Recapture Techniques Research Articles

The capture–mark–recapture technique can be used as a stopping rule when searching in systematic reviews

Objective Researchers have no empirically based search stopping rule when looking for potentially relevant articles for inclusion in systematic reviews. We tested a stopping strategy based on capture–mark–recapture (CMR; i.e., the Horizon Estimate) statistical modeling to estimate the total number of articles in the domain of clinical decision support tools for osteoporosis disease management using four large bibliographic databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and EBM reviews). Study Design and Setting Retrospective evaluation of the Horizon Estimate using a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) at two levels of article screening: title and abstract (1,246 potentially relevant articles) and full text (42 potentially relevant articles). Results The CMR model suggests that the total number of potential articles was 1,838 for the first level of screening, and 49 for the full-text level. The four databases provided 68% of known articles for the first level of screening and 81% for full-text screening. Conclusions The CMR technique can be used in systematic reviews to estimate the closeness to capturing the total body of literature on a given topic. More studies are needed to objectively determine the usefulness of Horizon Estimates as a stopping rule strategy for systematic review searching.

Recruitment and survival of immature seabirds in relation to oil spills and climate variability

1. In long-lived animals with delayed maturity, the non-breeding component of the population may play an important role in buffering the effects of stochastic mortality. Populations of colonial seabirds often consist of more than 50% non-breeders, yet because they spend much of their early life at sea, we understand little about their impact on the demographic process. 2. Using multistate capture-mark-recapture techniques, we analyse a long-term data set of individually identifiable common guillemots, Uria aalge Pont., to assess factors influencing their immature survival and two-stage recruitment process. 3. Analysis of the distribution of ringed common guillemots during the non-breeding season, separated by age classes, revealed that all age classes were potentially at risk from four major oil spills. However, the youngest age class (0-3 years) were far more widely spread than birds 4-6 years old, which were more widely spread than birds aged 6 and over. Therefore the chance of encountering an oil spill was age-dependent. 4. A 2-year compound survival estimate for juvenile guillemots was weakly negatively correlated with winter sea-surface temperature, but was not influenced by oil spills. Non-breeder survival did not vary significantly over time. 5. In years following four oil spills, juvenile recruitment was almost double the value in non-oil-spill years. Recent work from Skomer Island showed a doubling of adult mortality associated with major oil spills, which probably reduced competition at the breeding colony, allowing increased immature recruitment to compensate for these losses. We discuss the implications of compensatory recruitment for assessing the impact of oil pollution incidents.

Environmental niche of the smut lizard population on a sandy coastal ecosystem of Southeastern Tenerife (Canary Islands)

AbstractRelationships among environmental patterns and population size of the smut lizard Gallotia galloti galloti Oudart, 1839 (Sauria Lacertidae) were examined in the context of longer time‐scale variability on a sandy beach and adjacent environments of Southeastern Tenerife. Seasonal and yearly patterns in the population size were likewise analyzed in relation to climatic and anthropic variables. Six sampling plots (coastal, sweet tabaiba, tuff, lava, sandy lava and crater) were selected following a perpendicular transect to the sandy fringe that extends from the beach toward the volcanic interior. Pitfall trapping was conducted from 1984 to 2005, and capture–mark–recapture technique and the Jolly–Seber method were used to estimate population sizes. The highest population size estimates were shown on the sandy lava plot and the neighboring lava plot, reaching values of about 3500 individuals ha−1 during the spring. The population was active almost the whole year, with seasonal patterns of activity from March to October. Seasonal temperature and population size patterns were correlated but the ‘calima’ episodes produced some disturbance. Gallotia galloti galloti was one of the most abundant lizards of all the species studied and its population size has not remained stable over the study period, probably because of the absence of predation and competition, and because of human interference and environmental instability.

Population Size and Relative Abundance of Adult Alabama Shad Reaching Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, Apalachicola River, Florida

AbstractWe estimated the population size of migrating Alabama shad Alosa alabamae below Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam in the Apalachicola River (located in the central panhandle of northwestern Florida) using mark–recapture and relative abundance techniques. After adjustment for tag loss, emigration, and mortality, the population size was estimated as 25,935 (95% confidence interval, 17,715–39,535) in 2005, 2,767 (838–5,031) in 2006, and 8,511 (5,211–14,674) in 2007. The cumulative catch rate from boat electrofishing averaged 20.47 Alabama shad per hour in 2005, 6.10 per hour in 2006, and 13.17 per hour in 2007. The relationship between population size (N) and electrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) was modeled by the equation N = −9008.2 + (electrofishing CPUE × 1616.4). Additionally, in 2007 the hook‐and‐line catch rate averaged 1.94 Alabama shad per rod hour. A predictive model relating the population size and hook‐and‐line CPUE of spawning American shad A. sapidissima was applied to Alabama shad hook‐and‐line CPUE and produced satisfactory results. Recent spawning populations of Alabama shad in the Apalachicola River are low relative to American shad populations in other southeastern U.S. rivers.

Detecting Altitudinal Migration Events in Neotropical Birds Using Stable Isotopes

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the utility of stable‐hydrogen isotope ratios in tropical bird tissues for detecting altitudinal migration events. Our results identified two of five species as altitudinal migrants in Nicaragua. This approach may circumvent the current limitations of mark–recapture techniques and enhance our ability to study this poorly characterized behavior.

Very high and increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

To determine the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) among children aged 0-14 yr inclusive in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Prospective and retrospective cohort study of the incidence of T1DM in children aged 0-14 yr from 1987 to 2005. Identified cases during this time period were ascertained from several sources and verified using the capture-recapture technique. Over the study period, 732 children aged 0-14 yr were diagnosed with T1DM. The incidence of T1DM in this population over the period 1987-2005 inclusive was 35.08 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval: 32.54, 37.62). The incidence over this period increased linearly at the rate of 0.78 per 100 000 per year. There was a significant difference between the incidence of 31.61 per 100,000 for boys in the 0-4-yr age-group and 19.05 per 100,000 for girls in the 0-4-yr age-group (p = 0.001). The incidence was very high throughout the entire province. The province of NL has one of the highest incidences of T1DM reported worldwide. The incidence is increasing over the 19-yr study period.

Theory and application of mark - recapture and related techniques to aerial surveys of wildlife

The key difficulty in assessing animal numbers from the air is that not all animals are seen by the observers. Methods for estimating detection probabilities, or accounting for imperfect detection, are reviewed including double surveys, use of sightability models, mark–resight, and mark–recapture. The assumptions needed for each method are considered as well as issues concerning survey design. For closed-population mark–recapture modelling particular attention is given to multiple observer studies. An emphasis is that an assumption of complete independence in double-observer studies is rarely justifiable and that independent observers will generally only satisfy an assumption of conditional independence and not complete independence.

New estimates of lethality of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) attacks on lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush): implications for fisheries management

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in North America costs millions of dollars each year, and control measures are guided by assessment of lamprey-induced damage to fisheries. The favored prey of sea lamprey in freshwater ecosystems has been lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). A key parameter in assessing sea lamprey damage, as well as managing lake trout fisheries, is the probability of an adult lake trout surviving a lamprey attack. The conventional value for this parameter has been 0.55, based on laboratory experiments. In contrast, based on catch curve analysis, mark–recapture techniques, and observed wounding rates, we estimated that adult lake trout in Lake Champlain have a 0.74 probability of surviving a lamprey attack. Although sea lamprey growth in Lake Champlain was lower than that observed in Lake Huron, application of an individual-based model to both lakes indicated that the probability of surviving an attack in Lake Champlain was only 1.1 times higher than that in Lake Huron. Thus, we estimated that lake trout survive a lamprey attack in Lake Huron with a probability of 0.66. Therefore, our results suggested that lethality of a sea lamprey attack on lake trout has been overestimated in previous model applications used in fisheries management.

Photo‐ID‐based estimates of reproductive patterns in female harbor seals

AbstractVariations in reproductive patterns offer important insights into the dynamics of pinniped populations, but collecting data on reproduction for species that spend much of the breeding season in the water is problematic. We used land‐based photo‐identification techniques to collect individual‐based data on the timing of pupping, total pup production, and lactation duration in a population of harbor seals in NE Scotland. Capture–Mark–Recapture (CMR) techniques were used to overcome potential biases due to changes in probability of capture, and provide estimates of lactation duration based upon changes in the “survival” of mother–pup bonds. A mean birth date of 20 June is the first direct estimate of parturition date for UK harbor seals. Information on cumulative births indicated that the peak daily haul‐out count accounted for 77% of total pup production. CMR‐based estimates of lactation duration suggest that 50% of mothers had weaned their pups, when pups were 21‐d old. These results highlight the potential for using photo‐ID techniques to study harbor seal reproductive patterns at sites where intensive capture and marking is not possible for logistic, legislative, or ethical reasons.

