Traps:
- Live traps: Used to capture animals alive for research, relocation, or monitoring. Examples include box traps, cage traps, and walk-in traps.
- Lethal traps: Used to collect specimens for population surveys or pest control. Examples include snap traps, pitfall traps, and kill traps.
Nets:
- Mist nets: Fine mesh nets strung between poles, used to capture birds and bats as they fly through.
- Dip nets: Nets with a round or square frame attached to a long handle, used to collect aquatic insects and other small animals in water bodies.
- Sweep nets: Nets with a long handle and a wide, shallow opening, used to sweep through vegetation to collect insects and other small invertebrates.
Transects:
- Line transects: Straight lines along which researchers record observations of animals and plants. Can be used for distance sampling to estimate population density.
- Belt transects: Rectangular or strip-shaped areas along which researchers record observations of animals and plants. Used to estimate species richness and abundance.
Camera Traps:
- Remote cameras triggered by motion or heat sensors, used to capture images or videos of animals in their natural habitats without disturbing them.
Acoustic Monitoring:
- Recording devices used to record animal vocalizations, such as bird songs, bat echolocation calls, or primate vocalizations. Analysis of these recordings can provide information about species presence, abundance, and behavior.
Radio Telemetry:
- Animals are fitted with radio transmitters that emit signals, allowing researchers to track their movements using radio receivers or telemetry towers.
Mark-Recapture:
- Involves capturing, marking, and releasing animals, and then recapturing a portion of the marked individuals, to estimate population size and other parameters.
Remote Sensing:
- Satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and other remote sensing methods can be used to assess habitat characteristics, track animal movements, and estimate population numbers.
Genetic Sampling:
- Collection of tissue samples or scat for genetic analysis to study population genetics, relatedness, and genetic diversity.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) Sampling:
- Collection of water or soil samples to detect the presence of animal DNA through genetic analysis, which can provide information about species occurrence and abundance without the need for direct observation.
The choice of sampling equipment depends on factors such as the target species, the study objectives, the habitat conditions, and the budget and resources available.