Ecology· 2026Q1
Spatially explicit capture–recapture models for relative density
- 38citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A new extension to the conditional spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) model allows estimation of relative animal density as a function of spatial variables, offering robustness to detection heterogeneity and faster fitting than absolute density models.
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Key points
- The conditional SECR model is extended to estimate relative density as a function of spatial variables.
- Relative density estimates are robust to bias from heterogeneous individual detection.
- The conditional model allows seamless inclusion of individual covariates of detection.
- This approach is faster to fit than models estimating absolute density.
- Population growth rate can be estimated from conditional models with temporal data.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods are used widely to estimate animal population density and related parameters. Maximum likelihood has been applied to two flavors of the SECR model-a full model that includes absolute density as a spatially varying parameter, and a model conditional on the number of detected individuals that assumes uniform density. We show how the conditional model may be extended to estimate relative density as a function of habitat and other spatial variables. Unlike absolute density, coefficients of relative density are robust to bias from heterogeneous individual detection. The conditional model has the further advantage of seamlessly including individual covariates of detection, and it is faster to fit than the full model. The spatial absolute density surface may be derived from the conditional model fit. Population growth rate (relative density with respect to time) may also be estimated from a conditional model, given temporal data. These properties are demonstrated by examples and simulation. It is suggested that conditional likelihood models, including those for relative density, play a central role in SECR.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Ecology, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Statistics and Probability
Statistics and ProbabilityMathematics