Article
Biology
Wei Zhang, Simon J. J. Bonner, Rachel S. S. McCrea
Summary: Batch marking is a common and useful approach in capture-recapture studies when individual marks cannot be applied. However, fitting traditional models to batch marked data can be computationally challenging. This paper proposes a latent multinomial model and demonstrates its efficacy through simulation studies.
Article
Entomology
Brandon M. Quinby, J. Curtis Creighton, Elizabeth A. Flaherty
Summary: Successful conservation and management of protected wildlife populations rely on reliable population abundance data. Photographic mark-recapture (PMR) provides a cost-effective and minimally invasive method to study population dynamics in species with distinct markings. The study tested the feasibility and application of PMR using Hotspotter software to identify Nicrophorus spp. based on elytral spot patterns, demonstrating its utility in estimating population abundance.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brooke A. Biddlecombe, Steven H. Ferguson, Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, Darren M. Gillis, Cortney A. Watt
Summary: Using genetic mark recapture analyses, the total abundance of the Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whale population was estimated to be 5173 individuals from 2012 to 2021. This suggests that the population may be plateauing well below the pre-commercial whaling carrying capacity estimate. The population estimate is important for updating conservation efforts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Thomas V. Riecke, Daniel Gibson, James S. Sedinger, Michael Schaub
Summary: This paper explores the use of count distributions to estimate the observation process in capture-mark-recapture studies, and demonstrates its ability to accurately recover demographic and observation parameters.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andi M. Stewart, Mary M. Conner, Jane S. McKeever, Alisa Ellsworth, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Thomas R. Stephenson
Summary: Monitoring big game populations is necessary for making well-informed management decisions. A new method, fecal DNA-based capture-recapture, was evaluated for estimating abundance of mule deer herds in the eastern Sierra Nevada. The results showed that while aerial mark-resight surveys provided more precise abundance estimates, fecal DNA capture-recapture was more cost-effective. The success of this method depends on weather conditions and the ability to survey an adequate proportion of the study area and collect enough samples.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brianna M. Russo, Andrew S. Jones, Matthew J. Clement, Nathan Fyffe, Jacob I. Mesler, Esther S. Rubin
Summary: Estimating wildlife abundance, particularly for rare species, is challenging. This study investigates the efficacy of camera trapping for estimating the Mexican wolf population. The results show that camera trapping is accurate and cost-effective compared to traditional monitoring techniques.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2023)
Review
Entomology
Emma L. Briggs, Christopher Baranski, Olivia Munzer Schaetz, Gabriela Garrison, Jaime A. Collazo, Elsa Youngsteadt
Summary: Wild bees play a crucial role in various ecosystems, but some species are experiencing population decline. The current methods used to assess the population of wild bees have limitations and uncertainties. This study reviews mark-recapture methods and presents a case study comparing them to traditional sampling methods in a wild bee community. The results show that mark-recapture methods are correlated with abundance estimates, providing a feasible way to monitor selected species and evaluate other sampling methods.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. Harihar, D. Lahkar, A. Singh, S. Kumar Das, M. F. Ahmed, R. H. Begum
Summary: This study applied SMR models to estimate leopard densities at Manas National Park in India, with a high proportion of melanistic leopards captured. The research highlights the potential of SMR models for revisiting past camera trap survey data and generating valuable information on populations.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Holly J. Stokes, Jeanne A. Mortimer, Jacques-Olivier Laloe, Graeme C. Hays, Nicole Esteban
Summary: Estimating the abundance of immature hawksbill and green turtles in a tidal lagoon of the Chagos Archipelago, the study used satellite tracking, UAV surveys, and capture-mark-recapture methods. The results showed a total of 339 turtles in the lagoon, with 91% being hawksbills and 9% being green turtles. These hawksbill densities are the highest reported among 17 foraging sites recorded worldwide, reflecting the successful long-term protection of turtles in the Chagos Archipelago.
Article
Ecology
D. Doran-Myers, A. J. Kenney, C. J. Krebs, C. T. Lamb, A. K. Menzies, D. Murray, E. K. Studd, J. Whittington, S. Boutin
Summary: Unbiased population density estimates are crucial for ecological research and wildlife management, but estimating density accurately can be challenging. This study on Canada lynx highlighted the significant variation in density estimates across methods, despite following method requirements and assumptions. It emphasizes the importance of careful and unbiased sampling design and the need for further research to fully assess the accuracy and limitations of wildlife density estimation methods.
Article
Ecology
Sebastian Wacker, Hans J. Skaug, Torbjorn Forseth, Oyvind Solem, Eva M. Ulvan, Peder Fiske, Sten Karlsson
Summary: Genetic methods, particularly Close-Kin Mark-Recapture (CKMR), can be effective alternatives in estimating population sizes. The study focused on evaluating CKMR for estimating spawner abundance in Atlantic salmon, revealing the impact of age, sex, spatial, and temporal sampling bias on estimates. Results showed that CKMR estimates were robust to bias after correction, offering a moderate sampling effort solution for estimating spawner abundance in Atlantic salmon populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Joel S. Ruprecht, Charlotte E. Eriksson, Tavis D. Forrester, Darren A. Clark, Michael J. Wisdom, Mary M. Rowland, Bruce K. Johnson, Taal Levi
Summary: Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models and camera-based generalized spatial mark-resight (gSMR) models produced density estimates that were consistent for black bears, cougars, and coyotes, but SCR estimates were 33% higher than gSMR estimates for bobcats. Unmarked models yielded widely varying density estimates compared to SCR, but models with more identifiable individuals produced more consistent results. Hybrid models incorporating all data sources gave the most precise estimates across all species.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Makenzie Henk, Carrington Hilson, William T. Bean, Daniel C. Barton, Micaela Szykman Gunther
Summary: Accurate estimation of large mammal populations is crucial for conservation, harvest, and conflict management. This study investigated a non-invasive genetic sampling method combined with spatial capture-recapture (SCR) to estimate the abundance of Roosevelt elk in Northern California. The results demonstrated the potential of this method for estimating ungulate population sizes in challenging environments where traditional monitoring methods are not suitable.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nova J. Silvy, Roel R. Lopez, Cristian N. Lopez, Timothy Breen, Angelica Lopez, Andrea E. Montalvo, Israel D. Parker, Brian Powell
Summary: The study aimed to estimate the current population of Florida Key deer using traditional distance sampling and a mark-resight methodology for citizen scientist participation. The mark-resight estimate was lower than the traditional distance estimate, possibly due to increased deer visibility along survey routes. The mark-resight population estimate indicated increased deer abundance compared to post-Hurricane Irma estimates, but slightly below post-screwworm outbreak estimates.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara Martin-Garcia, Maria Cortazar-Chinarro, Mariano Rodriguez-Recio, Jose Jimenez, Jacob Hoglund, Emilio Virgos
Summary: Choosing the most appropriate sampling method is crucial for estimating population size. This study compared two commonly used sampling methods for the red fox and found that camera trapping provided a slightly higher minimum number of individuals compared to DNA faecal genotyping. Abundance estimates from camera trapping were positively correlated with the number of individuals detected, while there was a non-significant negative relationship between DNA faecal genotyping and abundance estimates.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)