Integrated population models (IPMs) are advanced statistical models that offer a new approach to modeling wildlife populations that incorporate multiple sources of data such as count data from helicopter observations, survival data from radio-collared animals, habitat conditions (e.g. NDVI, precipitation, winter severity index), and harvest data. The IPM breaks down components of variation into process variation (true variation in annual survival rates or recruitment) and sampling variation (uncertainty in how the data was collected). Typically, wildlife managers are only interested in process variation but should also account for sampling variance in estimates of population size and demographic parameters. The scope of work for this project is to develop integrated population models for mule deer and pronghorn antelope using Nevada Department of Wildlife’s ungulate harvest records, radio- telemetry, and aerial survey data. Additionally, we would like to build models that can be updated with new data from a user-based interface. The final product will result in a web interface module for NDOW biologists to access at any time on multiple devices (such as PC’s or tablets) with instructions on how to use the model provided by the research group. Additionally, the research group will travel to Nevada to provide a 1–2-day training workshop to include overviews of the models and hands on learning experience for how to use them.
