Bayesian population analysis using WinBUGS, 8-12 July 2013

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Bayesian population analysis using WinBUGS, 8-12 July 2013

Postby Marc Kery » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:44 am

Intermediate-level workshop
Bayesian population analysis using WinBUGS and JAGS

Instructors: Marc Kéry & Michael Schaub, Swiss Ornithological Institute
Date: 8–12 July 2013
Venue: USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland
Computers: Bring your own laptop with latest R and WinBUGS, JAGS or OpenBUGS
Costs: USD$700 (normal rate), USD$300 (student rate)

This course introduces many key models used in the analysis of distribution, abundance and survival, as well as their spatial and temporal patterns, in a Bayesian analysis framework. It closely follows our recent book “Bayesian population analysis using WinBUGS” published by Academic Press. We use programs R and WinBUGS and JAGS to fit and understand some of the most widely used models for the analysis of animal and plant populations. These include:

• Poisson generalized linear mixed model (e.g., Link and Sauer 2002)
• State-space models (e.g., Dennis et al. 2006)
• Site-occupancy models (MacKenzie et al. 2002, 2003) for the analysis of species distributions
• Binomial mixture models (Royle 2004) for the analysis of distribution and abundance with full accounting for observation error
• Closed-population models for population size
• Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for estimating survival probabilities
• Jolly-Seber models for estimating survival, recruitment and adundance
• Multistate capture-recapture models for estimating survival and transition rates
• Integrated population models (Besbeas et al. 2002; Schaub et al. 2007).

This is an intermediate-level workshop with about 3/4 of the time spent on lecturing and 1/4 on solving exercises. No previous experience with program WinBUGS, or Bayesian statistics, is assumed. However, a good working knowledge of modern regression methods (ANOVA, ANCOVA, generalised linear models) and also of program R (or another programming language) is required.

Please bring your own laptops and install a recent version of R plus WinBUGS 1.4., with the upgrade patch and the immortality key decoded (in this order). Alternatively, JAGS and OpenBUGS work fine for 99% of what we do.

Send your application to Andy Royle (hmecology@gmail.com), describing your background and knowledge in statistical modeling, R and WinBUGS/OpenBUGS/JAGS, by 30 April 2013 at the latest. Workshop invitations will be sent out in early May 2013.


Jim Nichols Travel Award
Up to two Jim Nichols Travel Awards will be available to outstanding applicants especially from, but not restricted to, developing countries. See http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/workshops/ for more information. Please send JNTA applications to Andy Royle (hmecology@gmail.com).
Marc Kery
 
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