ABUNDANCE / DENSITY

Noninvasive genetic sampling is commonly used to monitor bear populations in North America because such studies yield relatively high detection probabilities without capturing, collaring, and tracking the movements of study animals via radio-telemetry. Instead of targeting bears for live capture, researchers use hair traps to target bear hair. Hair follicles contain DNA, which can be used to identify individuals for estimating population growth using mark-recapture models. This proven method for estimating population growth will be integrated into a new population model for black bears in Maine. In summer 2020, we will sample the bear population in the Mattamiscontis and Alder Stream study areas. In winter 2020, Jackson Laboratory will use SNPs to identify individual bears in the two study areas. We will use these individual genetic identifications to estimate the abundance and density of bears in each study area using spatially-explicit capture-recapture models.