

Rocky landform specialists of the Mount Isa Inlier: camera trapping reveals seasonal occupancy and habitat associations of a unique faunal assemblage in an ancient landscape

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 23 Mar 2026

Notes

The absolute value is less important than community composition. Lower Critical Threshold: A state of faunal depletion indicated by the absence of specialist species and critically low species richness, not a specific number. Upper Detrimental Threshold: A high CTR becomes a negative indicator if dominated by invasive predators (e.g., feral cat CTR > 1 detection/100 trap-nights) or hyper-abundant native herbivores (e.g., kangaroos) causing measurable vegetation degradation. The primary goal of management should be to foster a balanced community with high native species richness and suppressed invasive species.