Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Belant, Jerrold L.
Committee Member
Gardner, Beth
Committee Member
Strickland, Bronson K.
Date of Degree
8-15-2014
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Degree Name
Master of Science
College
College of Forest Resources
Department
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Abstract
Understanding species’ distribution, density, and sources of bias in population estimates is critical for reliable conservation strategies. I assessed American black bear distribution, density, and abundance in southern Missouri. Using anecdotal occurrence data, I demonstrated support for a northward trend in extent of occurrences over time and a positive correlation between bear distribution and human–bear incidents. I also used GPS telemetry and camera traps to investigate detection biases in DNA hair snare methods and tested efficacy of two sampling designs for estimating density using spatial capture-recapture models. Results demonstrated that detection probability decreased following a negative asymptotic relationship with decreasing bear proximity to snares and that hair deposition rates decreased over time. Precision of estimates for low density populations with non-uniform distribution increased when using multiple arrays with intensive snare spacing. Optimizing the tradeoff among snare spacing, coverage, and sample size is important for estimating parameters with high precision.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20963
Recommended Citation
Wilton, Clay Michael, "American black bear distribution and density in Missouri" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 446.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/446