Determine Abundance and Distribution of White-tailed Deer

Project Description: The purpose of this study is to contribute to local and regional understanding of the white-tailed deer population by providing a detailed assessment of the abundance (i.e., population size and density) and distribution of white-tailed deer in and around the Beaver Valley Unit of First State National Historical Park. Several methods will be deployed, each relying on a different set of assumptions and potential biases and will serve as cross validation of estimates.

This project aims to:

• Estimate deer abundance and distribution using conventional distance sampling methods from roads.
• Estimate deer abundance and distribution using infrared-triggered game cameras.
• Jointly utilize information from both types of surveys, which have different assumptions and potential biases, to cross-validate each other and produce a final estimate of population size and distribution.
• Produce a final report and survey methodology that the park can use for future monitoring.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Underwood, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Rachel Mazur

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E)

Start Year: 2020

End Year: 2023

Initial Funding Amount: $74,952.00

Federal Grant Number: P20AC00554

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2020, Amount: $44,952.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2021, Amount: $30,000.00

Location: Beaver Valley Unit of First State National Historical Park

State(s): Delaware

Products Associated with this Project:

  • No products found.
Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.