Age-structured Jolly-Seber model expands inference and improves parameter estimation from capture-recapture data.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the influence of individual attributes on demographic processes is a key objective of wildlife population studies. Capture-recapture and age data are commonly collected to investigate hypotheses about survival, reproduction, and viability. We present a novel age-structured Jolly-Seber model that incorporates age and capture-recapture data to provide comprehensive information on population dynamics, including abundance, age-dependent survival, recruitment, age structure, and population growth rates. We applied our model to a multi-year capture-recapture study of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in western Hudson Bay, Canada (2012-2018), where management and conservation require a detailed understanding of how polar bears respond to climate change and other factors. In simulation

SUBMITTER: Hostetter NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8189494 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature