W. David Walter, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
After finishing his Ph.D., David served as a post-doctoral Researcher at the National Wildlife Research Center for nearly 5 years. A majority of his research explores spatial ecology of various species throughout the U.S. using GIS to further our understanding of wildlife presence/absence, nutrition, and disease.
Research Interests
David's primary research interests have focused on using various modeling techniques to understand spatial ecology of disease in ungulates in various regions of North America. He also uses stable isotopes to understand movements, nutritional ecology, and effects of invasive species on native non-game species at the landscape level.
Teaching Interests
David teaches graduate courses in spatial ecology, movement analyses, home range estimation, and disease epidemiology.
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2011-
Education and Certifications
Ph D Oklahoma State University 2006
MS University of New Hampshire 2000
BS SUNY - College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1995
Science and Products
Data for Distance sampling accounting for density gradient and animal distribution
There are 9 datasets. one distance sampling dataset, 4 resource selection datasets, and 4 outputs from bootstrapped resource selection models the use the estimated correction factor. The 4 resource selection datasets have data that can be used in a binomial generalized linear mixed effect model to create the correction factor. The distance sampling data set is used to estimate density...
White-tailed deer from culling efforts in Minnesota
Dataset containing information for white-tailed deer samples from Minnesota. Samples were genotyped for 11 microsatellites markers and sequenced for a fragment of approx. 546 bp belonging to the mitochondrial control region. Marker OvirQ should not be used as it presents alleles inconsistent with reported pattern, with some alleles separated by only 1 base pair and inconsistent between...
Microsatellite genotypes and metadata for white-tailed deer samples from the Mid-Atlantic region of USA
Dataset containing information for white-tailed deer samples from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and New York, genotyped for 11 microsatellites markers. Marker OvirQ should not be used as it presents alleles inconsistent with reported pattern, with some alleles separated by only 1 base pair and inconsistent between runs. Projected coordinates representing sampling location are in...
Input for Habitat Risk Software
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that was first detected in captive cervids in Colorado, United States (US) in 1967, but has since spread into free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations across the US and Canada. In some areas, the disease is considered endemic in wild deer populations, and governmental wildlife agencies...
Evaluation of DNA yield from various sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, micro-satellites have been the primary method, however, there currently is a shift from micro-satellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the DNA requirements being different, an investigation into which samples can provide...
Filter Total Items: 35
Neonatal antipredator tactics shape female movement patterns in large herbivores
Caring for newborn offspring hampers resource acquisition of mammalian females, curbing their ability to meet the high energy expenditure of early lactation. Newborns are particularly vulnerable, and large herbivores have evolved a continuum of neonatal anti-predator tactics, ranging from immobile hider to highly mobile follower offspring. How these tactics constrain female movements...
Authors
Kamal Atmeh, Christophe Bonenfant, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Mathieu Garel, A.J. Mark Hewison, Pascal Marchand, Nicolas Morellet, Pia Anderwald, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Jeffrey L. Beck, Matthew S. Becker, Floris M. van Beest, Jodi Berg, Ulrika A. Bergvall, Randall B. Boone, Mark S. Boyce, Simon Chamaill'e-Jammes, Yannick Chaval, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, David A Christianson, Simone Ciuti, Steeve D. Côté, Duane R. Diefenbach, Egil Droge, Johan T. Du Toit, Samantha P. Dwinnell, Julian Fennessy, Flurin Filli, Daniel Fortin, Emma E. Hart, Matthew Hayes, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Ivar Herfindal, Marco Heurich, Christian von Hoermann, Katey Huggler, Craig Jackson, Andrew F. Jakes, Paul F. Jones, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew Kauffman, Petter Kjellander, Tayler LaSharr, Leif Egil Loe, Roel May, Philip McLoughlin, Erling L. Meisingset, Evelyn Merrill, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Dejid Nandintsetseg, Kirk A. Olson, John Payne, Scott Pearson, Ashild Ønvik Pedersen, Dustin H. Ranglack, Adele K. Reinking, Thomas Rempfler, Clifford G Rice, Eivin Røskaft, Bernt-Erik Sæther, Sonia Saïd, Hugo Santacreu, Niels Martin Schmidt, Daan Smit, Jared A. Stabach, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, Joëlle Taillon, W. David Walter, Kevin White, Guillaume Péron, Anne Loison
Predicting the odds of chronic wasting disease with Habitat Risk software
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that was first detected in captive cervids in Colorado, United States (US) in 1967, but has since spread into free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) across the US and Canada as well as to Scandinavia and South Korea. In some areas, the disease is considered endemic in wild deer populations, and...
