Integrating telemetry data at several scales with spatial capture–recapture to improve density estimates

摘要: Accurate population estimates are essential for monitoring and managing wildlife populations. Mark–recapture sampling methods have regularly been used to estimate population parameters for rare and cryptic species, including the federally listed Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii); however, the methods employed are often plagued by violations of statistical assumptions, which have the potential to bias density estimates. By incorporating spatial information into conventional density estimation models, spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can account for common assumption violations such as spatially heterogeneous detection probabilities and temporary emigration when animals leave plots during a survey. We conducted mark–recapture surveys at 10 1‐km2 plots in and adjacent to the Ivanpah Valley of California and Nevada from 2015 to 2019. Locality data were collected concurrently using …