Long-term monitoring of mammal communities in the Peneda-Ger?s National Park using camera-trap data

In the past decades, agricultural land abandonment and declining land-use intensity became common, especially in the Mediterranean countries of southern Europe. In some areas, this development opened up possibilities for rewilding and the recolonisation or expansion of large mammal populations. Yet, in some instances, co-occurrence of wild mammals and free-ranging domestic herbivores might lead to potential conflicts. It is, therefore, necessary to study the ecological interactions between wild and domestic mammal species to understand the effects of land abandonment and rewilding on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Camera traps are an effective tool for studying species interactions and occupancy dynamics as they allow for long-term monitoring with minimal interference. We conducted a long-term monitoring programme with camera traps substantial land-use changes following the abandonment of agricultural areas in the past 60 years. While agro-pastoral activities, especially the breeding of free-ranging horses and