Authors
W. David Walter, Brenda J. Hanley, Cara E. Them, Corey I. Mitchell, James Kelly, Daniel Grove, Nicholas Hollingshead, Rachel C. Abbott, Krysten L. Schuler
Comparing risk of chronic wasting disease occurrence using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models and different surveillance types
Spatial modeling of wildlife diseases can be used to describe patterns of disease risk, understand biological mechanisms of disease occurrence, and for spatial prediction. Risk of wildlife disease occurrence in relation to environmental variables is often modeled and predicted using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, which are unsuitable for large datasets and those covering large...
Authors
Kristin J. Bondo, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, W. David Walter
Large-scale assessment of genetic structure to assess risk of populations of a large herbivore to disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) can spread among cervids by direct and indirect transmission, the former being more likely in emerging areas. Identifying subpopulations allows the delineation of focal areas to target for intervention. We aimed to assess the population structure of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northeastern United States at a regional scale to inform...
Authors
W. David Walter, Alberto Fameli, Kelly Russo-Petrick, Jessie E. Edson, Christopher S. Rosenberry, Krysten L. Schuler, Michael J. Tonkovich
Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, microsatellites have been the primary method; however, there currently is a shift from microsatellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the different DNA requirements between microsatellites and SNPs, an investigation into...
Authors
David L. Pearce, Jessie E. Edson, Chris S. Jennelle, W. David Walter
Prion forensics: A multidisciplinary approach to investigate CWD at an illegal deer carcass disposal site
Infectious prions are resistant to degradation and remain infectious in the environment for several years. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in cervids inhabiting North America, the Nordic countries, and South Korea. CWD-prion spread is partially attributed to carcass transport and disposal. We employed a forensic approach to investigate an illegal carcass dump site...
Authors
Marc D. Schwabenlander, Jason C. Bartz, Michelle Carstensen, Alberto Fameli, Linda Glaser, Roxanne J. Larsen, Manci Li, Rachel L. Shoemaker, Gage Rowden, Suzanne Stone, W. David Walter, Tiffany M. Wolf, Peter A. Larsen
Change-point models for identifying behavioral transitions in wild animals
Animal behavior can be difficult, time-consuming, and costly to observe in the field directly. Innovative modeling methods, such as hidden Markov models (HMMs), allow researchers to infer unobserved animal behaviors from movement data, and implementations often assume that transitions between states occur multiple times. However, some behavioral shifts of interest, such as parturition...
Authors
K.P. Gundermann, Duane R. Diefenbach, W. David Walter, A Corondi, J.E. Banfield, B.D. Wallingford, D.P. Stainbrook, C.S. Rosenberry, F.E. Buderman
Landscape features fail to explain spatial genetic structure in white-tailed deer across Ohio, USA
Landscape features influence wildlife movements across spatial scales and have the potential to influence the spread of disease. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting members of the family Cervidae, particularly white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the first positive CWD case in a wild deer in Ohio, USA, was recorded in 2020. Landscape genetics...
Authors
Javan M. Bauder, Christine S. Anderson, H. Lisle Gibbs, Michael J. Tonkovich, W. David Walter
Comparison of sample types from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for DNA extraction and analyses
Collection of biological samples for DNA is necessary in a variety of disciplines including disease epidemiology, landscape genetics, and forensics. Quantity and quality of DNA varies depending on the method of collection or media available for collection (e.g., blood, tissue, fecal). Blood is the most common sample collected in vials or on Whatman Flinders Technology Associates (FTA)...
