Estimating density of mountain hares using distance sampling: a comparison of daylight visual surveys, night-time thermal imaging and camera traps ...

• Main Author: Bedson, Carlos
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2021
• Subjects: FOS Natural sciences; Lepus timidus; mountain hare
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3r2280gg0; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.3r2280gg0

Surveying cryptic, nocturnal animals is logistically challenging. Consequently, density estimates may be imprecise and uncertain. Survey innovations mitigate ecological and observational difficulties contributing to estimation variance. Thus, comparisons of survey techniques are critical to evaluate estimates of abundance. We simultaneously compared three methods for observing mountain hare (Lepus timidus) using Distance sampling to estimate abundance. Daylight visual surveys achieved 41 detections, estimating density at 14.3 hares km-2 (95%CI 6.3–32.5) resulting in the lowest estimate and widest confidence interval. Night-time thermal imaging achieved 206 detections, estimating density at 12.1 hares km-2 (95%CI 7.6–19.4). Thermal imaging captured more observations at furthest distances, and detected larger group sizes. Camera traps achieved 3,705 night-time detections, estimating density at 22.6 hares km-2 (95%CI 17.1–29.9). Between the methods, detections were spatially correlated, although the estimates ... : Please refer to the manuscript for more information. The data has been prepared for loading in to software distance. ...