James Nichols, Ph.D.
Dr. Jim Nichols conducts research on animal population dynamics and management
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- B.S. Wake Forest University, Biology, 1971
- M.S. Louisiana State University, Wildlife Management, 1973
- Ph.D. Michigan State University, Wildlife Ecology, 1976
Professional Studies/Experience
- Adaptive management and assessment of habitat changes on migratory birds
- Development of models of mallard population dynamics for adaptive harvest management
- Development of methods to estimate parameters associated with animal population dynamics
- Statistical methods for species richness estimation
- Technical Assistance -Tiger Monitoring and Population Research
- Development of methods for estimating patch occupancy and patch-dynamic parameters from detection-nondetection survey data
- Development of methods to estimate species richness and community-dynamic parameters from species list data
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boardsScientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
- 2005 - U.S. Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Senior Professional)
- 2004 - U.S. Geological Survey Meritorious Service Award
- 2004 - IFAS Scholar Award, University of Florida
- 1998 - Promoted to Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
- 1991 - The George W. Snedecor Award of the American Statistical Association
- 1991 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Monograph
- 1984 - Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society, Outstanding Publication Award
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 409
Improving inferences in population studies of rare species that are detected imperfectly
For the vast majority of cases, it is highly unlikely that all the individuals of a population will be encountered during a study. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a constant fraction of the population is encountered over times, locations, or species to be compared. Hence, simple counts usually will not be good indices of population size. We recommend that detection probabilities (the probability
Authors
Darry I. MacKenzie, James D. Nichols, N. Sutton, K. Kawanishi, Larissa Bailey
Assessing spatial coupling in complex population dynamics using mutual prediction and continuity statistics
A number of important questions in ecology involve the possibility of interactions or ?coupling? among potential components of ecological systems. The basic question of whether two components are coupled (exhibit dynamical interdependence) is relevant to investigations of movement of animals over space, population regulation, food webs and trophic interactions, and is also useful in the design of
Authors
J.M. Nichols, L. Moniz, J. D. Nichols, L.M. Pecora, E. Cooch
Approaches for the direct estimation of rate of increase in population size using capture-recapture data
Recent developments in the modeling of capture-recapture data permit the direct estimation and modeling of population growth rate Pradel (1996). Resulting estimates reflect changes in numbers of birds on study areas, and such changes result from movement as well as survival and reproductive recruitment. One measure of the 'importance' of a demographic vital rate to population growth is based on
Authors
J. D. Nichols, T. Scott Sillett, J. E. Hines, Richard T. Holmes
Estimating the number of animals in wildlife populations
INTRODUCTION In 1938, Howard M. Wight devoted 9 pages, which was an entire chapter in the first wildlife management techniques manual, to what he termed 'census' methods. As books and chapters such as this attest, the volume of literature on this subject has grown tremendously. Abundance estimation remains an active area of biometrical research, as reflected in the many differences between thi
Authors
R.A. Lancia, W. L. Kendall, K. H. Pollock, J. D. Nichols
General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots
This paper reviews the constraints to sampling wildlife populations at FIA points. Wildlife sampling programs must have well-defined goals and provide information adequate to meet those goals. Investigators should choose a State variable based on information needs and the spatial sampling scale. We discuss estimation-based methods for three State variables: species richness, abundance, and patc
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, J. D. Nichols, P.H. Geissler
Comparative demography of new world populations of thrushes (Turdus spp.): Comment
Survival and fecundity are fundamental to the study of evolutionary ecology, as they are two of the key variables influencing the constrained optimization process we call natural selection. Likewise, population managers require accurate estimates of these parameters; along with dispersal, they govern population dynamics (Lack 1954) and thus are essential for predicting population change and the ef
Authors
Paul B. Conn, Paul F. Doherty, James D. Nichols
Investigating species co-occurrence patterns when species are detected imperfectly
1. Over the last 30 years there has been a great deal of interest in investigating patterns of species co-occurrence across a number of locations, which has led to the development of numerous methods to determine whether there is evidence that a particular pattern may not have occurred by random chance. 2. A key aspect that seems to have been largely overlooked is the possibility that species may
Authors
D.I. MacKenzie, L.L. Bailey, J. D. Nichols
Tigers and their prey: Predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance
The goal of ecology is to understand interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. In principle, ecologists should be able to identify a small number of limiting resources for a species of interest, estimate densities of these resources at different locations across the landscape, and then use these estimates to predict the density of the focal species at these locations
Authors
K. U. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, S. Kumar, W. A. Link, J. E. Hines
Testing life history predictions in a long-lived seabird: A population matrix approach with improved parameter estimation
Life history theory and associated empirical generalizations predict that population growth rate (λ) in long-lived animals should be most sensitive to adult survival; the rates to which λ is most sensitive should be those with the smallest temporal variances; and stochastic environmental events should most affect the rates to which λ is least sensitive. To date, most analyses attempting to examine
Authors
P.F. Doherty, E.A. Schreiber, J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, W. A. Link, G.A. Schenk, R.W. Schreiber
Estimation of sex-specific survival from capture-recapture data when sex is not always known
Many animals lack obvious sexual dimorphism, making assignment of sex difficult even for observed or captured animals. For many such species it is possible to assign sex with certainty only at some occasions; for example, when they exhibit certain types of behavior. A common approach to handling this situation in capture-recapture studies has been to group capture histories into those of animals e
Authors
J. D. Nichols, W. L. Kendall, J. E. Hines, J. A. Spendelow
Occupancy as a surrogate for abundance estimation
In many monitoring programmes it may be prohibitively expensive to estimate the actual abundance of a bird species in a defined area, particularly at large spatial scales, or where birds occur at very low densities. Often it may be appropriate to consider the proportion of area occupied by the species as an alternative state variable. However, as with abundance estimation, issues of detectabilit
Authors
D.I. MacKenzie, J. D. Nichols
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 409
Improving inferences in population studies of rare species that are detected imperfectly
For the vast majority of cases, it is highly unlikely that all the individuals of a population will be encountered during a study. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a constant fraction of the population is encountered over times, locations, or species to be compared. Hence, simple counts usually will not be good indices of population size. We recommend that detection probabilities (the probability
Authors
Darry I. MacKenzie, James D. Nichols, N. Sutton, K. Kawanishi, Larissa Bailey
Assessing spatial coupling in complex population dynamics using mutual prediction and continuity statistics
A number of important questions in ecology involve the possibility of interactions or ?coupling? among potential components of ecological systems. The basic question of whether two components are coupled (exhibit dynamical interdependence) is relevant to investigations of movement of animals over space, population regulation, food webs and trophic interactions, and is also useful in the design of
Authors
J.M. Nichols, L. Moniz, J. D. Nichols, L.M. Pecora, E. Cooch
Approaches for the direct estimation of rate of increase in population size using capture-recapture data
Recent developments in the modeling of capture-recapture data permit the direct estimation and modeling of population growth rate Pradel (1996). Resulting estimates reflect changes in numbers of birds on study areas, and such changes result from movement as well as survival and reproductive recruitment. One measure of the 'importance' of a demographic vital rate to population growth is based on
Authors
J. D. Nichols, T. Scott Sillett, J. E. Hines, Richard T. Holmes
Estimating the number of animals in wildlife populations
INTRODUCTION In 1938, Howard M. Wight devoted 9 pages, which was an entire chapter in the first wildlife management techniques manual, to what he termed 'census' methods. As books and chapters such as this attest, the volume of literature on this subject has grown tremendously. Abundance estimation remains an active area of biometrical research, as reflected in the many differences between thi
Authors
R.A. Lancia, W. L. Kendall, K. H. Pollock, J. D. Nichols
General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots
This paper reviews the constraints to sampling wildlife populations at FIA points. Wildlife sampling programs must have well-defined goals and provide information adequate to meet those goals. Investigators should choose a State variable based on information needs and the spatial sampling scale. We discuss estimation-based methods for three State variables: species richness, abundance, and patc
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, J. D. Nichols, P.H. Geissler
Comparative demography of new world populations of thrushes (Turdus spp.): Comment
Survival and fecundity are fundamental to the study of evolutionary ecology, as they are two of the key variables influencing the constrained optimization process we call natural selection. Likewise, population managers require accurate estimates of these parameters; along with dispersal, they govern population dynamics (Lack 1954) and thus are essential for predicting population change and the ef
Authors
Paul B. Conn, Paul F. Doherty, James D. Nichols
Investigating species co-occurrence patterns when species are detected imperfectly
1. Over the last 30 years there has been a great deal of interest in investigating patterns of species co-occurrence across a number of locations, which has led to the development of numerous methods to determine whether there is evidence that a particular pattern may not have occurred by random chance. 2. A key aspect that seems to have been largely overlooked is the possibility that species may
Authors
D.I. MacKenzie, L.L. Bailey, J. D. Nichols
Tigers and their prey: Predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance
The goal of ecology is to understand interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. In principle, ecologists should be able to identify a small number of limiting resources for a species of interest, estimate densities of these resources at different locations across the landscape, and then use these estimates to predict the density of the focal species at these locations
Authors
K. U. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, S. Kumar, W. A. Link, J. E. Hines
Testing life history predictions in a long-lived seabird: A population matrix approach with improved parameter estimation
Life history theory and associated empirical generalizations predict that population growth rate (λ) in long-lived animals should be most sensitive to adult survival; the rates to which λ is most sensitive should be those with the smallest temporal variances; and stochastic environmental events should most affect the rates to which λ is least sensitive. To date, most analyses attempting to examine
Authors
P.F. Doherty, E.A. Schreiber, J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, W. A. Link, G.A. Schenk, R.W. Schreiber
Estimation of sex-specific survival from capture-recapture data when sex is not always known
Many animals lack obvious sexual dimorphism, making assignment of sex difficult even for observed or captured animals. For many such species it is possible to assign sex with certainty only at some occasions; for example, when they exhibit certain types of behavior. A common approach to handling this situation in capture-recapture studies has been to group capture histories into those of animals e
Authors
J. D. Nichols, W. L. Kendall, J. E. Hines, J. A. Spendelow
Occupancy as a surrogate for abundance estimation
In many monitoring programmes it may be prohibitively expensive to estimate the actual abundance of a bird species in a defined area, particularly at large spatial scales, or where birds occur at very low densities. Often it may be appropriate to consider the proportion of area occupied by the species as an alternative state variable. However, as with abundance estimation, issues of detectabilit
Authors
D.I. MacKenzie, J. D. Nichols