Recapture Probabilities Research Articles

Multi-event modeling of true reproductive states of individual female right whales provides new insights into their decline

Abundance and population trends of Critically Endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, NARW) have been estimated using mark-recapture analyses where an individual’s state is based upon set delineations of age, using historical estimates of age at first reproduction. Here we assigned individual females to states based upon their reproductive experience, rather than age. We developed a Bayesian mark-recapture-recovery model to investigate how survival, recapture, site-fidelity and dead-recovery probabilities vary for female NARW in different states, using data collected from 1977-2018. States were assigned as calves for individuals in their first year; pre-breeder for individuals greater than one year of age who had yet to produce a calf, or breeder if an individual had reproduced. A decline in abundance of female NARW was seen starting in 2014, with 185 females declining yearly to 142 by 2018. The largest decline was seen in breeding females, with 72 estimated to be alive at the beginning of 2018, while female pre-breeder abundance plateaued at around 70 between 2011- 2018. Females born from 2000 onwards had an average 4% (95% CI:0.03-0.06) chance of transitioning from pre-breeder to breeder, compared to 8% (95%CI:0.06-0.1) for females born prior. This reduction in transition rate from non-breeder to breeder for the current cohort resulted in breeding females declining to 51% of the female population by 2018. We show that a collapse in fecundity of breeding females, and the failure of pre-breeders to start breeding, is an important factor in understanding the current decline in abundance of the NARW.

Accounting for residual heterogeneity in double‐observer sightability models decreases bias in burro abundance estimates

AbstractFeral burros (Equus asinus) and horses (E. ferus caballus) inhabiting public land in the western United States are intended to be managed at population levels established to promote a thriving, natural ecological balance. Double‐observer sightability (MDS) models, which use detection records from multiple observers and sighting covariates, perform well for estimating feral horse abundances, but their effectiveness for use in burro populations is less understood. These MDSmodels help minimize detection bias, yet bias can be further reduced with models that account for unmodeled variation, or residual heterogeneity, in detection probability. In populations containing radio‐marked individuals, residual heterogeneity can be estimated with MDSmodels by including a covariate that corresponds to the marked status of a group (MHmodels). Another approach is to use information from detections missed by both observers to account for the characteristics that make groups more or less likely to be detected, or recaptured, by the second observer (MRmodels). We used aerial survey data from 3 burro populations (Sinbad Herd Management Area, UT [2016–2018], Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area, AZ [2017], and Fort Irwin National Training Center, CA [2016–2017]) to develop MDSmodels applicable for feral burros in the southwestern United States. Our objectives were to quantify precision and bias of standard MDSsurveys for feral burros and to examine which model type for incorporating residual heterogeneity (MHor MR) would result in the least‐biased estimates of burro populations relative to the minimum number known alive (MNKA) within the Sinbad Herd Management Area. Standard MDSmodel estimates achieved a mean coefficient of variation of 0.08, while underestimating MNKA by an average of 27.1%. Accounting for residual heterogeneity through recapture probability in MRmodels resulted in estimates closer to MNKA than MHmodels (9.5% vs. 16.5% less than MNKA). Our results indicate that MDSmodels can achieve precise enough estimates to monitor feral burro populations, but they routinely produce negatively biased estimates. We encourage the use of radio‐collars to reduce bias in future burro surveys by accounting for residual heterogeneity through MRmodels.

Effect of prenatal glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones on developmental plasticity of mitochondrial aerobic metabolism, growth and survival: an experimental test in wild great tits.

Developmental plasticity is partly mediated by transgenerational effects, including those mediated by the maternal endocrine system. Glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones may play central roles in developmental programming through their action on metabolism and growth. However, the mechanisms by which they affect growth and development remain understudied. One hypothesis is that maternal hormones directly affect the production and availability of energy-carrying molecules (e.g. ATP) by their action on mitochondrial function. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally increased glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones in wild great tit eggs (Parus major) to investigate their impact on offspring mitochondrial aerobic metabolism (measured in blood cells), and subsequent growth and survival. We show that prenatal glucocorticoid supplementation affected offspring cellular aerobic metabolism by decreasing mitochondrial density, maximal mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, while increasing the proportion of the maximum capacity being used under endogenous conditions. Prenatal glucocorticoid supplementation only had mild effects on offspring body mass, size and condition during the rearing period, but led to a sex-specific (females only) decrease in body mass a few months after fledging. Contrary to our expectations, thyroid hormone supplementation did not affect offspring growth or mitochondrial metabolism. Recapture probability as juveniles or adults was not significantly affected by prenatal hormonal treatment. Our results demonstrate that prenatal glucocorticoids can affect post-natal mitochondrial density and aerobic metabolism. The weak effects on growth and apparent survival suggest that nestlings were mostly able to compensate for the transient decrease in mitochondrial aerobic metabolism induced by prenatal glucocorticoids.

