Avian biologists routinely estimate sampling variance for parameter estimates such as daily nest survival, fecundity, annual survival, and density. However, many biologists are not certain of methods to derive sampling variance for parameters when survival rates change temporal scales. Similar methods are needed to obtain sampling variance when biologists combine parameter estimates to calculate an indirect demographic parameter, such as population growth rate. The delta method is a useful technique for approximating sampling variance when the desired demographic parameter is a function of at least one other demographic parameter. However, the delta method is rarely taught in most graduate-level biology or ecology courses, and application of this method may be discouraged by seemingly daunting formulas in reference books. Here, I provide five examples of sampling variance approximations for common situations encountered by avian ecologists, with step-by-step explanations of the equations involved.

No abstract

The population of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus in the lower Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam (river kilometer [rkm] 1,305.2) and the confluence with the Mississippi River (rkm 0.0) remains imperiled, little to no natural recruitment occurring. Artificial propagation and subsequent population augmentation (i.e., stocking) may be the only viable option for maintaining pallid sturgeon populations in the lower Missouri River in the near term. Because relatively little is known about the ability of hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon to survive, the objective of this study was to quantify survival estimates for hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon stocked into the lower Missouri River. We used stock-recapture data collected from 1994 to 2008 to derive survival estimates based on the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model within program MARK. Since 1994, a total of 78,244 hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon have been released and 1% of these have been recaptured. Recapture numbers by size at stocking were as follows: 48 age 0, 730 age 1, and 38 older than age 1. Stocked age-0 hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon had an estimated apparent survival rate of 0.051 (SE ¼ 0.008), compared with 0.686 (SE ¼ 0.117) for age-1 fish and 0.922 (SE ¼ 0.015) for fish older than age 1. Our analysis confirms that hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon can survive in the wild and contribute to the overall population of this species. These estimates should provide critical information for decisions regarding stocking strategies within the lower Missouri River and enable biologists to estimate the number of stocked pallid sturgeon that reach sexual maturity.[Article] FIGURE 1.-Map of the lower Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam at Yankton, South Dakota (rkm 1,305.2), to the confluence with the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri (rkm 0.0). Stars indicate pallid sturgeon stocking locations. 672 STEFFENSEN ET AL.FIGURE 3.-Estimated annual apparent survival rates of hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River during 1992-2007 for three age-classes. The errors bars represent 95% confidence intervals. 676 STEFFENSEN ET AL.

Landscapes in agricultural systems continue to undergo significant change, and the loss of biodiversity is an ever-increasing threat. Although habitat restoration is beneficial, management actions do not always result in the desired outcome. Managers must understand why management actions fail; yet, past studies have focused on assessing habitat attributes at a single spatial scale, and often fail to consider the importance of ecological mechanisms that act across spatial scales. We located survey sites across southern Nebraska, USA and conducted point counts to estimate Ring-necked Pheasant abundance, an economically important species to the region, while simultaneously quantifying landscape effects using a geographic information system. To identify suitable areas for allocating limited management resources, we assessed land cover relationships to our counts using a Bayesian binomial-Poisson hierarchical model to construct predictive Species Distribution Models of relative abundance. Our results indicated that landscape scale land cover variables severely constrained or, alternatively, facilitated the positive effects of local land management for Ring-necked Pheasants.

No abstract