Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears
International audience Noninvasive genetic methods can be used to estimate animal abundances and offer several advantages over conventional methods. Few attempts have been made, however, to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the estimates. We compared four methods of estimating population size b...
Published in: | Conservation Biology |
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x |
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ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:halsde-00276314v1 2023-05-15T18:41:59+02:00 Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears Bellemain, E. Swenson, Jon E Tallmon, D. Brunberg, S. Taberlet, P. Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Scandinavian Brown Bear Project 2005 https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x en eng HAL CCSD Wiley info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x halsde-00276314 https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x ISSN: 0888-8892 EISSN: 1523-1739 Conservation Biology https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 Conservation Biology, 2005, 19 (1), pp.150-161. ⟨10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x⟩ capture-mark-recapture feces analysis individual identification population size estimates Program MARK rarefaction Sweden Ursus arctos análisis de heces captura-marcaje-recaptura estimaciones de tamaño poblacional identificación individual MARK rarefacción Suecia [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2005 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x 2023-02-22T05:38:47Z International audience Noninvasive genetic methods can be used to estimate animal abundances and offer several advantages over conventional methods. Few attempts have been made, however, to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the estimates. We compared four methods of estimating population size based on fecal sampling. Two methods used rarefaction indices and two were based on capture-mark-recapture (CMR) estimators, one combining genetic and field data. Volunteer hunters and others collected 1904 fecal samples over 2 consecutive years in a large area containing a well-studied population of brown bears (Ursus arctos). On our 49,000-km2 study area in south-central Sweden, population size estimates ranged from 378 to 572 bears in 2001 and 273 to 433 bears in 2002, depending on the method of estimation used. The estimates from the best model in the program MARK appeared to be the most accurate, based on the minimum population size estimate from radio-marked bears in a subsection of our sampling area. In addition, MARK models included heterogeneity and temporal variation in detection probabilities, which appeared to be present in our samples. All methods, though, incorrectly suggested a biased sex ratio, probably because of sex differences in detection probabilities and low overall detection probabilities. The population size of elusive animals can be estimated reliably over large areas with noninvasive genetic methods, but we stress the importance of an adequate and well-distributed sampling effort. In cases of biased sampling, calibration with independent estimates may be necessary. We recommend that this noninvasive genetic approach, using the MARK models, be used in the future in areas where sufficient numbers of volunteers can be mobilized. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Suecia ENVELOPE(-62.617,-62.617,-66.733,-66.733) Conservation Biology 19 1 150 161 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
capture-mark-recapture feces analysis individual identification population size estimates Program MARK rarefaction Sweden Ursus arctos análisis de heces captura-marcaje-recaptura estimaciones de tamaño poblacional identificación individual MARK rarefacción Suecia [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
spellingShingle |
capture-mark-recapture feces analysis individual identification population size estimates Program MARK rarefaction Sweden Ursus arctos análisis de heces captura-marcaje-recaptura estimaciones de tamaño poblacional identificación individual MARK rarefacción Suecia [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment Bellemain, E. Swenson, Jon E Tallmon, D. Brunberg, S. Taberlet, P. Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
topic_facet |
capture-mark-recapture feces analysis individual identification population size estimates Program MARK rarefaction Sweden Ursus arctos análisis de heces captura-marcaje-recaptura estimaciones de tamaño poblacional identificación individual MARK rarefacción Suecia [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
description |
International audience Noninvasive genetic methods can be used to estimate animal abundances and offer several advantages over conventional methods. Few attempts have been made, however, to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the estimates. We compared four methods of estimating population size based on fecal sampling. Two methods used rarefaction indices and two were based on capture-mark-recapture (CMR) estimators, one combining genetic and field data. Volunteer hunters and others collected 1904 fecal samples over 2 consecutive years in a large area containing a well-studied population of brown bears (Ursus arctos). On our 49,000-km2 study area in south-central Sweden, population size estimates ranged from 378 to 572 bears in 2001 and 273 to 433 bears in 2002, depending on the method of estimation used. The estimates from the best model in the program MARK appeared to be the most accurate, based on the minimum population size estimate from radio-marked bears in a subsection of our sampling area. In addition, MARK models included heterogeneity and temporal variation in detection probabilities, which appeared to be present in our samples. All methods, though, incorrectly suggested a biased sex ratio, probably because of sex differences in detection probabilities and low overall detection probabilities. The population size of elusive animals can be estimated reliably over large areas with noninvasive genetic methods, but we stress the importance of an adequate and well-distributed sampling effort. In cases of biased sampling, calibration with independent estimates may be necessary. We recommend that this noninvasive genetic approach, using the MARK models, be used in the future in areas where sufficient numbers of volunteers can be mobilized. |
author2 |
Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Scandinavian Brown Bear Project |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bellemain, E. Swenson, Jon E Tallmon, D. Brunberg, S. Taberlet, P. |
author_facet |
Bellemain, E. Swenson, Jon E Tallmon, D. Brunberg, S. Taberlet, P. |
author_sort |
Bellemain, E. |
title |
Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
title_short |
Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
title_full |
Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
title_fullStr |
Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimating Population Size of Elusive Animals with DNA from Hunter-Collected Feces: Four Methods for Brown Bears |
title_sort |
estimating population size of elusive animals with dna from hunter-collected feces: four methods for brown bears |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.617,-62.617,-66.733,-66.733) |
geographic |
Suecia |
geographic_facet |
Suecia |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
ISSN: 0888-8892 EISSN: 1523-1739 Conservation Biology https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 Conservation Biology, 2005, 19 (1), pp.150-161. ⟨10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x halsde-00276314 https://hal.science/halsde-00276314 doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00549.x |
container_title |
Conservation Biology |
container_volume |
19 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
150 |
op_container_end_page |
161 |
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1766231572468465664 |