Authors
Jessie Edson, Justin Brown, William L. Miller, W. David Walter
Ecology of an isolated muskrat population during regional population declines
Evidence indicating a decline in muskrat populations in the United States during the past 40 years has led to speculation regarding factors influencing muskrat survival. In order to understand population dynamics and survival, it is important to first define the ecology of local populations. We investigated the dwelling structure use, movements, home range, and survival of radio-tagged...
Authors
Laken S. Ganoe, Matt J. Lovallo, Justin D. Brown, W. David Walter
Resource use by American black bear in suburbia: A landholder step selection approach
Range expansion of American black bear (Ursus americanus; bear) and residential development has resulted in a growing presence of bear in suburbia. Suburban landscapes exhibiting patchworks of variable-sized parcels and habitats and owned by landowners with diverse values, can create large areas of suitable habitats with limited public access. These landscapes thereby may limit the...
Authors
Farshid S. Ahrestani, Mark A. Ternent, Matthew J. Lovallo, W. David Walter
The influence of hunting pressure and ecological factors on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild elk
Climate change and human population growth have increased anthropogenic threats to biodiversity and habitat fragmentation. Ecologists and conservationists need tools to assess the effect of these ecological and environmental perturbations on organismal fitness. One possibility is glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol and corticosterone) which integrate various factors such as anthropogenic...
Authors
David C. Ensminger, Catharine Pritchard, Tracy Langkilde, Tess Gingery, Jeremiah E. Banfield, W. David Walter
Comparing datasets by surveillance method using spatial models
This software compares statistical methods to model habitat risk of CWD in white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania using Bayesian hierarchical models in R-INLA and compares these results with model output from WinBugs. The software also uses R-INLA with the Stochastic Partial Differential Approach (SPDE) to compare different surveillance methods to model CWD in relation to habitat features and...
Population genetic structure of white-tailed deer using microsatellites i the Mid-Atalntic region
Results of 11 microsatellites for white-tailed deer collected in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia from 2014 to 2022 for genetic analysis. In this project we assessed genetic structure using different analyses, and evaluated the performance of assignment tests to correctly match deer to origin (defined as genetic cluster, state or physiographic province). This...
Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Optimization Software Version 2
The Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Optimization Software Version 2 computes sampling recommendations to detect chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Driven by a combinatorial optimization algorithm, the software maximizes the return-on-investment to the wildlife agency while keeping the overall surveillance program within budget. The software...
Change-point models for identifying single behavioral transitions in wild animals
We present two change-point models for identifying singular changes in movement behavior: a location-based change-point model (LCPM) and a movement metric-based change-point model (MMCPM). This software includes R scripts to: 1) run both the LCPM and MMCPM on telemetry data in a Bayesian hierarchical framework using NIMBLE (mmcpm.R and lcpm.R), 2) generate realistic movement behavior...
Habitat Risk Software
The Habitat Risk Software leverages a previously published Bayesian hierarchical model framework (Clayton and Kaldor 1987; Banderjee et al. 2004; Gelman et al. 2004; Evans et al. 2016) with opportunistic (hunter-harvest) wildlife surveillance disease testing data and publicly available geospatial (raster) data to estimate the geographical risk that a hunter will harvest a white-tailed...
Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
R code to test for differences in DNA yield from of eight sample categories to gain insights into which provided adequate DNA to be used in ddRADseq or already developed SNP panels. We calculated mean, median and standard deviation with package psych using the describe() function. Additionally, we generated boxplots using package ggplot2 where the quantity for each tissue sample is...
Workflow to acquire and process large spatial data and build complex models
This software involves R scripts to download and process large-scale spatial data defined by an extent input by the user. The code then resamples data to the desired resolution, downloads metadata from a public website on West Nile virus prevalence in mosquito pools, then extracts spatial layer data as covariates for each record. Also, this software involves R script to fit models of...
