台灣山區地形複雜,多數野生動物自然棲息環境的地形陡峭難行或植生茂密,直接觀察的研究方法執行困難。由1992年2月-1993年11月之間,本研究共使用20台自動照相設備在本省山區記錄野生動物的活動模式,其中台灣獼猴(Macaca cyclopis)、台灣鼬獾(Melogale moschata subaurantiaca)和藍腹鷴(Lophura swinhoii)被用來評估由自動照相所得之活動模式的正確性。本研究計算前述三種動物在一日中各小時的活動指標(=各時段所拍到個體數/該時段照相機的工作時數),並比較各時段活動指標的分布模式與過去以直接觀察(或記錄)的方法所得到之活動模式。結果顯示以自動照相所得的活動模式符合「動物的活動(或移動)程度越高,則被自動照相機拍攝到的個體(或照片)數也會越多」的假設前提。唯,對於活動範圍不只在一個森林分層的動物,自動照相設備的架設需涵蓋該物種的各活動層面,才能獲得較完整且正確的活動模式。
Wildlife habitats in Taiwan are dominated by mountain terrain and dense forests. Direct observation of wildlife is difficult. Twenty auto-trigger cameras were used in the field to record activity patterns of wildlife during February 1992-November 1993. Activity patterns of Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis), Formosan ferret badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca), and Swinhoe's Pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) were selected to evaluate the reliability of data collected by cameras. The hourly Activity Index (= the number of photos taken per unit hour) was calculated for each species, and comparisons were made from the hourly distribution of the Activity Index with direct observations made by others. The results of activity patterns derived from the cameras are in accordance with the assumption that more pictures should be taken when animals are active. However, for species which use more than 1 stratum of the forest, installation of cameras should cover all of the strata in order to collect the complete activity pattern.