| Summary: | In this dataset you will find code and data to run a dynamic occupancy model for interaction species with two spatial scales. There is code and data to conduct a simulation study to investigate bias in any of the estimated parameters under different data scenarios. Also there is data and code to analyze a case study. This is real world data from an long term monitoring program, COAT(www.coat.no), of small mammals on the arctic tundra. All codes are run in R version 4.0.3. Background: Occupancy models have been developed independently to account for multiple spatial scales and species interactions in a dynamic setting. However, as interacting species (e.g., predators and prey) often operate at different spatial scales, including nested spatial structure might be especially relevant in models of interacting species. Here we bridge these two model frameworks by developing a multi-scale two-species occupancy model. The model is dynamic, i.e. it estimates initial occupancy, colonization and extinction probabilities - including probabilities conditional to the other species' presence. With a simulation study, we demonstrate that the model is able to estimate parameters without bias under low, medium and high average occupancy probabilities, as well as low, medium and high detection probabilities. We further show the model's ability to deal with sparse field data by applying it to a multi-scale camera trapping dataset on a mustelid-rodent predator-prey system. The field study illustrates that the model allows estimation of species interaction effects on colonization and extinction probabilities at two spatial scales. This creates opportunities to explicitly account for the spatial structure found in many spatially nested study designs, and to study interacting species that have contrasted movement ranges with camera traps.
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