caa a22 4500 60616510X CHVBK 20210128100652.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150401xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10144-015-0481-6 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10144-015-0481-6 The use of block counts, mark-resight and distance sampling to estimate population size of a mountain-dwelling ungulate [Elektronische Daten] [Luca Corlatti, Lorenzo Fattorini, Luca Nelli] Population size estimates represent indispensable tools for many research programs and for conservation or management issues. Mountain ungulates in open areas are often surveyed through ground counts that normally underestimate population size. While the use of sample counts is desirable, few studies have compared different probabilistic approaches to estimate population size in this taxon. We compared the size estimates of a male population of Alpine chamois using mark-resight and line transect sampling methods, while block counts were used to obtain the minimum number of males alive in the study area. Surveys were conducted within the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), in August-September 2013, using block counts along purposely selected trails and vantage points, mark-resight over 5 consecutive resightings from vantage points and trails, and line transect sampling along 12 transects repeated 8 times. Block counts yielded a minimum number of males alive in the population of n=72 individuals. This value was greater than the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval achieved using line transect sampling {n=54, CV=14% [95% CI (40, 71)]} while mark-resight yielded a more realistic result of n=93 individuals {CV=18% [95% CI (63, 137)]}. Our results suggest that line transect sampling performed poorly in the Alpine environment, leading to underestimates of population size, likely due to violations of some assumptions imposed by the rugged nature of the terrain. The mark-resight yielded lower precision, possibly due to the limited number of marked individuals and resighting occasions, but it provided robustness and accurate estimates as marks were evenly distributed among animals. The Society of Population Ecology and Springer Japan, 2015 Abundance nationallicence Chamois nationallicence Ground counts nationallicence Mountain ungulates nationallicence Sample counts nationallicence Surveys nationallicence Corlatti Luca Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria aut Fattorini Lorenzo Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza S. Francesco 8, 53100, Siena, Italy aut Nelli Luca Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy aut Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/2(2015-04-01), 409-419 1438-3896 57:2<409 2015 57 10144 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0481-6 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0481-6 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Corlatti Luca Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Fattorini Lorenzo Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza S. Francesco 8, 53100, Siena, Italy aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Nelli Luca Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/2(2015-04-01), 409-419 1438-3896 57:2<409 2015 57 10144