Earthworm culture, maintenance and species selection in chronic ecotoxicological studies: A critical review

A critical review of earthworm use in chronic ecotoxicological studies is presented. In laboratory studies, species selection has often been based on commercial availability or on field-collected earthworms. The validity of results employing earthworms of either unknown origin or previous exposures must be questioned. Many studies have relied heavily on methodologies adopted from acute testing where earthworm maintenance was not a priority. A number of studies have been published without reference to such critical factors as earthworm density, food, temperature or soil moisture levels. Earthworm death has been identified as a source of error particularly in reproduction tests where adult number is directly related to cocoon production. This has been partially addressed by growing individuals separately or culturing in pairs for reproduction studies. It is suggested that a further development could be the use of parthenogenetic species allowing reproduction to be assessed on an individual basis. The use of such species would also permit tests on genetically similar cohorts. It is (widely) recognised that there are problems of extrapolation from laboratory to field scale. However, field tests remain uncommon due to difficulties with experimental design and interpretation of results. Use of laboratory-reared earthworm cohorts and mark–release–recapture techniques may allow development of a standard comparative procedure across different sites. It is suggested that wider use of established culture techniques allied to ecological requirements and behaviour of species will increase the consistency and validity of sub-lethal earthworm toxicity tests.

Photographic identification based on unique, polymorphic colour patterns: A novel method for tracking a marine crustacean

Mark–recapture techniques are an important tool for estimating population parameters of vagile organisms. However, the application of marks (tags) to crustaceans is problematic due to tag-loss during moulting of the exoskeleton. Accordingly, we investigated the use of external colour patterns to distinguish (via photographic identification) individuals of a common marine crustacean (painted crayfish, Panulirus versicolor). Colour patterns were found to be highly polymorphic and individually unique, such that all crayfish in a sample of 59 could be individually identified. When 30 of these crayfish were recaptured after 6–36 months at liberty, colour patterns were unchanged, despite moulting during the inter-census period. It was concluded that (1) photographic identification is an effective method for tracking P. versicolor through time and space, and (2) this method of identification may be useful in capture–recapture investigations of other invertebrate species that display polymorphic colour patterns. This result is significant given the logistical, ecological and ethical problems of attaching tags to crustaceans, as well as invertebrates in general.

Recherche prospective sur le rôle « source » des haies en production fruitière intégrée. Le cas des perce-oreilles : Forficula auricularia L. et Forficula pubescens Gené

In pear tree, Forficula auricularia and Forficula pubescens are considered as active predators of the pest Cacopsylla pyri, since that their dispersal characteristics are of crucial importance for biological control. We studied their movement using capture–mark–release–recapture techniques. The aim of this study was to underline a hedge effect as source of beneficials spreading through the orchard. Our results show that movements are mainly linked to the C. pyri fluctuations with a food specialisation for the two species when co-occurring. To cite this article: J.-F. Debras et al., C. R. Biologies 330 (2007).

Metapopulation pollination in the deceptive orchidAnacamptis pyramidalis

Pollen dispersal between local plant populations within a range of 6 km in a geographically defined metapopulation of the lepidopteran‐pollinated deceptive orchidAnacamptis pyramidaliswas studied on the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. LocalA. pyramidalispopulations were examined for pollinators, flowering individuals, and fruit set. Population sizes of pollen vector species were estimated using a mark–release–recapture technique. As pollen vectors, the burnet mothZygaena minosand the butterflyAporia crataegidominated. 205 out of 745 marked lepidopterans were pollinarium carriers. The proportion carriers of the total was considerably higher inZ. minos(50.3%), than inA. crataegi(21.5%) and nymphalidae (8.2%). Furthermore,Z. minosmoved much shorter distances thanA. crataegidid, while no difference in potential pollen dispersal distances were found between males and females. The number of individual vectors recaptured in another local population ofA. pyramidaliswas low:A. crataegi(8) andZ. minos(1). The ratio of pollinaria transferred to another localA. pyramidalispopulation compared to pollinaria remaining within the same local population was 1:41. This study highlights that pollen dispersal distances vary between pollen vector species.

