Data from: An assessment of sampling designs using SCR analyses to estimate abundance of boreal caribou ...

• Main Authors: McFarlane, Samantha, Manseau, Micheline, Steenweg, Robin, Hervieux, Dave, Hegel, Troy, Slater, Simon, Wilson, Paul
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2020
• Subjects: Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw6st; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw6st

Accurately estimating abundance is a critical component of monitoring and recovery of rare and elusive species. Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models are an increasingly popular method for robust estimation of ecological parameters. We provide an analytical framework to assess results from empirical studies to inform SCR sampling design, using both simulated and empirical data from non-invasive genetic sampling of seven boreal caribou populations (Rangifer tarandus caribou) which varied in range size and estimated population density. We use simulated population data with varying levels of clustered distributions to quantify the impact of non-independence of detections on density estimates, and empirical datasets to explore the influence of varied sampling intensity on the relative bias and precision of density estimates. Simulations revealed that clustered distributions of detections did not significantly impact relative bias or precision of density estimates. The genotyping success rate of our empirical ... : Text files and R scripts for SCR analysis. Read attached README text file for additional information. This dataset is only available to the public at a summary resolution for the following reason. The spatial information held within this dataset relates to a species at risk, that is highly sensitive. Provision of precise locations would subject the species to threats such as disturbance and lethal exploitation. Data are supplied to the public with the geo-reference denatured to 0.1 degrees (~10 km grid). Depending on stated need, data may be supplied at finer scales upon request to the Government of Alberta under provisions of a data sharing agreement. ...