Using POPAN-5 to analyse banding data

Abstract

We describe some recent developments in the POPAN system for the analysis of mark-recapture data from Jolly-Seber (IS) type experiments and how this system applies to the analysis of banding data. We discuss some of the extra data requirements of JS studies, which provide estimates of abundance and entry/birth rates, over survival (CJS) studies. We discuss how POPAN implements a unified likelihood approach using a constrained maximization and show how this differs from a design-matrix approach used in CJS software. We illustrate the application of constraints and covariate models across groups with some examples drawn from the banding literature, including an example zvith age-class groups and we describe some of the resources in POPAN for carrying out standard tests for goodness-of-fit.