Statistics for Conservation of Wild Populations

Catalog description

Statistics for Conservation of Wild Populations provides an overview of the statistical techniques used by wildlife and fisheries biologists to research wild animal populations and guide management and conservation. Wildlife and fisheries researchers use many approaches that are not taught in general statistics classes, because they deal with wild populations that cannot be censused, randomly sampled, or consistently resampled. We will cover methods used to estimate animal abundance, survival, occupancy, and habitat use, as well as how we can test hypotheses about individual, temporal, and spatial variation. Students will learn how to implement these methods using standard statistical software (such as program R and MARK), how to determine the best method for answering a question, and how to interpret statistical results in the context of management and conservation.