IPM workshop | October 2025 | Fort Collins CO

[Michael Schaub]

Intermediate-level workshop (in person only)

Bayesian integrated population modelling (IPM) using JAGS

Instructors
Brian Gerber (USGS, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit & Dep. of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA)
Dave Koons (Dep. of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA)

Date
13 – 17 October 2025

Venue
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Computers
Bring your own laptop with latest R and JAGS

Integrated population models (IPMs) represent a powerful combination of multiple data sources, typically around a single matrix population model, that are informative about the dynamics of a wild population. Typical IPMs combine one or more time-series of abundance data with other data sets that are directly informative about survival probabilities, such as ring-recovery or capture-recapture, or about productivity, such as nest survey data. However, many other sources of demographic information may be envisioned, including age-at-death data, radio tracking data, occupancy or replicated point count data. For non-statisticians the most practical manner to develop and fit IPMs is by using BUGS software (JAGS and Nimble). This course is a practical and hands-on introduction to developing and fitting integrated population models.
Beyond IPMs, the course also provides a broad introduction for ecologists and wildlife managers to a wide variety of models fit using BUGS software.

Contents include the following topics:
1. Basic introduction:
• Hierarchical models as an overarching theme of population modelling, including IPMs
• Bayesian analysis of hierarchical models
• Introduction to BUGS software in the context of GLMs and traditional random-effects models

2. Ingredients of Integrated Population Models:
• State-space models for time-series of counts
• Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for estimating survival probabilities
• Multistate capture-recapture models for estimating survival and transition probabilities

3. Integrated Population Models (IPMs)
• Introduction to matrix population models and their analysis with BUGS
• Theory of integrated population models
• Various case studies which differ in complexity and in the data types that are combined

In this intermediate-level workshop about 80% of the time is spent on lecturing and 20% on solving exercises. No previous experience with BUGS software, or Bayesian statistics, is assumed. However, a good working knowledge of regression (linear models, GLMs) and of program R is required. Moreover, a basic understanding of capture-recapture and/or occupancy models is highly desirable.