Survival rates of Inca Doves (Columbina inca) from Texas

We provide an analysis of apparent survival for Inca Dove (Columbina inca) in Galveston, Texas. We aged and banded 24 hatch-year and 103 after-hatch-year doves during 1980–1990. Our analysis provided evidence for effects of body mass on survival. Inca Dove had lower probabilities of apparent annual survival (0.35, SE = 0.04) relative to estimates we found for other species within Columbidae. The annual probability of recapture was 0.87 ± 0.07. Our study's geographic inference space is limited, but our results may provide context for the current expansion of Inca Dove to the north.

A length-based extension to the Brownie-Peterson model and its performance

The Brownie model is an effective statistical method that can be used to estimate age-related fishing and natural mortality from multi-year tag recapture programs. The extension of the Brownie model by Polacheck et al. (2006) to include a Peterson estimator on catch-at-age data enables the estimation of abundance at the same time and improves the prediction of mortality rates. Since its development, the Brownie-Peterson (BP) model has had many applications in large-scale regional tuna tagging programs. The cohort-structured BP model assumes the age of tagged fish is known and, in most applications, requires the age of the fish to be presumed or directly derived from the fish length, constituting a potential source of bias. In this paper, the BP model is extended based on the length of fish at the time of release by integrating the recapture probability of tagged fish over the distribution of age at the length by combining catch-at-length data, length distribution-at-release observations, and growth information. The length-based model extension differs to other full-length structured models in that it is still based on age-structured dynamics, allowing it to provide age-dependent mortality rates while integrating the uncertainty in the age-length relationship. The analytic framework of the length-based model extension is described, and validated using observations simulated from a simple population and tag dynamic model. When parameterized with the correct parameters, the length-based BP model that integrated the catch-at-length data produced relatively accurate estimates of mortality and abundance, and compared to models where the age is assumed to be known, the confidence bounds of estimated parameters are wider. The Brownie model with conditional age at length estimated externally also performed well. The length-based BP model can provide a very useful extension to the existing BP model for analysing large-scale tuna tagging programs where the age data is scarce, but length composition data of sufficient quality can usually be obtained.

Recovery From Reduction: The M’Clintock Channel Polar Bear Subpopulation, Nunavut, Canada

To retain viable polar bear subpopulations, scientific monitoring studies are conducted to inform adaptive management frameworks. Here we report the results of the second structured population study for polar bears in the M’Clintock Channel (MC) subpopulation. Data included biopsy samples collected during a 2014 – 16 subpopulation-wide survey, live mark-recapture data collected during the first subpopulation study from 1998 to 2000, and harvest recovery data from 1998 to 2016. Results of a closed capture-recapture model, implemented in a Bayesian framework for animals over 2 yr., produced a mean abundance estimate of 716 (95% Credible Interval = 545 – 955) for 2014 – 16, indicating an increase from the 1998 – 2000 study estimate (284; our Bayesian-calculated estimate: 325 bears). However, closed model assumptions mean our estimate represents the superpopulation. Mean litter sizes did not differ between study periods, but mean number of yearlings per adult female declined from 0.39 ± 0.10 (SE) to 0.27 ± 0.06 between 1998 – 2000 and 2014 – 16. Apparent survival estimates from observed data were biased low (0.88 ± 0.02) due to unknown immigration and emigration. However, survival calculated using the change in abundance estimates between study periods equaled 0.93, representing a population growth rate of 2%. Body condition improved between study periods. Our findings indicate the MC subpopulation recovered from overharvesting between 1979 and 1999 and may be transiently benefitting from increased biological productivity associated with local sea ice changes. Our demographic analyses were constrained by low density, low harvest, small sample sizes, low recapture probability, and lack of movement information; hence, harvest management decisions should be applied with appropriate caution.

