Evaluating Multi-Level Models to Test Occupancy State Responses of Plethodontid Salamanders.

ABSTRACT: Plethodontid salamanders are diverse and widely distributed taxa and play critical roles in ecosystem processes. Due to salamander use of structurally complex habitats, and because only a portion of a population is available for sampling, evaluation of sampling designs and estimators is critical to provide strong inference about Plethodontid ecology and responses to conservation and management activities. We conducted a simulation study to evaluate the effectiveness of multi-scale and hierarchical single-scale occupancy models in the context of a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) experimental design with multiple levels of sampling. Also, we fit the hierarchical single-scale model to empirical data collected for Oregon slender and Ensatina salamanders across two years on 66 forest stands

SUBMITTER: Kroll AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4664280 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature