Scripts and Data: When and how data integration improves occupancy estimates for low-density and elusive species
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding the distributions and habitat associations of species of conservation concern is critical for informing effective management. This project investigates whether supplementing structured marsh bird surveys with participatory-science data can enhance inference on occupancy and detection probabilities across Pennsylvania, USA — where numerous marsh bird species are classified as species of greatest conservation need. We employed Bayesian multi-species integrated data occupancy models (fit in NIMBLE) to estimate state-wide marsh bird occupancy using four data sources: systematic structured surveys (WPC), Pennsylvania Game Commission surveys (PGC), volunteer solicited surveys (Vol), and participatory-science data (eBird). Results indicate that combining broad-scale participatory data with at least one broad-scale structured survey performs similarly to fully integrated models, suggesting a cost-effective monitoring foundation for wildlife managers working with limited resources. The main analysis focused on integrating four data sources (PGC, Vol, eBird, and WPC), and a secondary analysis compared utilizing WPC data as an informative prior in the detection process (respectively integrated and inform/vauge).
Authors: Gundermann, Kathleen, Buderman, Frances
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Language: English
Topic: Avian ecology and behavior
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7164934655
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