Accuracy, precision, and cost-effectiveness of conventional dung density and fecal DNA based survey methods to estimate Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population size and structure

Biological Conservation

Volumn 159, Issue , 2013, Pages 101-108

  Hedges, Simon ^a   Johnson, Arlyne ^b   Ahlering, Marissa ^c   Tyson, Martin ^b   Eggert, Lori S ^c  

^a WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY   (United States)

^b Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR Program   (Laos)

^c UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI   (United States)

Author keywords

Abundance estimates; Capture mark recapture; Elusive species; Microsatellites; Molecular scatology; Population monitoring

Indexed keywords

ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION; ACCURACY ASSESSMENT; BIOLOGICAL SURVEY; COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS; DEFECATION; ELEPHANT; FECES; GENETIC MARKER; LINE TRANSECT; MARK-RECAPTURE METHOD; MONITORING; POPULATION ESTIMATION; POPULATION SIZE; POPULATION STRUCTURE; PRECISION;

ANIMALIA; ELEPHANTIDAE; ELEPHAS MAXIMUS;

EID: 84872728234     PISSN: 00063207     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.12.010     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Ahlering M., Hedges S., Johnson A., Tyson M., Schuttler S., Eggert L. Genetic diversity, social structure, and conservation value of the elephants of the Nakai Plateau, Lao PDR, based on non-invasive sampling. Conservation Genetics 2011, 12:413-422.
2. Barnes R.F.W. Estimating forest elephant abundance by dung counts. Studying Elephants 1996, 38-48. African Wildlife Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya. K. Kangwana (Ed.).
3. Barnes R.F.W. How reliable are dung counts for estimating elephant numbers?. African Journal of Ecology 2001, 39:1-9.
4. Beja-Pereira A., Oliveira R., Alves P.C., Schwartz M.K., Luikart G. Advancing ecological understandings through technological transformations in noninvasive genetics. Molecular Ecology Resources 2009, 9:1279-1301.
5. Boonratana R. Wildlife movements/seasonal migration study and staff training 2000, IUCN, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
6. Buckland S.T., Andersen D.R., Burnham K.P., Laake J.L., Borchers D.L., Thomas L. Introduction to Distance Sampling: Estimating Abundance of Biological Populations 2001, Oxford University Press Inc., New York, USA.
7. Conroy M.J., Runge J.P., Barker R.J., Schofield M.R., Fonnesbeck C.J. Efficient estimation of abundance for patchily distributed populations via two-phase, adaptive sampling. Ecology 2008, 89:3362-3370.
8. Creel S., Spong G., Sands J.L., Rotella J., Zeigle J., Joe L., Murphy K.M., Simith D. Population size estimation in Yellowstone wolves with error-prone noninvasive microsatellite genotypes. Molecular Ecology 2003, 12:2003-2009.
9. Efford M. Density estimation in live trapping studies. Oikos 2004, 6:598-610.
10. Eggert, L.S., Ahlering, M.A., Manka, S.G., 2008. Lessons from genetic censuses of forest elephants. In: Olson, D. Proceedings of the International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium, November 2007. International Elephant Foundation and Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. pp. 157-164.
11. Eggert L.S., Eggert J.A., Woodruff D.S. Estimating population sizes for elusive animals: the forest elephants of Kakum National Park, Ghana. Molecular Ecology 2003, 12:1389-1402.
12. Eggert L.S., Maldonado J.E., Fleischer R.C. Nucleic acid isolation from ecological samples - animal scat and other associated materials. Molecular Evolution: Producing The Biochemical Data, Part B 2005, 73-87. Elsevier Academic Press Inc, San Diego. E.A. Zimmer, E.H. Roalson (Eds.).
13. Frantz A.C., Pope L.C., Carpenter P.J., Roper T.J., Wilson G.J., Delahay R.J., Burke T. Reliable microsatellite genotyping of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) using faecal DNA. Molecular Ecology 2003, 12:1649-1661.
