Abstract
Species abundance or population size is an ecological parameter of critical importance for wildlife management and conservation decisions. Widely used data collection methods, such as sign surveys and remote cameras, often count non-identifiable individuals or individuals prone to misidentification. In ecological modeling, these individuals are considered unmarked, and a state-of-the-art modeling approach for such data is occupancy-type modeling for unmarked individuals, which explicitly incorporates imperfect detection. Hierarchical modeling of this kind requires advanced statistical analyses, typically conducted using the R software platform and the “unmarked” package. However, these models can be explored only by researchers with programming skills and a thorough understanding of hierarchical analysis of wildlife population data. To help researchers and practitioners implement these models, we have developed a Shiny web-based interactive tool for wildlife population assessment, which works with data collected by scientists and wildlife managers. This app facilitates the use of occupancy-type modeling for unmarked individuals (single-season single species occupancy and N-mixture models) for non-coder users. The app performs simulations for single-season single species occupancy and N-mixture models with or without covariates, and estimates occupancy and abundance employing users provided data. The results are displayed as text, tables, and graphs, helping users understand hierarchical modeling and answering real-life wildlife management questions.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.