Remote Camera Survey Guidelines & AB Metadata Standards

Updates

January 20, 2025

• January 20, 2025

  • New links to FWMIS loadforms

https://www.alberta.ca/fwmis-loadform-check-tool

July 4, 2024

• July 4, 2024

  • New version - EpiCollect Template & JSON file

    • A new version of the EpiCollect is available online.

    • You can find a JSON file below that can be imported into EpiCollect to create an editable version of the template managed under your EpiCollect account.

  • New version - Metadata Template

    • Since Epicollect limits the character length for field names, the field codes do not completely align with the field codes in the Metadata Template. Therefore the metadata template has also been updated to include a “field_code_epicollect” in the “legend_md_standards_surv_guidel” tab, to support users in cross-walking data fields when using this template.

    • The data field options previously excluded in the “data_validation” tab of the metadata template have now been included. The previously excluded fields were those not required in “Alberta Remote Camera Metadata Standards”, but included in the “Remote Camera Survey Guidelines.”

  • Version crosswalk

    • You can now find a crosswalk of the data fields in the current and previous versions of the Metadata Template.

  • See “Downloads & Links” section below for all updated files/links.

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Download files / Access templates

See also

Download everything

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: Guidelines for Western Canada

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: Guidelines for Western Canada v1 (RCSC et al., 2024)

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: Camera Deployment Field Datasheet (RCSC et al., 2024)

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: Test Image Sheet (RCSC et al., 2024)

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: Camera Service/Retrieval Field Datasheet (RCSC et al., 2024)

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: EpiCollect Template (RCSC et al., 2024)

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines: EpiCollect Template JSON (RCSC et al., 2024)

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Remote Camera Metadata Standards: Standards for Alberta

Remote Camera Metadata Standards: Standards for Alberta v3 (RCSC, 2024)

Alberta Remote Camera Metadata Standards: Metadata Template (RCSC, 2024)

Alberta Remote Camera Metadata Standards: Version Crosswalk (RCSC, 2024)

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Tables of Content

Remote Camera Survey Guidelines

• Citation & Information
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables & List of Figures
  • List of Tables
• List of Figures
• 1.0 Background
• 2.0 Intended Audience and How to use this document
  • 2.1 Supporting documents
• 3.0 Design hierarchy
• 4.0 Objectives
• 5.0 Detection probability
• 6.0 Study design
  • 6.1 Study area
  • 6.2 Site selection and camera arrangement
    • 6.2.1 Random (or “simple random”) design
    • 6.2.2 Systematic design
    • 6.2.3 Stratified design
    • 6.2.4 Clustered / Paired designs
    • 6.2.5 Targeted design
    • 6.2.6 Convenience design
    • 6.2.7 Pseudoreplication
  • 6.3 Camera spacing
    • 6.3.1 Modelling approach
    • 6.3.2 Avoidance behaviour
    • 6.3.3 Site closure assumption
  • 6.4 Survey effort and timing
    • 6.4.1 Survey effort - Number of cameras
    • 6.4.2 Survey effort - Camera days per camera location
    • 6.4.3 Survey effort - Total number of camera days
    • 6.4.4 Species rarity
    • 6.4.5 Number of cameras vs. Camera days per camera location
    • 6.4.6 Survey timing
• 7.0 Camera deployment
  • 7.1 Camera hardware options
    • 7.1.1 Battery type
    • 7.1.2 SD cards
  • 7.2 Camera settings
    • 7.2.1 Photos vs video
    • 7.2.2 Trigger Mode(s) - Time-lapse vs. motion detector
    • 7.2.3 Trigger Sensitivity, Photos Per Trigger, Motion Image Interval and Quiet Period
  • 7.3 Attractants vs. no attractants
  • 7.4 Camera placement
    • 7.4.1 FOV Target Feature
    • 7.4.2 Camera Height
    • 7.4.3 Camera angle
    • 7.4.4 Camera Direction
    • 7.4.5 Field of View (FOV) and Walktest
    • 7.4.6 Test image
    • 7.4.7 Deployment Area Photos (optional)
    • 7.4.8 Camera Location Characteristics
    • 7.4.9 Field equipment
  • 7.5 Metadata
    • 7.5.1 Metadata - Deployment, Service and Retrieval
    • 7.5.2 Spatial information
    • 7.5.3 SD card retrieval
• 8.0 Data management and processing
  • 8.1 Software and tools
  • 8.2 Data storage (archival)
  • 8.3 Image processing
    • 8.3.1 Image names
    • 8.3.2 Image classification and tagging
    • 8.3.3 Use of artificial intelligence (MegaDetector)
    • 8.3.4 Human images
  • 8.4 Data analysis
  • 8.5 Useful websites
• 9.0 References
• Appendix A - Tables
  • Appendix A - Table A1
  • Appendix A - Table A2
  • Appendix A - Table A3
  • Appendix A - Table A4
  • Appendix A - Table A5
• Appendix A - Field Datasheets
  • Camera Deployment Field Datasheet
  • Test Image Sheet
  • Camera Service/Retrieval Field Datasheet
• Appendix B