Capture predicates corticosterone responses and a low recapture likelihood in a varanid lizard

Context Understanding both the short- and long-term consequences of live animal capture is desirable to limit potential data biases or compromise animal welfare. The short-term elevation of glucocorticoid hormones in animals is an expected short-term stress consequence of trapping and restraint experiences. However, because these hormones also influence behaviour and memory, they may provide a physiological basis through which individuals vary in their recapture responses to subsequent trapping episodes. Aims This objective of this study was to evaluate the interplay among trapping method, corticosterone responsiveness and recapture likelihood in a lizard, the lace monitor (Varanus varius). The first aim compared how different capture methods and associated restraint durations influenced plasma corticosterone of lace monitors. The second aim evaluated the relationship between capture methodology, corticosterone response and annual recapture frequency. The third aim measured yearly estimates for the probability of lace monitor recapture. Methods Lace monitors were cage-trapped or noose-captured at 76 sampling sites across three annual sampling periods to measure capture experience, obtain blood samples and estimate recapture probabilities. Results As expected, an increased restraint time and exposure to different capture methods significantly influenced corticosterone concentrations in lace monitors. Lace monitor recapture rates were meagre, suggesting that irrespective of the capture method, restraint duration and corticosterone levels, any form of initial capture experience typically leads to long-lasting aversive behaviour. Conclusions Although plasma corticosterone concentrations may be tell-tale of a lace monitor’s duration to short-term capture and restraint, they were not associated with the recapture likelihood in subsequent trapping events. Implications Rapid and seemingly long-lasting trap aversion has apparent implications for the design of population monitoring programs used to study lace monitor population ecology.

How does landscape permeability affect the movement of eastern red‐backed salamanders?

AbstractDemographic and genetic connectivity have important implications for population dynamics of wildlife and their ability to adapt to changing environments. Landscape features such as roads and streams can inhibit movement of species with poor dispersal capabilities and exacerbate the effects of habitat fragmentation. Terrestrial plethodontid salamanders are generally thought of as incapable of long‐distance movement and may vary in their motivation to move across a landscape by sex and size classes. To examine landscape permeability to movement, we assessed how distance and natural or man‐made landscape features affect recapture rates after displacement in red‐backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). We randomly assigned marked salamanders from 6 plots at Camp Karoondinha in Millmont, Pennsylvania, USA, to a control (placed under the same cover board) or a treatment (displaced 25 m or 50 m through the forest or across a stream or road). Of 290 marked individuals, we recaptured 29.8%. We recaptured more individuals in the control treatment compared to displaced individuals, with recapture rates decreasing with the presence of a road or stream. Landscape feature type and sex did not affect the probability of recapture, but developmental stage did, with adult salamanders more likely to be recaptured than juvenile salamanders. Our results suggest that landscape permeability is reduced for terrestrial salamanders when a landscape feature is present compared to open forest. Narrow, dirt roads present a similar challenge to a natural stream for red‐backed salamanders. Our study should be of value to land managers who are concerned about the negative effects of landscape permeability on terrestrial salamander populations.

The impacts of marking on bats: mark-recapture models for assessing injury rates and tag loss

AbstractThe individual identification of animals is essential for long-term population ecology studies. Injuries and tag loss can negatively impact animal welfare and parameter estimates. We used time-to-failure curves and multistate mark-recapture models to estimate injury rates, body condition decline, tag loss and survival probabilities associated with two tags commonly used in bats: metallic arm bands and steel ball chain collars. We monitored two colonies of Carollia perspicillata at União Biological Reserve, southeastern Brazil, from 2013 to 2019. Every other month, we marked individuals with arm bands, collars or both. Collars did not cause noticeable injuries, but were lost at a higher rate than arm bands (1.5–2.5 times). The arm band-related injury probability between captures was ~ 0.2, and after 17 months half the marked animals developed injuries. Animals marked as juveniles were less likely to get injured than adults. Injuries were associated with a lower body condition in females. Body condition was positively associated with apparent survival; however, a direct effect of arm band injuries on survival estimates was not observed. The tag loss rates caused a negative bias in survival estimates. Mark-recapture studies should evaluate the efficacy of the marking technique, accounting for potential animal injury, tag loss, and bias in parameter estimation. Marking individuals should be limited to studies that monitor species with high recapture probability, using the least harmful tags possible, and balancing the burden to the animals with the potential to generate knowledge.

