Graduate Research Assistant for Borderlands Research Institute; Major: Range & Wildlife Management

Estimating Density of Black Bear and Mountain Lion Using Remote Cameras in the Davis Mountains, Texas

My enthusiasm for nature was born through wandering the thornscrub of hunting leases and backcountry pastures near Jourdanton, Texas. I attained my B.S. from Texas A&M University, majoring in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation and minoring in Psychology. Following college, I was privileged to serve as the Conservation Educator Intern at Welder Wildlife Foundation. That position transitioned into a Welder Fellowship to pursue my M.S. studying Range & Wildlife Management. Through Borderlands Research Institute, I am estimating the density of black bears and mountain lions using remote cameras and recently developed spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methods. Low densities and elusive behavior complicate population estimation for large carnivores. These SCR methods incorporate spatial information with components accounting for observational (e.g., detection probability, effective sampling area) and ecological processes (e.g., home range size, animal movements). My focal species lack such easily visible natural marks, and identifying individuals by artificial or natural marks remains imperative to properly populate SCR models. Partial identity matrices integrated with the detection history probabilistically determine which observed detections are likely unique individuals, ultimately producing a more accurate estimate. Results will be used to make recommendations for future monitoring programs regarding density estimation for the large carnivores of the Davis Mountains.