Quantitative and Other Methods Active
Applying quantitative methods to evaluate ecological hypotheses for wild animal populations is inherently challenging due to the complexity of ecological systems and the sampling process that is used to monitor them.
Amphibians can be especially difficult to monitor because they are often cryptic and use different habitats seasonally. Our lab uses occupancy, capture-recapture, and related analyses (using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches) to correct monitoring data for the sampling process (i.e., imperfect detection, sampling designs, etc.) and provide unbiased estimates of system dynamics. Part of this work involves publishing technical reports and peer-reviewed articles on the development and evaluation of new methods accommodating different sources of uncertainty. Examples of field methods used by our lab include environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, capture-mark-recapture, radio telemetry, skin swabbing for disease and microbiome, water and sediment sampling, and tissue sampling for genetic analyses. We also provide decision support to identify and address the needs of diverse stakeholder groups and wildlife using a structured process.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Using spatiotemporal models and distance sampling to map the space use and abundance of newly metamorphosed Western Toads (Anaxyrus boreas)
Using occupancy models to understand the distribution of an amphibian pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
A Protocol for Aging Anurans Using Skeletochronology
Range-wide phylogeographic analysis of the spotted frog complex (Rana luteiventris and Rana pretiosa) in northwestern North America
Sampling protocol for monitoring abiotic and biotic characteristics of mountain ponds and lakes
Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A successful start to a national program in the United States
Amphibians of the Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Washington: Sampling techniques and community patterns
Applying quantitative methods to evaluate ecological hypotheses for wild animal populations is inherently challenging due to the complexity of ecological systems and the sampling process that is used to monitor them.
Amphibians can be especially difficult to monitor because they are often cryptic and use different habitats seasonally. Our lab uses occupancy, capture-recapture, and related analyses (using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches) to correct monitoring data for the sampling process (i.e., imperfect detection, sampling designs, etc.) and provide unbiased estimates of system dynamics. Part of this work involves publishing technical reports and peer-reviewed articles on the development and evaluation of new methods accommodating different sources of uncertainty. Examples of field methods used by our lab include environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, capture-mark-recapture, radio telemetry, skin swabbing for disease and microbiome, water and sediment sampling, and tissue sampling for genetic analyses. We also provide decision support to identify and address the needs of diverse stakeholder groups and wildlife using a structured process.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.