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) population dynamics in response to a period of rapid ecosystem change in the eastern North Atlantic.

This study investigates survival and abundance of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Norway in 1988–2019 using capture–recapture models of photo‐identification data. We merged two datasets collected in a restricted fjord system in 1988–2008 (Period 1) with a third, collected after their preferred herring prey shifted its wintering grounds to more exposed coastal waters in 2012–2019 (Period 2), and investigated any differences between these two periods. The resulting dataset, spanning 32 years, comprised 3284 captures of 1236 whales, including 148 individuals seen in both periods. The best‐supported models of survival included the effects of sex and time period, and the presence of transients (whales seen only once). Period 2 had a much larger percentage of transients compared to Period 1 (mean = 30% vs. 5%) and the identification of two groups of whales with different residency patterns revealed heterogeneity in recapture probabilities. This caused estimates of survival rates to be biased downward (females: 0.955 ± 0.027 SE, males: 0.864 ± 0.038 SE) compared to Period 1 (females: 0.998 ± 0.002 SE, males: 0.985 ± 0.009 SE). Accounting for this heterogeneity resulted in estimates of apparent survival close to unity for regularly seen whales in Period 2. A robust design model for Period 2 further supported random temporary emigration at an estimated annual probability of 0.148 (± 0.095 SE). This same model estimated a peak in annual abundance in 2015 at 1061 individuals (95% CI 999–1127), compared to a maximum of 731 (95% CI 505–1059) previously estimated in Period 1, and dropped to 513 (95% CI 488–540) in 2018. Our results indicate variations in the proportion of killer whales present of an undefined population (or populations) in a larger geographical region. Killer whales have adjusted their distribution to shifts in key prey resources, indicating potential to adapt to rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska's Beaufort Sea, 2001-2016.

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid transformation toward a seasonally ice‐free ecosystem. As ice‐adapted apex predators, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are challenged to cope with ongoing habitat degradation and changes in their prey base driven by food‐web response to climate warming. Knowledge of polar bear response to environmental change is necessary to understand ecosystem dynamics and inform conservation decisions. In the southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) of Alaska and western Canada, sea ice extent has declined since satellite observations began in 1979 and available evidence suggests that the carrying capacity of the SBS for polar bears has trended lower for nearly two decades. In this study, we investigated the population dynamics of polar bears in Alaska's SBS from 2001 to 2016 using a multistate Cormack–Jolly–Seber mark–recapture model. States were defined as geographic regions, and we used location data from mark–recapture observations and satellite‐telemetered bears to model transitions between states and thereby explain heterogeneity in recapture probabilities. Our results corroborate prior findings that the SBS subpopulation experienced low survival from 2003 to 2006. Survival improved modestly from 2006 to 2008 and afterward rebounded to comparatively high levels for the remainder of the study, except in 2012. Abundance moved in concert with survival throughout the study period, declining substantially from 2003 and 2006 and afterward fluctuating with lower variation around an average of 565 bears (95% Bayesian credible interval [340, 920]) through 2015. Even though abundance was comparatively stable and without sustained trend from 2006 to 2015, polar bears in the Alaska SBS were less abundant over that period than at any time since passage of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. The potential for recovery is likely limited by the degree of habitat degradation the subpopulation has experienced, and future reductions in carrying capacity are expected given current projections for continued climate warming.

Survival of Florida Largemouth Bass in a Coastal Refuge Habitat across Years of Varying Drying Severity

AbstractIn aquatic systems, refuge habitats increase resistance to drying events and maintain populations in disturbed environments. However, reduced water availability and altered flow regimes threaten the function of these habitats. We conducted a capture–mark–recapture study, integrating angler citizen science. Our objectives were to quantify variation in survival of Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus in a coastal refuge habitat across seasonal hydrological periods and over 4 years of varying drying severity and to determine the contribution of angler sampling to improving capture probabilities. Apparent survival of Florida Largemouth Bass in the coastal Everglades was highest in wet and drying periods and lowest in dry and reflooding periods. Interannual survival was closely tied to the length of upstream marsh drying, with the lowest observed survival (0.21) during a drought year. The inclusion of angler sampling improved recapture probabilities, suggesting that angler data can supplement standardized electrofishing sampling. Findings show that during short drying events Florida Largemouth Bass survival can be relatively high, with implications for Everglades restoration. Understanding the ability of refuge habitats to buffer populations from drying disturbance is a key component for conservation and restoration, particularly under climate change scenarios.

Evaluating Alternative Hierarchical Modeling Approaches for the Estimation of Salmonid Smolt Abundance

AbstractCalibrated estimates of fisheries population abundance are vital in the development and appraisal of management actions. Capture–recapture (CR) experiments are invaluable monitoring tools for estimating abundance of biological populations in general. Many researchers, including those studying out‐migrating juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Klamath Basin of Oregon and California, have attempted to employ Bayesian B‐splines to smooth temporal variation in abundance estimates. However, concerns about overfitting and reduced precision are common with this approach. We conducted a simulation study assessing the relative fit of the standard Bayesian B‐spline implementation—a B‐spline model of abundance with a random effects (RE) binomial model of recapture probabilities—in comparison with that of three alternative model options: a B‐spline model of abundance with an autoregressive (AR) model of recapture; an AR model of abundance with an RE model of recapture, and an AR model of abundance with an AR model of recapture. We analyzed 1–3 years of CR data from three rotary screw trap sites and simulated data sets of variable completeness to assess each model’s strengths and weaknesses in estimating the underlying data. Results demonstrated that in general, an AR model of abundance coupled with an RE binomial model of recapture was the least biased model, consistently exhibiting no greater than 5% bias in abundance estimates across data sets. The B‐spline abundance models were able to produce narrower 95% credible intervals (CRIs), ranging from 15% to 30% of the parameterized annual abundance value, compared to CRI widths between 23% and 54% from the AR models. However, these narrower CRI widths were commonly errant, with coverage probability rates as low as 50–70% in half of the simulated data set collections compared to over 90% coverage for the AR models. These analyses provide valuable insight and caution for researchers employing modern methods of modeling abundance in natural populations.

Remarkable Population Resilience in a North African Endemic Damselfly in the Face of Rapid Agricultural Transformation.

Simple SummaryThere has been a rapid expansion of agricultural area worldwide, resulting in a substantial change in the physical structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning of various natural habitats. In North Africa, many natural habitats have been transformed into agricultural lands, especially in the North, where biodiversity is the highest, to meet the food security and economic development of a rapidly growing population. We estimated the agricultural expansion in North African region between the 1990s and 2000s and found that the percentage of agriculture-free area within the species range declined from 79.5% to 26.2%. Knowing that agroecosystems near lotic environments simplify the structural complexity of habitats (from heterogeneous to homogenous ecological communities) of amphibiotic species such as odonates, we estimated the geographic range of an endemic damselfly and quantified the temporal change in the overlap between agriculture and species occurrence. Our results showed the overlap more than tripled between 1992 and 2005, suggesting that the species experienced a radical change in its terrestrial habitats. We conducted capture–mark–recapture to confirm that the species survives by frequently using croplands and grasslands.Agriculture can be pervasive in its effect on wild nature, affecting various types of natural habitats, including lotic ecosystems. Here, we assess the extent of agricultural expansion on lotic systems in Northern Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco) and document its overlap with the distribution of an endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata Selys, using species distribution modeling. We found that agricultural land cover increased by 321% in the region between 1992 and 2005, and, in particular, the main watercourses experienced an increase in agricultural land cover from 21.4% in 1992 to 78.1% in 2005, together with an increase in the intensity of 226% in agricultural practices. We used capture–mark–recapture (CMR) surveys in terrestrial habitats surrounding a stream bordered by grassland and cropland in northeastern Algeria to determine demographic parameters and population size, as well as cropland occupancy. CMR modeling showed that the recapture and survival probabilities had an average of 0.14 (95%CI: 0.14–0.17) and 0.86 (0.85–0.87), respectively. We estimated a relatively large population of P. subdilatata (~1750 individuals) in terrestrial habitats. The occupancy of terrestrial habitats by adults was spatially structured by age. Our data suggest that P. subdilatata has survived agricultural expansion and intensification better than other local odonate species, mainly because it can occupy transformed landscapes, such as croplands and grasslands.

