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The Durrell Trust for Conservation Biology
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Laura Wood
E-mail:
lrw9 CV
PhD research entitled "Developing a monitoring and conservation strategy for amphibians in Luxembourg". Following the Species and Habitats Directive adopted by the EU in 1992 and recognition of the severe declines in amphibian populations globally, the amount of time, money and effort invested in surveying for amphibians has vastly increased. However amphibians are difficult to survey for, with detection rate often being far from perfect. Surveys are still largely based on common sense and guess work, often with an ‘all in’ approach being adopted – i.e. using all methods at all sites as many times as possible. A species’ presence is simple to prove, however absence is very difficult to distinguish from simple non-detection. Subsequent to similar projects conducted in the UK by my colleague David Sewell, I have collected survey data on pond-breeding amphibians in Luxembourg. I am analysing the data using occupancy models with a view to improving the efficiency of amphibian monitoring and exploring variables to explain amphibian presence / absence. Occupancy modelling is a relatively new statistical technique that addresses imperfect detection, producing output that accounts for the possibility that false absences may have been recorded. Project Partners Funding
Publications O’Hare, M.T., Stillman, R.A., McDonnell, J. & Wood, L.R. (2007). Effects of mute swan grazing on a keystone macrophyte. Freshwater Biology 52: 2463-2475. Prior, G.L., Wood, L.R. & Henshaw, M.J. (2001). Guide to identify developmental stage in Triturus helveticus larvae during the inactive phase. Origin 1: 1-11.
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