Monitoring and Population Ecology
Advances in technology (e.g., PIT tags) have allowed scientists to individually mark more types of species than ever before, and concurrent developments in biometrics have allowed scientists to ask more types of questions about animal populations under more circumstances. Some of these developments have been particularly useful when estimating parameters about amphibians, a group that can be difficult to sample (e.g., multiple life stages, small size, difficult to mark, high juvenile mortality).
These developments in marking and estimation have allowed scientists to ask specific questions about the effects of potential stressors or beneficial management actions on amphibian populations, and quantify these responses.
Monitoring and Population Ecology - ARMI Papers & Reports
Papers & Reports Incorporating location uncertainty improves inference with stop-level North American Breeding Bird Survey data
Authors: Ryan C Burner; Jeffrey A. Hostetler; Alan Kirschbaum
Date: 2026-05-22 | Outlet: Ornithological Applications
Covariate uncertainty is a challenge for monitoring ecological data. Here, we test a Bayesian method for accounting for covariate uncertainty in multi-species models using informative priors. We conduct a series of simulations to evaluate the effects of incorporating covariate uncertainty into models, using the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) dataset as a case study. This extensive database has annual bird point count data for over 100,000 locations annually, but the precise spatial coordinates of these locations are unknown. We find that an informative prior model produces substantially better inferences than does a simpler model that makes assumptions about locations and covariates.
Data Release Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) survey data Cameron Pass Colorado 1986-2025.
Authors: Erin Muths; Amy Wray
Date: 2025-06 | Outlet: Figshare
Capture-recapture survey data for chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) at two locations in northern Colorado, USA (Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest). Data include capture dates and environmental covariates (air and water temps and wind/cloud cover). There are also limited data on frog color, sex, and measurements (snout-vent length and mass). Data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, to contribute to an understanding of demography and population dynamics in small hylid frogs.
Data Release Multi-species frog occupancy code
Authors: Ryan C Burner; Mark F Roth
Date: 2025-07-14 | Outlet: U.S. Geological Survey code release
This code processes frog and toad survey data from the upper Midwest and fits a Bayesian multi-species occupancy model that includes imperfect detection, species associations, and species traits. The focus in on changes in occupancy of Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) from the 2000s to 2024, and effects of land cover covariates on occupancy.
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