Effects of translocation on survival of nuisance bears

AbstractEffective mitigation of human–wildlife conflict should aim to reduce conflicts while also minimizing wildlife mortality. Translocation is often used to mitigate human–wildlife conflict but translocated individuals may have reduced survival, which could negatively affect population growth and social acceptance of translocation as a management tool. Yet, non‐translocated nuisance individuals may also have low survival due to inherent risks associated with nuisance behavior. We used a 38‐year dataset of 1233 marked and translocated nuisance American black bears (Ursus americanus) as a model system with which to evaluate the impacts of translocation on nuisance bear survival. We used multi‐state mark‐recapture models to estimate annual harvest and non‐harvest mortality rates and tested for effects of translocation distance and harvest rate on recapture and both mortality rates. Recapture probability increased with translocation distance but 75% of translocated bears were translocated ≤75 km and recapture probabilities were <0.05 across these distances. Survival was 0.43 for adult males, 0.56 for adult females, and 0.38–0.40 for yearlings. However, increasing translocation distance reduced both harvest and non‐harvest mortality (β = −0.0044, 95% CI = −0.0081 to −0.0006 and β = −0.0020, 95% CI = −0.0051 to 0.0011, respectively) showing that increasing translocation distance does not negatively impact survival. Our survival estimates were generally lower than those reported for non‐nuisance American black bear populations (0.67–0.83), which likely reflects risks associated with nuisance behavior, such as proximity to human dwellings, agriculture, or roads which in turn may increase harvest and/or road mortality. Our results show that translocation is a useful approach for mitigating human–bear conflict that does not always negatively affect survival. Lower survival of nuisance bears suggests that biologists should focus efforts on reducing the incidences of human–wildlife conflicts (e.g., removing anthropogenic food sources).

Annual survival probabilities of anadromous Arctic Char remain high and stable despite interannual differences in sea ice melt date

Throughout their range, anadromous Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) support commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries that are important economically, socially, and culturally. However, drivers of interannual variation in survival in this species remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to quantify the impact of environmental and biological parameters on the survival probability of anadromous Arctic Char near the community of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. To do so, we tracked 183 Arctic Char tagged with acoustic transmitters and used capture–mark–recapture methods to estimate survival probabilities over six years. Annual survival probabilities for individuals was high, varying between 0.79 and 0.88, whereas recapture probabilities varied between 0.64 and 0.90. Interannual variation in survival probability was low and neither the environmental (air temperature and sea ice cover) nor biological (sex) variables influenced survival probability. These estimates suggest that annual survival probability is high for anadromous adult Arctic Char in the Cambridge Bay area, despite clear differences in the ice cover melt date among years. These results further our understanding of the demographic parameters of Arctic Char in the region, which will be important for future assessments of the sustainability of commercial fisheries as well as for predicting population responses to a rapidly changing Arctic.

Estimating demographic parameters for fisheries management using acoustic telemetry

Mark-recapture approaches are among the most powerful fisheries methods for estimating demographic parameters relating to survival, components of mortality (i.e. fishing, catch and release, or predation), and abundance. Yet conventional fisheries mark-recapture studies are logistically challenging and can suffer low recapture probabilities and poor precision that may bias parameter estimates. Current methods to infer mortality indirectly from life-history parameters often fail to describe spatiotemporal or age-class specific variation in mortality rates. Despite the ability of acoustic telemetry-based mark-recapture methods to address many of these issues, they are not commonly used within fisheries management. This systematic review identifies the types of mark-recapture study designs that have used acoustic telemetry to date, including the species and habitats studied. The key benefits of acoustic telemetry mark-recapture studies are highlighted, and considerations for planning acoustic telemetry mark-recapture studies are presented to encourage their wider application. Bayesian multistate models that include auxiliary data should provide the most appropriate framework to expand the use of acoustic telemetry mark-recapture in geographically large open populations, further supporting the use of acoustic telemetry mark-recapture within fisheries management.