Spatial modeling of two mosquito vectors of West Nile virus using integrated nested Laplace approximation
This software involves R script to fit models of abundance of mosquito vectors (' Script_for_ECS22-0193_9_13_2215.R') to landscape and environmental covariates using INLA and SPDE. The dataset used for this analysis were originally provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with a confidentiality agreement. The majority of the data used in this study...
Science and Products
Data for Distance sampling accounting for density gradient and animal distribution
There are 9 datasets. one distance sampling dataset, 4 resource selection datasets, and 4 outputs from bootstrapped resource selection models the use the estimated correction factor. The 4 resource selection datasets have data that can be used in a binomial generalized linear mixed effect model to create the correction factor. The distance sampling data set is used to estimate density...
White-tailed deer from culling efforts in Minnesota
Dataset containing information for white-tailed deer samples from Minnesota. Samples were genotyped for 11 microsatellites markers and sequenced for a fragment of approx. 546 bp belonging to the mitochondrial control region. Marker OvirQ should not be used as it presents alleles inconsistent with reported pattern, with some alleles separated by only 1 base pair and inconsistent between...
Microsatellite genotypes and metadata for white-tailed deer samples from the Mid-Atlantic region of USA
Dataset containing information for white-tailed deer samples from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and New York, genotyped for 11 microsatellites markers. Marker OvirQ should not be used as it presents alleles inconsistent with reported pattern, with some alleles separated by only 1 base pair and inconsistent between runs. Projected coordinates representing sampling location are in...
Input for Habitat Risk Software
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that was first detected in captive cervids in Colorado, United States (US) in 1967, but has since spread into free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations across the US and Canada. In some areas, the disease is considered endemic in wild deer populations, and governmental wildlife agencies...
Evaluation of DNA yield from various sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, micro-satellites have been the primary method, however, there currently is a shift from micro-satellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the DNA requirements being different, an investigation into which samples can provide...
Filter Total Items: 35
Neonatal antipredator tactics shape female movement patterns in large herbivores
Caring for newborn offspring hampers resource acquisition of mammalian females, curbing their ability to meet the high energy expenditure of early lactation. Newborns are particularly vulnerable, and large herbivores have evolved a continuum of neonatal anti-predator tactics, ranging from immobile hider to highly mobile follower offspring. How these tactics constrain female movements...
Authors
Kamal Atmeh, Christophe Bonenfant, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Mathieu Garel, A.J. Mark Hewison, Pascal Marchand, Nicolas Morellet, Pia Anderwald, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Jeffrey L. Beck, Matthew S. Becker, Floris M. van Beest, Jodi Berg, Ulrika A. Bergvall, Randall B. Boone, Mark S. Boyce, Simon Chamaill'e-Jammes, Yannick Chaval, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, David A Christianson, Simone Ciuti, Steeve D. Côté, Duane R. Diefenbach, Egil Droge, Johan T. Du Toit, Samantha P. Dwinnell, Julian Fennessy, Flurin Filli, Daniel Fortin, Emma E. Hart, Matthew Hayes, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Ivar Herfindal, Marco Heurich, Christian von Hoermann, Katey Huggler, Craig Jackson, Andrew F. Jakes, Paul F. Jones, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew Kauffman, Petter Kjellander, Tayler LaSharr, Leif Egil Loe, Roel May, Philip McLoughlin, Erling L. Meisingset, Evelyn Merrill, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Dejid Nandintsetseg, Kirk A. Olson, John Payne, Scott Pearson, Ashild Ønvik Pedersen, Dustin H. Ranglack, Adele K. Reinking, Thomas Rempfler, Clifford G Rice, Eivin Røskaft, Bernt-Erik Sæther, Sonia Saïd, Hugo Santacreu, Niels Martin Schmidt, Daan Smit, Jared A. Stabach, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, Joëlle Taillon, W. David Walter, Kevin White, Guillaume Péron, Anne Loison
Predicting the odds of chronic wasting disease with Habitat Risk software
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that was first detected in captive cervids in Colorado, United States (US) in 1967, but has since spread into free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) across the US and Canada as well as to Scandinavia and South Korea. In some areas, the disease is considered endemic in wild deer populations, and...