Population ecology of cave armoured catfish, Ancistrus cryptophthalmus Reis 1987, from central Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

Abstract – The population ecology of Ancistrus cryptophthalmus (Reis 1987) was studied by mark–recapture technique in caves from the São Domingos karst area, State of Goiás, northeastern Brazil. Total population sizes estimated for Angélica and Passa Três Caves were 20,000 and 1000 individuals, respectively. Densities around 1.0 individuals per m2 in Angélica, Bezerra and São Vicente I Streams, and 0.6 individuals per m2 in the smaller Passa Três Stream may be considered high for cavefish standards, as well as for epigean loricariids. As expected for benthic grazers, cave catfish are highly sedentary. The distribution of size classes did not differ among caves and within the same cave throughout the studied dry seasons; on the contrary, the condition factor decreased throughout this period probably because of the progressive depletion of organic matter available as food. Low proportions of mature individuals, low growth rates (average = 0.5 mm month−1) with cases of negative growth and high longevities (8–10 years) point to a precocial lifestyle, typical of troglobitic species.

In the market for minke whales

The capture–recapture technique is a mainstay of ecology. This principle has been applied with individual genotyping to estimate how many accidentally killed minke whales reach the markets of South Korea.

Weather‐driven dynamics of an intermediate host: mechanistic and statistical population modelling of Oncomelania hupensis

Summary Population models of intermediate host species’ abundance are vital tools for assessing the impacts of control activities and changing environmental conditions on host–parasite dynamics. Public health practitioners require reliable predictions to inform disease control decisions that target the intermediate host of human schistosomes. A synthesis of mechanistic and statistical modelling approaches was undertaken to develop a weather‐driven mathematical population dynamics model for Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host for Schistosoma japonicum. The model was parameterized with data from a novel, longitudinal mark–recapture technique incorporating enclosures in order to distinguish birth from immigration and death from emigration. Snail density, recruitment and death rates were estimated monthly, and environmental variables recorded continuously at three sites in a mountainous region of south‐western China. Generalized estimating equation models were used to relate birth and death parameters to lagged and unlagged environmental variables, clustered by site. Competing mechanistic models, combining these submodels, were assessed based on their prediction error against observed population dynamics. In the best‐fit overall model, O. hupensis seasonal cycling was largely governed by temperature and episodic precipitation events > 15 mm, with characteristic early spring and late summer population peaks. Density‐dependent effects were not detected. The implications for snail control and, in particular, the influence of human hydrological disturbances on snail populations were examined. The model quantified the response of O. hupensis to small changes in climate variables, providing vital data for assessing the potential impact of climate change on parasite intermediate host populations. Synthesis and applications. The results of this study can form the basis of management measures aimed at controlling the Asian intermediate host of a widespread human parasite, with relevance to nearly 30 million affected people. As a component of larger disease transmission models, a description of snail population dynamics is valuable both for explaining the patterns of occurrence of disease in natural populations, and for evaluating the relative impact of different environmental scenarios on host–parasite interactions. Having integrated the first direct measurements of O. hupensis population parameters in a validated, weather‐driven population model, managers may now quantitatively evaluate the response of O. hupensis to changing environmental conditions, including environmental modifications designed to achieve population reductions. Results suggest that, in particular, the sensitivity of O. hupensis to heavy flow events can be exploited as a potential control technique.

Identification of nursery habitats for commercially valuable humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus and large groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) in Palau

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 332:189-199 (2007) - doi:10.3354/meps332189 Identification of nursery habitats for commercially valuable humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus and large groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) in Palau Mark Tupper1,2,* 1The WorldFish Center, PO Box 500 GPO, 10670 Penang, Malaysia 2Marine Lab, University of Guam, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96923, USA *Email: m.tupper@cgiar.org ABSTRACT: In recent years there has been increasing interest in conserving fish habitats. However, fish–habitat associations, particularly nursery habitat for early juvenile stages, are poorly known for most reef fishes. Using mark–recapture techniques, I examined among-habitat variation in settlement, post-settlement growth, and persistence, and movement in 3 large, vulnerable, and commercially important reef fishes: the humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus, the squaretail coralgrouper Plectropomus areolatus, and the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion. Both the humphead wrasse and the coralgrouper appeared to utilize specific nursery habitats. Settlement, growth, and persistence of humphead wrasse were highest in branching coral structures mixed with bushy macroalgae (BCMA). Of all tagged C. undulatus recaptured in intermediate or adult habitats, 80% were tagged post-settlement in BCMA. Early juvenile P. areolatus were found almost exclusively in coral rubble habitats on the slopes of tidal channels, at a narrow depth range of 5 to 7 m. This dependence on one habitat type could render this species vulnerable to shipping or dredging operations or other forms of coastal development. E. polyphekadion appeared to be a habitat generalist, and no specific nursery habitat could be identified. In summary, spatial management (e.g. implementation of marine protected areas) should prioritize habitats for conservation according to their value as essential nursery or spawning habitats for target species needing protection. KEY WORDS: Fish habitat · Nursery areas · Grouper · Humphead wrasse Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 332. Online publication date: March 05, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.