Demographic Traits and Behavior of Hetaerina cruentata (Odonata: Calopterygidae) in Ecosystems of the Andean Region of Colombia

Demography and territorial behavior of Hetaerina cruentata was studied along three lowland streams located at Norte de Santander department in the Colombian Andean region. Adult damselflies (N: 278) were individually marked, and using their recapture histories we estimated survival, longevity, sex ratio, age groups and population size at each location. We found no evidence for survival differences between ages and sexes. However, the proportion of resighted individuals was lower for females, and the sex ratio was male-biased in all populations. Although we recorded few reproductive events, a high number of male-male agonistic interactions were registered around midday. During reproductive behavior, we observed brief wing displays as signals between males and females, and the formation of the tandem position, followed by the intra-male sperm translocation and copulation (mean duration 11.3 min). After copulation, the pair in tandem looked for suitable sites to oviposit, and then the male broke tandem and perched on the vegetation while the female laid eggs partially or completely underwater. The recapture probability was time-dependent, which suggests that the alternation of rainy and sunny days during the study may be generating differences in the demography of the three H. cruentata populations.

Canada Goose Survival and Recovery Rates in Urban and Rural Areas of Iowa, USA

ABSTRACTOnce extirpated from much of their North American range, temperate‐breeding Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) have reached high abundance. As a result, focus has shifted from restoration to managing harvest and addressing human‐goose conflict. Conflict persists or is increasing in urban areas throughout the Mississippi Flyway. Managers need more information regarding demographic rates to determine how hunting affects geese breeding in urban areas and what management actions may be required to achieve management goals. We estimated survival, dead recovery, live recapture, and fidelity probabilities using data from 77,872 Canada geese banded in Iowa, USA, during 1999–2019 using Burnham joint live‐dead band recovery models. Factors predicted to affect parameters in candidate models included age (juvenile, subadult, adult), banding site (urban, rural), time, trend, harvest regulation index, and winter severity index. We predicted Canada geese banded in urban areas would have higher survival and lower dead recovery rates than geese banded at rural sites. The top model indicated support for age and banding site effects, and trends in survival and recovery rate (Brownie parameterization). Adult survival was similar for urban (0.75; range = 0.60–0.92) and rural (0.75; range = 0.66–0.82) geese and relatively constant across years. Mean juvenile survival was lower in urban (0.74; range = 0.48–0.93) than rural (0.85; range = 0.68–0.92) areas. Survival increased for urban‐banded juveniles and recovery rates increased during liberalization of harvest regulations and decreased after regulations stabilized. Recovery rates of subadults increased for the urban and rural groups. Our results suggest Canada geese breeding in urban areas contribute to harvest and specialized regulations can affect these populations. Harvest regulations in place during our analysis may not have reached a threshold required to observe substantial changes in survival. Current human‐goose conflict in urban areas suggests survival has not decreased to a level required to completely address conflict via reduction in goose abundance. Managers may consider additional liberalization of harvest regulations and monitoring via banding to determine to what degree hunter harvest contributes to reducing human‐goose conflict and what additional management actions will be required to achieve goals. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Seasonal survival in a non-hibernating Mediterranean garden dormouse population

The seasonal survival pattern of a garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus population was studied in a Mediterranean agricultural field area from East Spain, a geographical location in which this species does exhibit no hibernation. Individuals were captured from nest—boxes checked monthly during a 4-year period. Data were analysed using an open population Cormack–Jolly–Seber model including sex, age class and season as factors. Best models included the effect of age and differences in survival between adult males and females. Survival rate was more variable between seasons in males than in females or juveniles. Maximum adult male survival was reached in autumn, decreased in winter and dropped to very low values in spring and summer. Survival of adult females was higher and presented a less marked seasonal pattern. Seasonal survival of juveniles was fairly constant along the year. Recapture probability also varied seasonally and was twice in winter than in the rest of the year. The local annual survival rate obtained in adult females exceeded the survival rate observed in some garden dormouse populations from Italy, but it was considerably lower in comparison to the values obtained in South Spain and France. The possible energetic consequences of the constant sexual activity exhibited by this garden dormouse population and the effect of other factors, such as the availability of food and social interactions between individuals, seem to influence in the seasonal variations in survival rate for this rodent species in this agricultural habitat.