14. Goswami V.R., Madhusudan M.D., Karanth K.U. Application of photographic capture-recapture modelling to estimate demographic parameters for male Asian elephants. Animal Conservation 2007, 10:391-399.
15. Hedges, S., 2012a. Estimating elephant population density and abundance from dung pile density: theoretical concepts. In: Hedges, S. (Ed.), Monitoring Elephants and Assessing Threats: a Manual for Researchers, Managers and Conservationists. Universities Press (India) Private Limited, Himayatnagar, India.
16. Hedges, S. (Ed.), 2012b. Monitoring Elephants and Assessing Threats: A Manual for Researchers, Managers and Conservationists. Universities Press (India) Private Limited, Himayatnagar, India.
17. Hedges, S., Lawson, D., 2006. Dung Survey Standards for the MIKE Programme. CITES MIKE Programme, Central Coordinating Unit, PO Box 68200, Nairobi, Kenya.
18. Hedges S., Tyson M.J., Sitompul A.F., Kinnaird M.F., Gunaryadi D., Aslan, Distribution, status, and conservation needs of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Biological Conservation 2005, 124:35-48.
19. Hines J.E., Nichols J.D., Royle J.A., MacKenzie D.I., Gopalaswamy A.M., Kumar N.S., Karanth K.U. Tigers on trails: occupancy modeling for cluster sampling. Ecological Applications 2010, 20:1456-1466.
20. Jachmann H., Bell R.H.V. The use of elephant droppings in assessing numbers, occupance and age structure - a refinement of the method. African Journal of Ecology 1984, 22:127-141.
21. Johnson, A., Johnston, J., 2007. Biodiversity Monitoring and Enforcement Project in the Nam Theun 2 Watershed. Final Report V1.1, November 2007. Wildlife Conservation Society, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
22. Karanth K.U., Nichols J.D. Estimation of tiger densities in India using photographic captures and recaptures. Ecology 1998, 79:2852-2862.
23. Monitoring Tigers and Their Prey: A Manual for Researchers, Managers and Conservationists in Tropical Asia 2002, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India. K.U. Karanth, J.D. Nichols (Eds.).
24. Khounboline, K., 2002. Ecology, behaviour, and conservation of Asian elephant on the Nakai Plateau, Khammouane Province, Lao PDR. Masters of Science Thesis. Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China.
25. Kohn M.H., York E.C., Kamradt D.A., Haugt G., Sauvajot R.M., Wayne R.K. Estimating population size by genotyping faeces. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B - Biological Sciences 1999, 266:657-663.
26. Kongrit C., Siripunkaw C., Brockelman W.Y., Akkarapatumwong V., Wright T.F., Eggert L.S. Isolation and characterization of dinucleotide microsatellite loci in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Molecular Ecology Resources 2008, 8:175-177.
27. Kuehl H.S., Todd A., Boesch C., Walsh P.D. Manipulating decay time for efficient large-mammal density estimation: gorillas and dung height. Ecological Applications 2007, 17:2403-2414.
28. Laing S.E., Buckland S.T., Burn R.W., Lambie D., Amphlett A. Dung and nest surveys: estimating decay rates. Journal of Applied Ecology 2003, 40:1102-1111.
29. Lukacs P.M. Statistical Aspects of Using Genetic Markers for Individual Identification in Capture-Recapture Studies 2005, Colorado State University.
30. Lukacs P.M., Burnham K.P. Review of capture-recapture methods applicable to noninvasive genetic sampling. Molecular Ecology 2005, 14:3909-3919.
31. Mackenzie D.I., Nichols J.D., Seamans M.E., Gutierrez R.J. Modeling species occurrence dynamics with multiple states and imperfect detection. Ecology 2009, 90:823-835.
32. McKelvey K.S., Schwartz M.K. Providing reliable and accurate genetic capture-mark-recapture estimates in a cost-effective way. Journal of Wildlife Management 2004, 68:453-456.
33. Mills L.S., Citta J.J., Lair K.P., Schwartz M.K., Tallmon D.A. Estimating animal abundance using noninvasive DNA sampling: promise and pitfalls. Ecological Applications 2000, 10:238-294.
34. Mondol S., Karanth K.U., Kumar S.N., Gopalaswamy A.M., Andheria A., Ramakrishnan U. Evaluation of non-invasive genetic sampling methods for estimating tiger population size. Biological Conservation 2009, 142:2350-2360.
35. Morley R.C., van Aarde R.J. Estimating abundance for a savanna elephant population using mark-resight methods: a case study for the Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. Journal of Zoology 2007, 271:418-427.
36. Nichols J.D., Bailey L.L., O'Connell A.F., Talancy N.W., Campbell Grant E.H., Gilbert A.T., Annand E.M., Husband T.P., Hines J.E. Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods. Journal of Applied Ecology 2008, 45:1321-1329.
37. Otis D.L., Burnham K.P., White G.C., Anderson D.R. Statistical inference from capture data on closed animal populations. Wildlife Monographs 1978, 62:1-135.
38. Paetkau D. An empirical exploration of data quality in DNA-based population inventories. Molecular Ecology 2003, 12:1375-1387.
39. Paetkau D. The optimal number of markers in genetic capture-mark-recapture studies. Journal of Wildlife Management 2004, 68:449-452.
40. Park S.D.E. Trypanotolerance in West African Cattle and the Population Genetic Effects of Selection 2001, University of Dublin.
41. Plumptre A.J. Monitoring mammal populations with line transect techniques in African forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 2000, 37:356-368.
42. Raymond M., Rousset F. GENEPOP, version 3.2a: a population genetics software for exact tests and ecumenicism. Journal of Heredity 1995, 86:248-249.
43. Reilly J. Growth in the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and age estimation based on dung diameter. Journal of Zoology 2002, 258:205-213.
44. Royle J.A., Nichols J.D., Karanth K.U., Gopalaswamy A.M. A hierarchical model for estimating density in camera-trap studies. Journal of Applied Ecology 2009, 46:118-127.
45. Schwartz M.K., Luikart G., Waples R.S. Genetic monitoring as a promising tool for conservation and management. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 2007, 22:25-33.
46. Silver S.C., Ostro L.E.T., Marsh L.K., Maffei L., Noss A.J., Kelly M.J., Wallace R.B., Gomez H., Ayala G. The use of camera traps for estimating jaguar Panthera onca abundance and density using capture/recapture analysis. Oryx 2004, 38:148-154.
47. Smith K.L., Alberts S.C., Bayes M.K., Bruford M.W., Altmann J., Ober C. Cross-species amplification, non-invasive genotyping, and non-Mendelian inheritance of human STRPs in savannah baboons. American Journal of Primatology 2000, 51:219-227.
48. Soisalo M.K., Cavalcanti S.M.C. Estimating the density of a jaguar population in the Brazilian Pantanal using camera-traps and capture-recapture sampling in combination with GPS radio-telemetry. Biological Conservation 2006, 129:487-496.
49. Taberlet P., Waits L.P., Luikart G. Noninvasive genetic sampling: look before you leap. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 1999, 14:237-323.
50. Thomas L., Buckland S.T., Rexstad E.A., Laake J.L., Strindberg S., Hedley S.L., Bishop J.R.B., Marques T.A., Burnham K.P. Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology 2010, 47:5-14.
51. Tyson, M., Hedges, S., Sitompul, A.F., 2002. WCS-Indonesia Sumatran Elephant Project: Six-month report January-June, 2002. Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA.
52. Waits L.P. Using noninvasive genetic sampling to detect and estimate abundance of rare wildlife species. Sampling Rare or Elusive Species: Concepts, Designs, and Techniques for Estimating Population Parameters 2004, 211-228. Island Press, Washington, D.C, USA. W.L. Thompson (Ed.).
53. Waits L.P., Luikart G., Taberlet P. Estimating the probability of identity among genotypes in natural populations: cautions and guidelines. Molecular Ecology 2001, 10:249-256.
54. Walsh P.D., White L.J.T. What it will take to monitor forest elephant populations. Conservation Biology 1999, 13:1194-1202.
55. Walsh P.D., White L.J.T. Evaluating the steady state assumption: simulations of gorilla nest decay. Ecological Applications 2005, 15:1342-1350.
56. Williams B.K., Nichols J.D., Conroy M.J. Analysis and Management of Animal Populations 2002, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.