Abstract
A new ground-based technique for estimating the density of nesting Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) within occupied habitat is described and evaluated using an experimental approach with model penguins. In this set-up, an operator takes photos with a camera mounted on a 3-m pole at pre-determined sampling locations within habitat occupied by nesting penguins, and the actual boundaries of the plot in which penguin density is estimated are added post-survey. Density estimates are calculated by overlaying slope-specific templates delineating plot boundaries and distances of known dimensions onto the digital photos to allow a distance-sampling analysis to correct for any negative bias in counts arising from a proportion of penguins being obscured. Experimental assessment of biases in density estimates because of misclassification error was <2% when compared to true density, indicating that this survey method is effective at accurately estimating penguin density and, therefore, abundance.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the 2005/06 summer crew at Mawson station for logistical support, Steve Whiteside and Peter De Vries for help in creating the penguin models, and two anonymous referees for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
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Low, M., Meyer, L. & Southwell, C. Experimental evaluation of a new ground-based survey method for estimating the density and abundance of nesting Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae . Polar Biol 31, 309–315 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0359-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0359-y