Use of stochastic patch occupancy models in the California red-legged frog for Bayesian inference regarding past events and future persistence.

ABSTRACT: Assessing causes of population decline is critically important to management of threatened species. Stochastic patch occupancy models (SPOMs) are popular tools for examining spatial and temporal dynamics of populations when presence-absence data in multiple habitat patches are available. We developed a Bayesian Markov chain method that extends existing SPOMs by focusing on past environmental changes that may have altered occupancy patterns prior to the beginning of data collection. Using occupancy data from 3 creeks, we applied the method to assess 2 hypothesized causes of population decline-in situ die-off and residual impact of past source population loss-in the California red-legged frog. Despite having no data for the 20-30 years between the hypothetical event leading to population dec

SUBMITTER: Alcala N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6849877 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature