Specialty: Quantitative ecology; abundance and demographic modeling; avian ecology and conservation
Research Interests: Status and trend estimation; Bayesian inference; hierarchical modeling; spatial and temporal modeling; population dynamics modeling
Personal Interests: Running, bicycling, beer brewing and family
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2020 Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
M.S. 1995 Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
B.S. 1991 Wildlife Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Science and Products
Pacific Island Bird Survey Design and Data Analysis
Abundance data are collected for bird populations throughout the Pacific Islands by numerous federal, state, university, and non-profit organizations. In order to ensure data are standardized and available to researchers throughout the region, interagency bird databases have been created and continue to be used. These databases contain more than a million compiled, proofed, and standardized...
Global Climate Change Impacts on Plants of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
Climate change is expected to alter the seasonal and annual patterns of rainfall and temperature in the Hawaiian Islands. Warming temperatures and altered precipitation patterns both impact ecological systems, but managing these impacts is difficult without detailed information on the magnitude and timing of these climate-related changes.
Assessing the Potential Effects of Climate Change on Vegetation in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Climate change in Hawaiʻi is expected to result in increasing temperatures and varying precipitation through the twenty-first century. Already, high elevation areas have experienced rapidly increasing temperatures and there has been an increase in the frequency of drought across the Islands. These climatic changes could have significant impacts on Hawaiʻi’s plants and animals. Changes in temperatu...
Haleakala National Park bird survey data 1993-2008
Eight-minute point-transect distance bird surveys were collected in and around Haleakala National Park from 1993-2008. This dataset contains the location, species, and distance to detected birds, as well as identifying initials to distinguish among observers.
Hawaii Island Kohala Mountain complex forest bird survey, 2017
This data release contains the point-transect distance sampling records of forest bird survey collected in the Kohala Mountain complex in 2017, including survey point IDs, distance to detected birds, sampling conditions, ohia phenology, habitat classifications and background noise levels. This data release consists of one tabular dataset.
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii Akepa point-transect survey, 2002
This dataset contains the point-transect distance sampling records of Hawaii Akepa collected at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in 2002, including survey point locations, distance to detected birds, number of detected birds, elevation, and alliance-level habitat classification. This data release consists of two tabular datasets, one that contains distances and the other that contains locat
Alamagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Nightingale Reed-warbler point transect survey data, 2010
Point transect distance sampling data were collected during the 2010 surveys of Alamagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Data were collected at points along transects where trained observers recorded the detection type (heard, seen, or heard then seen) and horizontal distance (exact distance in m) from the station center point to individual birds detected during an 8-min coun
Lower Puna, Hawaii Island, bird and habitat surveys of 2003 and 2016
The newly identified rapid ohii death (ROD; Metrosideros polymorpha) originated in the lower Puna district and its distribution has spread across Hawaii Island. As ROD expands it is expected that the loss of the dominant tree species will adversely affect bird populations. This project is a first attempt to describe the relationship between the impacts of ROD on the Hawaiian avifauna, especially t
Hakalau Bioacoustic Surveys and Models 2015
In this study, we create and evaluate a protocol to estimate the density, which can be used to estimate the abundance of terrestrial sound-producing animals from single automatic sound recorders. The protocol uses cue rates from the target species as well as sampling conditions and an estimate of the distance of the individual to the recorder based on the power of the sound. We applied our protoco
HAVO Montane Ohia Diameter and Cavity Data 2017
We quantified the availability of breeding habitat of the endangered Hawaii Akepa (Loxops coccineus). The species is thought to nest excusively in natural cavities within mature ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees but birds commonly occur in short stature trees that presumably do not have any natural cavities because of their polyploidal (many-branched) structure. To test this hypothesis we searc
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Landbird Surveys 2015-2016
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) was surveyed for landbirds and landbird habitat from February through April 2015 and February through April 2016. This information provides the second datum in the time-series of Pacific Island Network (PACN) monitoring for long-term trends in landbird distribution, density, and abundance. Initial PACN surveys were conducted in 2010 and are repeated every fiv
Filter Total Items: 64
Density surface and excursion sets modeling as an approach to estimating population densities
Effective species management and conservation require knowledge of species distribution and status. We used point-transect distance sampling surveys of the endangered palila (Loxioides bailleui), a honeycreeper currently found only on the Island of Hawai'i, USA, to generate robust estimates of total abundance and simultaneously model the distribution, abundance, and spatial correlation of the spec
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Chauncey K Asing, Paul C. Banko, Lainie Berry, Kevin W. Brinck, Chris Farmer, Ayesha Genz
Status of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed in 2011 and 2018 using point-transect distance sampling to estimate trends in landbird distribution, composition, population density, and abundance. Surveys were conducted within the Ta‘ū Unit and Tutuila Unit, each on separate islands of American Samoa. We detected a total of 14 species during surveys and there were sufficient detections of
Authors
Seth Judge, Richard J. Camp, Visa Vaivai, Patrick J. Hart
Status of forest birds on Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with an emphasis on the Tinian monarch (Monarcha takatsukasae) (Passeriformes; Monarchidae)
Landbird populations on Tinian Island have been periodically surveyed since 1982 to evaluate the status of non-native and native landbirds. We report the results of surveys in 2013 and the observed changes during 31 years in species population trends based on surveys since 1982. A total of 11 native and 3 non-native species were detected during the 2013 survey. Population sizes were estimated usin
Authors
Rick L Spalding, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. Banko, Nathan C Johnson, Angela D Anders
2021 Tinian Island forest bird abundance estimates
The U.S. Navy, through Micronesian Environmental Services, surveyed landbirds in the Military Lease Area on Tinian Island in May and June 2021 using point-transect distance sampling methods. There were 2,074 individuals of 14 species detected during 123 point counts. Six species were detected during >50% of the counts and were observed at relatively high abundances, while eight species occurred at
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Trevor Bak, Ayesha Genz
Forest bird populations at the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Hawai‘i
Endemic Hawaiian forest birds have experienced dramatic population declines. The Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (BINWRC) was created for conservation of endangered Hawaiian forest birds and their habitats. Surveys have been conducted at two units of BINWRC to monitor forest bird populations and their response to management actions. We analyzed survey data from 1987 to 2019 at the Haka
Authors
Steven J. Kendall, Rachel A. Rounds, Richard J. Camp, Ayesha Genz
2019-2021 Palila abundance estimates and trend
The palila (Loxioides bailleui) population on Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawai‘i Island, was estimated from annual surveys in 2019−2021, and a trend analysis was performed on survey data from 1998−2021. The 2019 population was estimated at 1,030−1,899 birds (point estimate: 1,432), the 2020 population was estimated at 964−1,700 birds (point estimate: 1,312), and the 2021 population was estimated at 452−94
Authors
Ayesha Genz, Kevin W. Brinck, Chauncey K Asing, Lainie Berry, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. Banko
Current distribution and abundance of Kohala forest birds in Hawai‘i
The Kohala volcano is home to the most spatially isolated population of Hawaiian forest birds on Hawai‘i Island and contains one of the few native bird populations in the state that has not been monitored since the original Hawai‘i Forest Bird Survey (HFBS) in 1979. We surveyed 143 stations across 13 transects in Pu‘u ‘O ‘Umi Natural Area Reserve on Kohala from February through April 2017 and comp
Authors
Keith Burnett, Richard J. Camp, Patrick J. Hart
Population estimates and trends of three Maui Island-endemic Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Population monitoring is critical for informing the management and conservation of rare Hawaiian forest birds. In 2017, we used point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate population densities of birds on Haleakalā Volcano on east Maui island. We estimated the populations and ranges of three island-endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, including the endangered ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), the e
Authors
Seth Judge, Christopher C Warren, Richard J. Camp, Laura K Berthold, Hanna L Mounce, Patrick J. Hart, Ryan J. Monello
Population density, distribution, and trends of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa, Ta‘ū and Tutuila Units (2011–2018)
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed for landbirds from June through July, 2018. Surveys were conducted using point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate bird densities. This information provides the second datum in the time-series of landbird monitoring for long-term trends in landbird distribution, density, and abundance within NPSA. The Ta‘ū Unit and Tutuila Unit, ea
Authors
Seth Judge, Richard J. Camp, Visa Vaivai, Patrick J. Hart
Status of endemic reed-warblers of the Mariana Islands, with emphasis on conservation strategies for the endangered Nightingale Reed-warbler
Insular species, particularly birds, experience high levels of speciation and endemism. Similarly, island birds experience extreme levels of extinction. Based on a 2012 taxonomic assessment, historically there were four reed-warbler species in the Mariana Islands, the Guam Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinia (Guam), the Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus hiwae (Saipan and Alamagan), the Aguijuan
Authors
Ann P. Marshall, Fred A Amidon, Richard J. Camp, Paulo Marcos Gorresen, Paul Radley
Using density surface models to estimate spatio-temporal changes in population densities and trend
Precise measures of population abundance and trend are needed for species conservation; these are most difficult to obtain for rare and rapidly changing populations. We compare uncertainty in densities estimated from spatio–temporal models with that from standard design‐based methods. Spatio–temporal models allow us to target priority areas where, and at times when, a population may most benefit.
Authors
Richard J. Camp, David L Miller, Len Thomas, Steve T. Buckland, Steve J. Kendall
Large-scale tree mortality from Rapid Ohia Death negatively influences avifauna in lower Puna, Hawai‘i Island, USA
‘Ōhi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the principle tree species in forests across the Hawaiian Islands and provides critical foraging and nesting habitat for native passerines. Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), caused by the vascular wilt fungus Ceratocystis lukuohia and the canker pathogen C. huliohia, was first detected in the Puna District of Hawaii Island in 2010. It affects all life stages of ‘ōhi
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Dennis Lapointe, Patrick J. Hart, Daniel E Sedgwick, Lisa K Canale
Science and Products
- Science
Pacific Island Bird Survey Design and Data Analysis
Abundance data are collected for bird populations throughout the Pacific Islands by numerous federal, state, university, and non-profit organizations. In order to ensure data are standardized and available to researchers throughout the region, interagency bird databases have been created and continue to be used. These databases contain more than a million compiled, proofed, and standardized...Global Climate Change Impacts on Plants of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
Climate change is expected to alter the seasonal and annual patterns of rainfall and temperature in the Hawaiian Islands. Warming temperatures and altered precipitation patterns both impact ecological systems, but managing these impacts is difficult without detailed information on the magnitude and timing of these climate-related changes.Assessing the Potential Effects of Climate Change on Vegetation in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Climate change in Hawaiʻi is expected to result in increasing temperatures and varying precipitation through the twenty-first century. Already, high elevation areas have experienced rapidly increasing temperatures and there has been an increase in the frequency of drought across the Islands. These climatic changes could have significant impacts on Hawaiʻi’s plants and animals. Changes in temperatu... - Data
Haleakala National Park bird survey data 1993-2008
Eight-minute point-transect distance bird surveys were collected in and around Haleakala National Park from 1993-2008. This dataset contains the location, species, and distance to detected birds, as well as identifying initials to distinguish among observers.Hawaii Island Kohala Mountain complex forest bird survey, 2017
This data release contains the point-transect distance sampling records of forest bird survey collected in the Kohala Mountain complex in 2017, including survey point IDs, distance to detected birds, sampling conditions, ohia phenology, habitat classifications and background noise levels. This data release consists of one tabular dataset.Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii Akepa point-transect survey, 2002
This dataset contains the point-transect distance sampling records of Hawaii Akepa collected at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in 2002, including survey point locations, distance to detected birds, number of detected birds, elevation, and alliance-level habitat classification. This data release consists of two tabular datasets, one that contains distances and the other that contains locatAlamagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Nightingale Reed-warbler point transect survey data, 2010
Point transect distance sampling data were collected during the 2010 surveys of Alamagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Data were collected at points along transects where trained observers recorded the detection type (heard, seen, or heard then seen) and horizontal distance (exact distance in m) from the station center point to individual birds detected during an 8-min counLower Puna, Hawaii Island, bird and habitat surveys of 2003 and 2016
The newly identified rapid ohii death (ROD; Metrosideros polymorpha) originated in the lower Puna district and its distribution has spread across Hawaii Island. As ROD expands it is expected that the loss of the dominant tree species will adversely affect bird populations. This project is a first attempt to describe the relationship between the impacts of ROD on the Hawaiian avifauna, especially tHakalau Bioacoustic Surveys and Models 2015
In this study, we create and evaluate a protocol to estimate the density, which can be used to estimate the abundance of terrestrial sound-producing animals from single automatic sound recorders. The protocol uses cue rates from the target species as well as sampling conditions and an estimate of the distance of the individual to the recorder based on the power of the sound. We applied our protocoHAVO Montane Ohia Diameter and Cavity Data 2017
We quantified the availability of breeding habitat of the endangered Hawaii Akepa (Loxops coccineus). The species is thought to nest excusively in natural cavities within mature ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees but birds commonly occur in short stature trees that presumably do not have any natural cavities because of their polyploidal (many-branched) structure. To test this hypothesis we searcHawaii Volcanoes National Park Landbird Surveys 2015-2016
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) was surveyed for landbirds and landbird habitat from February through April 2015 and February through April 2016. This information provides the second datum in the time-series of Pacific Island Network (PACN) monitoring for long-term trends in landbird distribution, density, and abundance. Initial PACN surveys were conducted in 2010 and are repeated every fiv - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 64
Density surface and excursion sets modeling as an approach to estimating population densities
Effective species management and conservation require knowledge of species distribution and status. We used point-transect distance sampling surveys of the endangered palila (Loxioides bailleui), a honeycreeper currently found only on the Island of Hawai'i, USA, to generate robust estimates of total abundance and simultaneously model the distribution, abundance, and spatial correlation of the specAuthorsRichard J. Camp, Chauncey K Asing, Paul C. Banko, Lainie Berry, Kevin W. Brinck, Chris Farmer, Ayesha GenzStatus of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed in 2011 and 2018 using point-transect distance sampling to estimate trends in landbird distribution, composition, population density, and abundance. Surveys were conducted within the Ta‘ū Unit and Tutuila Unit, each on separate islands of American Samoa. We detected a total of 14 species during surveys and there were sufficient detections ofAuthorsSeth Judge, Richard J. Camp, Visa Vaivai, Patrick J. HartStatus of forest birds on Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with an emphasis on the Tinian monarch (Monarcha takatsukasae) (Passeriformes; Monarchidae)
Landbird populations on Tinian Island have been periodically surveyed since 1982 to evaluate the status of non-native and native landbirds. We report the results of surveys in 2013 and the observed changes during 31 years in species population trends based on surveys since 1982. A total of 11 native and 3 non-native species were detected during the 2013 survey. Population sizes were estimated usinAuthorsRick L Spalding, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. Banko, Nathan C Johnson, Angela D Anders2021 Tinian Island forest bird abundance estimates
The U.S. Navy, through Micronesian Environmental Services, surveyed landbirds in the Military Lease Area on Tinian Island in May and June 2021 using point-transect distance sampling methods. There were 2,074 individuals of 14 species detected during 123 point counts. Six species were detected during >50% of the counts and were observed at relatively high abundances, while eight species occurred atAuthorsRichard J. Camp, Trevor Bak, Ayesha GenzForest bird populations at the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Hawai‘i
