Publication Abstract

Inferences for spatial surveys about the distribution of an unobserved species

M.D. Nicholson and J. Barry

A species may be present in the environment, but remain undetected in a spatial survey. A Bayesian approach is used to make inferences about the number and size of circular patches of the species that could exist when it is not observed. In the simple case of random sampling, we derive the posterior distribution of the largest patch radius that could have been missing using a Raleigh distribution to model the distribution of patch radii and one of three propbability models for patch frequency. The results are illustrated using a survey carried out in UK waters to detect spat of the non-indigenous Manila clam Tapes philippinarum.

Reference:

M.D. Nicholson and J. Barry, 1995. Inferences for spatial surveys about the distribution of an unobserved species. Oikos, 72: 74-78