Authors
W. David Walter, Brenda J. Hanley, Cara E. Them, Corey I. Mitchell, James Kelly, Daniel Grove, Nicholas Hollingshead, Rachel C. Abbott, Krysten L. Schuler
Comparing risk of chronic wasting disease occurrence using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models and different surveillance types
Spatial modeling of wildlife diseases can be used to describe patterns of disease risk, understand biological mechanisms of disease occurrence, and for spatial prediction. Risk of wildlife disease occurrence in relation to environmental variables is often modeled and predicted using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, which are unsuitable for large datasets and those covering large...
Authors
Kristin J. Bondo, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, W. David Walter
Large-scale assessment of genetic structure to assess risk of populations of a large herbivore to disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) can spread among cervids by direct and indirect transmission, the former being more likely in emerging areas. Identifying subpopulations allows the delineation of focal areas to target for intervention. We aimed to assess the population structure of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northeastern United States at a regional scale to inform...
Authors
W. David Walter, Alberto Fameli, Kelly Russo-Petrick, Jessie E. Edson, Christopher S. Rosenberry, Krysten L. Schuler, Michael J. Tonkovich
Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
Genetics studies are used by wildlife managers and researchers to gain inference into a population of a species of interest. To gain these insights, microsatellites have been the primary method; however, there currently is a shift from microsatellites to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). With the different DNA requirements between microsatellites and SNPs, an investigation into...
Authors
David L. Pearce, Jessie E. Edson, Chris S. Jennelle, W. David Walter
Prion forensics: A multidisciplinary approach to investigate CWD at an illegal deer carcass disposal site
Infectious prions are resistant to degradation and remain infectious in the environment for several years. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in cervids inhabiting North America, the Nordic countries, and South Korea. CWD-prion spread is partially attributed to carcass transport and disposal. We employed a forensic approach to investigate an illegal carcass dump site...
Authors
Marc D. Schwabenlander, Jason C. Bartz, Michelle Carstensen, Alberto Fameli, Linda Glaser, Roxanne J. Larsen, Manci Li, Rachel L. Shoemaker, Gage Rowden, Suzanne Stone, W. David Walter, Tiffany M. Wolf, Peter A. Larsen
Change-point models for identifying behavioral transitions in wild animals
Animal behavior can be difficult, time-consuming, and costly to observe in the field directly. Innovative modeling methods, such as hidden Markov models (HMMs), allow researchers to infer unobserved animal behaviors from movement data, and implementations often assume that transitions between states occur multiple times. However, some behavioral shifts of interest, such as parturition...
Authors
K.P. Gundermann, Duane R. Diefenbach, W. David Walter, A Corondi, J.E. Banfield, B.D. Wallingford, D.P. Stainbrook, C.S. Rosenberry, F.E. Buderman
Landscape features fail to explain spatial genetic structure in white-tailed deer across Ohio, USA
Landscape features influence wildlife movements across spatial scales and have the potential to influence the spread of disease. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting members of the family Cervidae, particularly white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the first positive CWD case in a wild deer in Ohio, USA, was recorded in 2020. Landscape genetics...
Authors
Javan M. Bauder, Christine S. Anderson, H. Lisle Gibbs, Michael J. Tonkovich, W. David Walter
Comparison of sample types from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for DNA extraction and analyses
Collection of biological samples for DNA is necessary in a variety of disciplines including disease epidemiology, landscape genetics, and forensics. Quantity and quality of DNA varies depending on the method of collection or media available for collection (e.g., blood, tissue, fecal). Blood is the most common sample collected in vials or on Whatman Flinders Technology Associates (FTA)...
Authors
Jessie Edson, Justin Brown, William L. Miller, W. David Walter
Ecology of an isolated muskrat population during regional population declines
Evidence indicating a decline in muskrat populations in the United States during the past 40 years has led to speculation regarding factors influencing muskrat survival. In order to understand population dynamics and survival, it is important to first define the ecology of local populations. We investigated the dwelling structure use, movements, home range, and survival of radio-tagged...
