Comparison of Indices to infer Population Dynamics of Black Brant

Abstract

To aid managers in assessing status of Pacific black brant Branta bernicla nigricans, I examined preexisting long-term data series from summer, fall staging and wintering areas to infer overall population processes and assessed the utility of the various data sources.  Variation in demographic parameters measured in sub-Arctic and Arctic locations suggests some form of meta-population structure likely exists for Pacific brant.  I used serial autocorrelation coefficients assess the ability of various indices to track population processes.  Based on this approach, the Lincoln-Petersen estimator and the fall aerial survey estimate partitioned using age ratios of staging brant at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska appear to be the best indicators.  However, these two indexes show different trends for the overall Pacific black brant population.  The Lincoln-Petersen estimates showed biologically implausible changes in size among sequential years, whereas the fall Izembek index did not.  Annual estimates of survival and productivity fit the patterns of annual variation in the fall Izembek index better than the Lincoln-Petersen estimates.  I conclude that the fall age partitioned Izembek Lagoon index appears to be the best for tracking population process in Pacific black brant.