chimpanzee_cameras: Chimpanzee Camera Trap Detection Data

In ecoteach: Educational Datasets for Ecology and Agriculture

Chimpanzee Camera Trap Detection Data

Description

This dataset contains presence/absence data for wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) detected by camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania. The data was collected as part of a study comparing the efficiency of camera traps versus passive acoustic monitoring for detecting chimpanzees in a savanna-woodland mosaic habitat.

Usage

chimpanzee_cameras

Format

A data frame with observations across multiple cameras and dates:

Camera

Camera trap identifier (factor)

Latitude

Latitude coordinates of the camera trap location (numeric)

Longitude

Longitude coordinates of the camera trap location (numeric)

Method

Camera placement method: 'systematic' or 'targeted' (factor)

Vegetation

Vegetation type at camera location: 'open' or 'closed' (factor)

Topography

Landscape feature at camera location: 'valley', 'slope', or 'plateau' (factor)

date

Date of observation (Date)

detection

Chimpanzee detection status: 'absent' or 'present' (factor)

Details

The dataset is in long format, with each row representing a camera trap observation for a specific date. Detection values are coded as 'present' (at least one detection during the day) or 'absent' (no detection). NA values indicate days when no survey was conducted (e.g., due to camera malfunction or not being deployed).

Source

Crunchant, Anne-Sophie and Borchers, David and Kuehl, Hjalmar and Piel, Alex K. (2020). Listening and watching: do camera traps or acoustic sensors more efficiently detect wild chimpanzees in an open habitat?. Dryad Digital Repository. \Sexpr[results=rd]{tools:::Rd_expr_doi("10.5061/DRYAD.5DV41NS34")}

Examples

# Load the dataset
data(chimpanzee_cameras)

# Basic exploration
head(chimpanzee_cameras)
summary(chimpanzee_cameras)


# Count detections by camera (requires dplyr)
if (requireNamespace("dplyr", quietly = TRUE)) {
  library(dplyr)
  chimpanzee_cameras %>%
    group_by(Camera) %>%
    summarize(
      total_observations = n(),
      detections = sum(detection == "present", na.rm = TRUE),
      detection_rate = mean(detection == "present", na.rm = TRUE)
    )
}

# Visualize detection patterns over time (requires ggplot2)
if (requireNamespace("ggplot2", quietly = TRUE)) {
  library(ggplot2)
  ggplot(chimpanzee_cameras, aes(x = date, y = Camera, fill = detection)) +
    geom_tile() +
    scale_fill_manual(values = c("absent" = "lightblue", "present" = "darkred"),
                      na.value = "gray90") +
    theme_minimal() +
    labs(title = "Chimpanzee detections by camera over time",
         x = "Date", y = "Camera")
}

ecoteach documentation built on June 29, 2025, 5:08 p.m.