caribou-package {caribou}

Estimation of Caribou Abundance Based on Radio Telemetry Data

Description

Estimation of population size of migratory caribou herds based on large scale aggregations monitored by radio telemetry. It implements the methodology found in the article by Rivest et al. (1998) about caribou abundance estimation. It also includes a function based on the Lincoln-Petersen Index as applied to radio telemetry data by White and Garrott (1990).

Details

Package:	caribou
Type:	Package
Version:	1.1-1
Date:	2022-04-13
License:	GPL-2

CONTEXT:

Migratory caribou forms aggregations at different seasons in their yearly life cycle, namely in the spring and fall migration, and also in summer following insect harassment. Postcalving aggregations that happened in July under warm and calm conditions are the most impressive and they are well known for long time by caribou biologists and by indigenous people. The Inuit that lived also in the tundra with caribou described this spectacular animal behavior as the moving mountains.

Rivest et al. (1998) proposed a new method for estimating caribou herd size based on photo-census of large scale aggregations. This method can also be used in other time of the year for caribou or for other wildlife species that live in open habitat like tundra. Here we provided some dataset examples for postcalving census done in Quebec and elsewhere in North America.

If you are using this tool to estimate wildlife abundance, please let us know and quote this paper:
Rivest, L.-P., Couturier, S. and Crepeau, H. (1998). Statistical Methods for estimating caribou abundance using postcalving aggregations detected by radio telemetry. Biometrics, 54(3), 865-876.

Author(s)

Louis-Paul Rivest [e-mail] and
Helene Crepeau [e-mail] and
Serge Couturier [e-mail] and
Sophie Baillargeon [e-mail]

References

Rivest, L.-P., Couturier, S. and Crepeau, H. (1998). Statistical Methods for estimating caribou abundance using postcalving aggregations detected by radio telemetry. Biometrics, 54(3), 865-876.

White, G.C. and Garrott, R.A. (1990). Analysis of wildlife radio-tracking data. San Diego: Academic Press.