popharvest

popharvest implements quantitative methods in R to assess sustainability of bird population harvesting by detecting overharvest risk and estimating allowable take levels.

Key Features:

• Demographic Invariant Method (DIM): Applies the DIM approach to detect overharvesting when detailed demographic data are limited.
• Potential Take Level (PTL) approach: Implements the PTL framework to estimate or evaluate harvest levels relative to explicit management objectives.
• Flexible functionality: Provides functions configurable to varying amounts of knowledge about population dynamics and demographic parameters.
• Scenario testing and uncertainty propagation: Employs Monte Carlo simulations to propagate parameter uncertainty and evaluate alternative harvest scenarios.

Scientific Applications:

• Overharvest assessment: Identifies bird populations at risk from additional mortality due to harvesting.
• Harvest level evaluation: Estimates allowable take and evaluates whether current harvest aligns with management objectives using PTL.
• Uncertainty-informed scenario analysis: Assesses potential outcomes of alternative management strategies under parameter uncertainty.
• Evidence support for management and policy: Provides quantitative inputs for adaptive management and policy decisions regarding bird harvesting.

Methodology:

Implemented as an R package that uses the Demographic Invariant Method (DIM) and the Potential Take Level (PTL) approach, with Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty propagation and scenario testing and functions configurable to available demographic parameters.