Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing
The Arctic-Boreal zone (ABZ) covers over 26 million km<sup>2</sup> and is home to numerous duck species; however, understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of their populations across this vast landscape is challenging, in part due to extent and data scarcity. Species abundance model...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1175 |
| _version_ | 1827286568864317440 |
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| author | Michael Allan Merchant Michael J. Battaglia Nancy French Kevin Smith Howard V. Singer Llwellyn Armstrong Vanessa B. Harriman Stuart Slattery |
| author_facet | Michael Allan Merchant Michael J. Battaglia Nancy French Kevin Smith Howard V. Singer Llwellyn Armstrong Vanessa B. Harriman Stuart Slattery |
| author_sort | Michael Allan Merchant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Arctic-Boreal zone (ABZ) covers over 26 million km<sup>2</sup> and is home to numerous duck species; however, understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of their populations across this vast landscape is challenging, in part due to extent and data scarcity. Species abundance models for ducks in the ABZ commonly use static (time invariant) habitat covariates to inform predictions, such as wetland type and extent maps. For the first time in this region, we developed species abundance models using high-resolution, time-varying wetland inundation data produced using satellite remote sensing methods. This data captured metrics of surface water extent and inundated vegetation in the Peace Athabasca Delta, Canada, which is within the NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment core domain. We used generalized additive mixed models to demonstrate the improved predictive value of this novel data set over time-invariant data. Our findings highlight both the potential complementarity and efficacy of dynamic wetland inundation information for improving estimation of duck abundance and distribution at high latitudes. Further, these data can be an asset to spatial targeting of biodiversity conservation efforts and developing model-based metrics of their success under rapidly changing climatic conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70021f5d7f29498286103df3940c34c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:38Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-70021f5d7f29498286103df3940c34c42024-04-12T13:25:32ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-03-01167117510.3390/rs16071175Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote SensingMichael Allan Merchant0Michael J. Battaglia1Nancy French2Kevin Smith3Howard V. Singer4Llwellyn Armstrong5Vanessa B. Harriman6Stuart Slattery7Ducks Unlimited Canada, 1 Mallard Bay, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0, CanadaMichigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USAMichigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USAHabitat Acquisition Trust, Victoria, BC V8T 2X9, CanadaDucks Unlimited Canada, 1 Mallard Bay, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0, CanadaDucks Unlimited Canada, 1 Mallard Bay, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0, CanadaDucks Unlimited Canada, 1 Mallard Bay, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0, CanadaDucks Unlimited Canada, 1 Mallard Bay, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0, CanadaThe Arctic-Boreal zone (ABZ) covers over 26 million km<sup>2</sup> and is home to numerous duck species; however, understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of their populations across this vast landscape is challenging, in part due to extent and data scarcity. Species abundance models for ducks in the ABZ commonly use static (time invariant) habitat covariates to inform predictions, such as wetland type and extent maps. For the first time in this region, we developed species abundance models using high-resolution, time-varying wetland inundation data produced using satellite remote sensing methods. This data captured metrics of surface water extent and inundated vegetation in the Peace Athabasca Delta, Canada, which is within the NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment core domain. We used generalized additive mixed models to demonstrate the improved predictive value of this novel data set over time-invariant data. Our findings highlight both the potential complementarity and efficacy of dynamic wetland inundation information for improving estimation of duck abundance and distribution at high latitudes. Further, these data can be an asset to spatial targeting of biodiversity conservation efforts and developing model-based metrics of their success under rapidly changing climatic conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1175arcticborealGoogle Earth EngineNASA AboVEremote sensingducks |
| spellingShingle | Michael Allan Merchant Michael J. Battaglia Nancy French Kevin Smith Howard V. Singer Llwellyn Armstrong Vanessa B. Harriman Stuart Slattery Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing Remote Sensing arctic boreal Google Earth Engine NASA AboVE remote sensing ducks |
| title | Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_full | Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_fullStr | Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_short | Species Abundance Modelling of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed by Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_sort | species abundance modelling of arctic boreal zone ducks informed by satellite remote sensing |
| topic | arctic boreal Google Earth Engine NASA AboVE remote sensing ducks |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1175 |
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