Analysis and Management of Animal Populations

Analysis and Management of Animal Populations deals with the processes involved in making informed decisions about the management of animal populations. It covers the modeling of population responses to management actions, the estimation of quantities needed in the modeling effort, and the application of these estimates and models to the development of sound management decisions. The book synthesizes and integrates in a single volume the methods associated with these themes, as they apply to ecological assessment and conservation of animal populations.

Integrates population modeling, parameter estimation and decision-theoretic approaches to management in a single, cohesive framework Provides authoritative, state-of-the-art descriptions of quantitative approaches to modeling, estimation and decision-makingEmphasizes the role of mathematical modeling in the conduct of science and managementUtilizes a unifying biological context, consistent mathematical notation, and numerous biological examples

Part I: Framework for Modeling, Estimation, and Management of Animal Populations
Introduction to Population Ecology.
Scientific Process in Animal Ecology.
Models and the Investigation of Populations.
Estimation and Hypothesis Testing in Animal Ecology.
Survey Sampling and the Estimation of Population Parameters.
Design of Experiments in Animal Ecology.

Part II: Dynamic Modeling of Animal Populations
Principles of Model Development and Assessment.
Traditional Models of Population Dynamics.
Model Identification with Time Series Data.
Stochastic Processes in Population Models.
The Use of Models in Conservation and Management.

Part III: Estimation Methods for Animal Populations
Estimating Abundance Based on Counts.
Estimating Abundance with Distance-Based Methods.
Estimating Abundance for Closed Populations with Capture-Recapture Methods.
Estimation of Demographic Parameters.
Estimation of Survival Rates with Band Recoveries.
Estimating Survival, Movement, and Other State Transitions with Mark-Recapture Methods.
Estimating Abundance and Recruitment for Open Populations with Mark-Recapture Methods.
Combining Closed and Open Mark-Recapture Models: The Robust Design.
Estimation of Community Parameters.

Part IV: Decision Analysis for Animal Populations
Optimal Decision Making in Population Biology.
Traditional Approaches to Optimal Decision Analysis.
Modern Approaches to Optimal Decision Analysis.
Uncertainty, Learning, and Decision Analysis.
Case Study: Management of the Sport Harvest of North American Waterfowl.

Appendix A: Conditional Probability and Bayes' Theorem.
Appendix B: Matrix Algebra.
Appendix C: Differential Equations.
Appendix D: Difference Equations.
Appendix E: Some Probability Distributions and Their Properties.
Appendix F: Methods for Estimating Statistical Variation.
Appendix G: Computer Software for Population and Community Estimation.
Appendix H: The Mathematics of Optimization