Title
Making the most of sparse data to estimate density of a rare and threatened species: A case study with the fosa, a little‐studied Malagasy carnivore
Author(s)
Murphy, A.;Gerber, B. D.;Farris, Z. J.;Karpanty, S.;Ratelolahy, F.;Kelly, M. J.
Published
2018
Publisher
Animal Conservation
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12420
Abstract
–0.006) and density/movement estimates were similar across forest types. Density estimates at resurveyed sites suggested annual variability in density, with estimates trending lower during the final surveys [e.g. D = 0.39 (0.14–1.11) versus 0.08 (0.05–0.31) individuals per km2]. We estimated fosa abundance across the Makira–Masoala region to be 1061 (95% HPDI: 596–1780) adult individuals. On the basis of our estimate and the size of the region, we believe Makira–Masoala harbors a significant portion of the global fosa population. The conservation and management of rare species is commonly limited due to lack of population estimates. By combining detections across surveys, we overcame estimation issues and obtained valuable information on a threatened carnivore, allowing us to better assess its status and prioritize conservation actions. We advocate for practical use of sparse datasets for such data‐deficient species.
Keywords
camera trap;carnivore;Cryptoprocta ferox;fosa;informed prior;Madagascar;small‐sample sizes;spatial capture–recapture

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