If you go down to the woods today: spatially explicit models of black bears in Alaska.
Speaker: Dave Miller (CREEM)
Abstract
Work within the state of Alaska’s Department of Fish & Game has allowed for the estimation of black and brown bear abundances, but only on a relatively coarse spatial scale (bears per thousands of square kilometres). We developed a spatially explicit model of bear abundance using a density surface model approach. Using double observer aerial line transect data collected over 2001-2003, we build maps of abundance (and uncertainty) and relate estimates back to biologically meaningful covariates.