Endemic Hawaiian forest birds have experienced dramatic population declines. The Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (BINWRC) was created for conservation of endangered Hawaiian forest birds and their habitats. Surveys have been conducted at two units of BINWRC to monitor forest bird populations and their response to management actions. We analyzed survey data from 1987 to 2019 at the HakaAuthorsSteven J. Kendall, Rachel A. Rounds, Richard J. Camp, Ayesha Genz2019-2021 Palila abundance estimates and trend
The palila (Loxioides bailleui) population on Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawai‘i Island, was estimated from annual surveys in 2019−2021, and a trend analysis was performed on survey data from 1998−2021. The 2019 population was estimated at 1,030−1,899 birds (point estimate: 1,432), the 2020 population was estimated at 964−1,700 birds (point estimate: 1,312), and the 2021 population was estimated at 452−94AuthorsAyesha Genz, Kevin W. Brinck, Chauncey K Asing, Lainie Berry, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. BankoCurrent distribution and abundance of Kohala forest birds in Hawai‘i
The Kohala volcano is home to the most spatially isolated population of Hawaiian forest birds on Hawai‘i Island and contains one of the few native bird populations in the state that has not been monitored since the original Hawai‘i Forest Bird Survey (HFBS) in 1979. We surveyed 143 stations across 13 transects in Pu‘u ‘O ‘Umi Natural Area Reserve on Kohala from February through April 2017 and compAuthorsKeith Burnett, Richard J. Camp, Patrick J. HartPopulation estimates and trends of three Maui Island-endemic Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Population monitoring is critical for informing the management and conservation of rare Hawaiian forest birds. In 2017, we used point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate population densities of birds on Haleakalā Volcano on east Maui island. We estimated the populations and ranges of three island-endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, including the endangered ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), the eAuthorsSeth Judge, Christopher C Warren, Richard J. Camp, Laura K Berthold, Hanna L Mounce, Patrick J. Hart, Ryan J. MonelloPopulation density, distribution, and trends of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa, Ta‘ū and Tutuila Units (2011–2018)
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed for landbirds from June through July, 2018. Surveys were conducted using point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate bird densities. This information provides the second datum in the time-series of landbird monitoring for long-term trends in landbird distribution, density, and abundance within NPSA. The Ta‘ū Unit and Tutuila Unit, eaAuthorsSeth Judge, Richard J. Camp, Visa Vaivai, Patrick J. HartStatus of endemic reed-warblers of the Mariana Islands, with emphasis on conservation strategies for the endangered Nightingale Reed-warbler
Insular species, particularly birds, experience high levels of speciation and endemism. Similarly, island birds experience extreme levels of extinction. Based on a 2012 taxonomic assessment, historically there were four reed-warbler species in the Mariana Islands, the Guam Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinia (Guam), the Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus hiwae (Saipan and Alamagan), the AguijuanAuthorsAnn P. Marshall, Fred A Amidon, Richard J. Camp, Paulo Marcos Gorresen, Paul RadleyUsing density surface models to estimate spatio-temporal changes in population densities and trend
Precise measures of population abundance and trend are needed for species conservation; these are most difficult to obtain for rare and rapidly changing populations. We compare uncertainty in densities estimated from spatio–temporal models with that from standard design‐based methods. Spatio–temporal models allow us to target priority areas where, and at times when, a population may most benefit.AuthorsRichard J. Camp, David L Miller, Len Thomas, Steve T. Buckland, Steve J. KendallLarge-scale tree mortality from Rapid Ohia Death negatively influences avifauna in lower Puna, Hawai‘i Island, USA
‘Ōhi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the principle tree species in forests across the Hawaiian Islands and provides critical foraging and nesting habitat for native passerines. Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), caused by the vascular wilt fungus Ceratocystis lukuohia and the canker pathogen C. huliohia, was first detected in the Puna District of Hawaii Island in 2010. It affects all life stages of ‘ōhiAuthorsRichard J. Camp, Dennis Lapointe, Patrick J. Hart, Daniel E Sedgwick, Lisa K Canale - News