Grouse - habitat relationships

TL;DRAbstract

Fennoscandian grouse populations are facing habitat degradation and are in decline, though not to the same degree as in western and central Europe. To be able to identify factors causing population decline and initiate proper management actions, a well functioning monitoring program and management are essential. In this thesis I have used datasets on capercaillie, black grouse and willow ptarmigan. The datasets were sampled through large scale monitoring programs by volunteers. The volunteers were mainly hunters that already had field-experience and knowledge of grouse, and could do the work at low cost and with few logistical problems. I found that using a GPS to measure perpendicular distances less than 50m from line transects reduced the reliability of the density estimates. Adding covariates such as habitat (open or closed), and flushed by dog or handler, improved the models of density estimates. In non-systematic sampling designs where hunters were free to go wherever they wanted

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