Use of Occupancy Models to Evaluate Expert Knowledge-based Species-Habitat Relationships

Avian Conservation and Ecology

Monica N. Iglecia,¹  Alexa J. McKerrow,²  Jaime A. Collazo,³ 

[1] Audubon California, Migratory Birds Program;U.S. Geological Survey, Biodiversity and Spatial Information Center, North Carolina State University;U.S. Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

关键词: Breeding Bird Survey;    Brown-headed Nuthatch;    Eastern Wood-Pewee;    expert knowledge;    habitat conservation;    Red-headed Woodpecker;    South Atlantic Coastal Plain;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ACE-00551-070205

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships are used extensively to guide conservation planning, particularly when data are scarce.Purported relationships describe the initial state of knowledge, but are rarely tested.We assessed support in the data for suitability rankings of vegetation types based on expert knowledge for three terrestrial avian species in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States.Experts used published studies, natural history, survey data, and field experience to rank vegetation types as optimal, suitable, and marginal.We used single-season occupancy models, coupled with land cover and Breeding Bird Survey data, to examine the hypothesis that patterns of occupancy conformed to species-habitat suitability rankings purported by experts.Purported habitat suitability was validated for two of three species.As predicted for the Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) and Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), occupancy was strongly influenced by vegetation types classified as

【 授权许可】

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