David Kramer
Kelly A. Perkins
Angela K. Fuller
Joshua P. Twining
2024
<div id="preview-section-abstract"><div id="abstracts" class="Abstracts u-font-serif"><div id="ab0005" class="abstract author" lang="en"><div id="as0005"><p id="sp0020"><span>Accurate estimation and monitoring of wildlife population trends is foundational to evidence-based conservation. Here, we use hierarchical modelling to estimate population trends for six species of management interest (coyotes; <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about red foxes from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/vulpes-vulpes" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/vulpes-vulpes">red foxes</a>, white-tailed <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about deer from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cervidae" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cervidae">deer</a>, gray foxes; eastern <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about wild turkey from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/meleagris-gallopavo" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/meleagris-gallopavo">wild turkey</a>, and bobcats) while accounting for observation error from a long-term <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about camera trap from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/camera-trap" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/camera-trap">camera trap</a> survey conducted across the State of New York. We were able to detect population level trends in occurrence and abundance and produce spatially explicit predictions for all six species using a combination of single-species occupancy models and Royle-Nichols models. Coyote (mean λ = 1.22, 95 % CI = 0.85–1.82) and red fox (mean λ = 1.17, 95 % CI = 0.95–1.46) populations were widely distributed with stable populations across the sampling period from 2014 to 2021. White-tailed <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about deer from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cervidae" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cervidae">deer</a> populations were highly abundant and displayed an increasing population trend (mean λ = 1.85, 95 % CI = 1.54–2.10). Eastern <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about wild turkey from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/meleagris-gallopavo" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/meleagris-gallopavo">wild turkey</a> occupancy remained low across the state despite displaying a slight increase in occupancy over the sampling period (mean </span><i>ψ</i> = 0.16, 95 % CI = 0.07–0.25). Gray fox occupancy was also low (mean<span> </span><i>ψ</i> = 0.22, 95 % CI = 0.12–0.29), consistent with growing concerns over the species across North America. Despite recent recoveries elsewhere, bobcat populations in New York State displayed very low occupancy (mean<span> </span><i>ψ</i> = 0.07, 95 % CI = 0.02–0.12), highlighting the necessity of monitoring to inform conservation action. We provide empirically supported management implications for each species and demonstrate the efficacy of long-term camera trapping to provide robust evidence on population trends while accounting for imperfect detections, over scales meaningful to species management and conservation.</p></div></div></div></div><div id="preview-section-introduction"><br></div>
application/pdf
10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110398
en
Elsevier
Landscape-scale population trends in the occurrence and abundance of wildlife populations using long term camera-trapping data
article