Abundance estimate and seasonal patterns of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) occurrence in Brittany, France, as assessed by photo-identification and capture–mark–recapture

It has been suggested that the large grey seal colonies around the British Isles form local populations within a metapopulation, and that seal movements outside the breeding season lead to considerable overlap between individual home ranges. Individual behaviour and population dynamics of small peripheral colonies may also play a role in the metapopulation. We studied the French grey seal colony of the Molène archipelago, at the southern-most limit of the species' range. We analysed photo-identification data with capture–mark–recapture techniques in order to estimate the total seasonal abundance of grey seals in the archipelago and to quantify the seasonal rates of occurrence or movements of male and female seals. We found that between 58 (95% confidence interval: 48–71) and 98 (95% CI: 75–175) individuals hauled out in the archipelago during the summers of 1999 and 2000. The use of multistate models allowed the assessment of seasonal site fidelity and indicated that it varied between key periods of the annual cycle, particularly for females. Males showed a constant fidelity rate of 56% from one season to another. Hence, even though they showed high inter-annual site fidelity, they did not seem to have a preferred season for using the archipelago. On the contrary, female grey seals showed the highest site fidelity between moult and summer (around 80%), and the lowest fidelity between summer and the breeding period (34–43%). Thus, females seem to use the Molène archipelago preferentially in summer and leave the site before the breeding season, which explains the very low local pup production. Philopatry may explain this pre-breeding emigration, and we suggest that most grey seals observed in the Molène archipelago were born and breed in other local breeding populations, probably the south-western British Isles.

Use of Underwater Visual Distance Sampling for Estimating Habitat‐Specific Population Density

AbstractWe contrasted fish abundance estimates generated from mark–recapture and underwater visual distance sampling to determine whether the latter method is a potentially valuable fisheries assessment tool. We further examined whether altering the detection function or habitat stratification and including lake characteristics such as Secchi depth, temperature, and fish density affected distance sampling estimates. Distance sampling produced estimates that were comparable to those of mark–recapture techniques (r 2 = 0.60), and the relationship improved considerably when two species that were difficult to sample visually were removed from the analysis (r 2 = 0.88). The precision of mark–recapture estimates was significantly better than that of distance sampling. Distance sampling estimates were more similar to mark–recapture estimates when stratified by habitat than when pooled across habitats. The addition of Secchi depth, temperature, fish density, or a combination thereof to a regression equation that included mark–recapture and distance sampling estimates did not improve the strength of the relation. We were able to detect significant among‐habitat differences using habitat‐specific density estimates provided from distance sampling. Distance sampling is a less‐intrusive means to determine fish abundance and microhabitat patterns and provides a way to determine age‐0 fish abundance in addition to information (e.g., school size) that is not readily obtained by mark–recapture studies.

Estimating Snow Leopard Population Abundance Using Photography and Capture–Recapture Techniques

Abstract Conservation and management of snow leopards (Uncia uncia) has largely relied on anecdotal evidence and presence–absence data due to their cryptic nature and the difficult terrain they inhabit. These methods generally lack the scientific rigor necessary to accurately estimate population size and monitor trends. We evaluated the use of photography in capture–mark–recapture (CMR) techniques for estimating snow leopard population abundance and density within Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India. We placed infrared camera traps along actively used travel paths, scent-sprayed rocks, and scrape sites within 16- to 30-km2 sampling grids in successive winters during January and March 2003–2004. We used head-on, oblique, and side-view camera configurations to obtain snow leopard photographs at varying body orientations. We calculated snow leopard abundance estimates using the program CAPTURE. We obtained a total of 66 and 49 snow leopard captures resulting in 8.91 and 5.63 individuals per 100 trap-nights du...