Authors
Laken S. Ganoe, Matt J. Lovallo, Justin D. Brown, W. David Walter
Resource use by American black bear in suburbia: A landholder step selection approach
Range expansion of American black bear (Ursus americanus; bear) and residential development has resulted in a growing presence of bear in suburbia. Suburban landscapes exhibiting patchworks of variable-sized parcels and habitats and owned by landowners with diverse values, can create large areas of suitable habitats with limited public access. These landscapes thereby may limit the...
Authors
Farshid S. Ahrestani, Mark A. Ternent, Matthew J. Lovallo, W. David Walter
The influence of hunting pressure and ecological factors on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild elk
Climate change and human population growth have increased anthropogenic threats to biodiversity and habitat fragmentation. Ecologists and conservationists need tools to assess the effect of these ecological and environmental perturbations on organismal fitness. One possibility is glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol and corticosterone) which integrate various factors such as anthropogenic...
Authors
David C. Ensminger, Catharine Pritchard, Tracy Langkilde, Tess Gingery, Jeremiah E. Banfield, W. David Walter
Comparing datasets by surveillance method using spatial models
This software compares statistical methods to model habitat risk of CWD in white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania using Bayesian hierarchical models in R-INLA and compares these results with model output from WinBugs. The software also uses R-INLA with the Stochastic Partial Differential Approach (SPDE) to compare different surveillance methods to model CWD in relation to habitat features and...
Population genetic structure of white-tailed deer using microsatellites i the Mid-Atalntic region
Results of 11 microsatellites for white-tailed deer collected in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia from 2014 to 2022 for genetic analysis. In this project we assessed genetic structure using different analyses, and evaluated the performance of assignment tests to correctly match deer to origin (defined as genetic cluster, state or physiographic province). This...
Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Optimization Software Version 2
The Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Optimization Software Version 2 computes sampling recommendations to detect chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Driven by a combinatorial optimization algorithm, the software maximizes the return-on-investment to the wildlife agency while keeping the overall surveillance program within budget. The software...
Change-point models for identifying single behavioral transitions in wild animals
We present two change-point models for identifying singular changes in movement behavior: a location-based change-point model (LCPM) and a movement metric-based change-point model (MMCPM). This software includes R scripts to: 1) run both the LCPM and MMCPM on telemetry data in a Bayesian hierarchical framework using NIMBLE (mmcpm.R and lcpm.R), 2) generate realistic movement behavior...
Habitat Risk Software
The Habitat Risk Software leverages a previously published Bayesian hierarchical model framework (Clayton and Kaldor 1987; Banderjee et al. 2004; Gelman et al. 2004; Evans et al. 2016) with opportunistic (hunter-harvest) wildlife surveillance disease testing data and publicly available geospatial (raster) data to estimate the geographical risk that a hunter will harvest a white-tailed...
Evaluation of DNA yield from various tissue and sampling sources for use in single nucleotide polymorphism panels
R code to test for differences in DNA yield from of eight sample categories to gain insights into which provided adequate DNA to be used in ddRADseq or already developed SNP panels. We calculated mean, median and standard deviation with package psych using the describe() function. Additionally, we generated boxplots using package ggplot2 where the quantity for each tissue sample is...
Workflow to acquire and process large spatial data and build complex models
This software involves R scripts to download and process large-scale spatial data defined by an extent input by the user. The code then resamples data to the desired resolution, downloads metadata from a public website on West Nile virus prevalence in mosquito pools, then extracts spatial layer data as covariates for each record. Also, this software involves R script to fit models of...
Spatial modeling of two mosquito vectors of West Nile virus using integrated nested Laplace approximation
This software involves R script to fit models of abundance of mosquito vectors (' Script_for_ECS22-0193_9_13_2215.R') to landscape and environmental covariates using INLA and SPDE. The dataset used for this analysis were originally provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with a confidentiality agreement. The majority of the data used in this study...