AB Remote Camera Metadata Standards

• Citation & Information
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables & List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • List of Figures
• 1.0 Purpose
  • 1.2 Supporting documents
• 2.0 Background
• 3.0 Metadata Standards
• 4.0 Project
  • 4.1 Project Name
  • 4.2 Project Coordinator
  • 4.3 Project Coordinator Email
  • 4.4 Project Description
• 5.0 Study Area
  • 5.1 Study Area Name
  • 5.2 Study Area Description
• 6.0 Surveys
  • 6.1 Survey Name
  • 6.2 Survey Objectives
  • 6.3 Target Species
  • 6.4 Survey Design
  • 6.5 Survey Design Description (optional)
  • 6.6 Event Type
• 7.0 Sample Station/Camera Location
  • 7.1 Sample Station Name
  • 7.2 Camera Location Name
  • 7.3 Latitude Camera Location
  • 7.4 Longitude Camera Location
  • 7.5 Northing Camera Location
  • 7.6 Easting Camera Location
  • 7.7 UTM Zone Camera Location
  • 7.8 GPS Unit Accuracy (m)
  • 7.9 Camera Location Comments (optional)
• 8.0 Deployment
  • 8.1 Deployment - Visit Metadata
    • 8.1.1 Deployment Name
    • 8.1.2 Deployment Crew and Service/Retrieval Crew
    • 8.1.3 Deployment Start Date Time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM:SS)
    • 8.1.4 Deployment End Date Time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM:SS)
    • 8.1.5 Visit Comments (optional)
  • 8.2 Deployment - Equipment Information
    • 8.2.1 Camera ID
    • 8.2.2 Camera Make
    • 8.2.3 Camera Model
    • 8.2.4 Camera Serial Number
  • 8.3 Deployment - Camera Settings
    • 8.3.1 Trigger Mode(s)
    • 8.3.2 Video Length (seconds)
    • 8.3.3 Trigger Sensitivity
    • 8.3.4 Photos Per Trigger
    • 8.3.5 Motion Image Interval (seconds)
    • 8.3.6 Quiet Period (seconds)
    • 8.4 Deployment - Camera Placement
    • 8.4.1 Camera Height (m)
    • 8.4.2 Camera Direction (degrees) (optional)
    • 8.4.3 Stake Distance (m) (optional)
    • 8.4.4 FOV Target Feature
    • 8.4.5 FOV Target Feature Distance (m) (optional)
    • 8.4.6 Bait/Lure Type
  • 8.5 Deployment - Site Characteristics
    • 8.5.1 Camera Location Characteristic(s) (optional)
    • 8.6 Deployment - Equipment Checks
    • 8.6.1 Walktest Distance (m) (optional)
    • 8.6.2 Walktest Height (m) (optional)
  • Deployment - Image Set Information
    • 8.7.1 Image Set Start Date Time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM:SS)
    • 8.7.2 Image Set End Date Time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM:SS)
    • 8.7.3 Deployment Image Count (optional)
• 9.0 Image/Sequence
  • 9.1 Image Name
  • 9.2 Sequence Name
  • 9.3 Image/Sequence Date Time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM:SS)
  • 9.4 Analyst
  • 9.5 Species
  • 9.6 Individual Count
  • 9.7 Age Class and Sex Class
  • 9.8 Behaviour (optional)
  • 9.9 Animal ID (optional)
  • 9.10 Human Transport Mode/Activity (optional)
  • 9.11 Image/Sequence Comments (optional)
  • 9.12 Image Trigger Mode (optional)
  • 9.13 Image Sequence (optional)
  • 9.14 Image Infrared Illuminator (optional)
  • 9.15 Image Flash Output (optional)
• 10.0 Data management
  • 10.1 Naming conventions
  • 10.1.1 Allowable formats & Special characters
    • 10.1.2 Renaming images
  • 10.2 File structure
  • 10.5 Data storage (archival)
• 11.0 Conclusion
• 13.0 References
• Appendix A

Glossary

• Glossary

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