Woodchat Shrike

Sand martin

Barn Swallow

Workshop at Univeryity of Trondheim, Norway, 2017

Workshop at the Tour du Valat, Camargue, France, 2015

Workshop at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USA, 2016

Workshop at the Vogelwarte, Sempach, 2023

Back to the overview

Woodchat Shrike

Sand martin

Barn Swallow

Workshop at Univeryity of Trondheim, Norway, 2017

Workshop at the Tour du Valat, Camargue, France, 2015

Workshop at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USA, 2016

Workshop at the Vogelwarte, Sempach, 2023

Projects

Integrated population models (IPMs)

The development of new statistical models allows to study the demography and dynamics of bird populations and to understand the causes of population fluctuations

Population trends depend on how many individuals survive, how many are born, how many immigrate and how many emigrate. Integrated population models jointly analyse multiple types of data (e.g. population counts, capture-recapture data, breeding success data). The result is more accurate estimates of demographic processes and a deeper understanding of the causes of population change. The development of such models is of fundamental interest at the interface between population ecology and statistics, and is crucial for diagnosing the causes of declines in rare species.

Domain Research

Unit Population Biology

Topic Ecology, Population Development

Habitat alpine habitats, farmland, forest, meadows and pastures, rivers & streams, rocky terrain, semi-open farmland, settlements, wasteland, wetlands

Project start 2006

Project status ongoing

Project management Michael Schaub

Project region Switzerland, Europe

Details

Project objectives

The aim of the project is to develop and test integrated population models (IPM) and apply them to case studies of selected species in order to better understand their population trends. We aim to gain knowledge both in basic research at the interface of population ecology and statistical sciences, and in the application of the models to selected species, e.g. to optimise conservation measures. We also want to transfer our knowledge and experience of IPMs to other researchers.

Methodology

We develop new integrated population models, test them with simulated data and apply them in case studies. In addition to our own data, we use and analyse data from other researchers in collaborative projects. We share our knowledge of the theory and practice of this powerful class of models with researchers around the world through scientific articles, textbooks and workshops.

Significance

Integrated population models were developed around the year 2000 and have become indispensable in today’s empirical analysis of population dynamics. They are complex statistical models and their application requires special expertise. The Swiss Ornithological Institute has become a centre of excellence for integrated population models and has gained many important insights into the functioning of bird populations.

Results

In 2022, all the research on integrated population models was summarised in the world’s first textbook on the topic. Numerous case studies of different species have been published in the scientific literature. One important finding is that bird populations are often strongly influenced by immigration and emigration, as birds are highly dispersing. This finding is important for conservation because it shows that the spatial units to be protected must be large enough to be independent of processes in neighbouring populations.