ECA Presents Subject Spotlight: Getting Better Ecological Measures

Getting Better Ecological Measures - when and how to account for imperfect detection of
individuals and species

Flora and fauna field surveys often result in incomplete censuses of ecological attributes of sites due to the imperfect detection of individuals of species of interest. This can result in the underestimation of abundance, occurrence and biodiversity metrics, and also lead to poor inferences about how such metrics relate to environmental variables, management actions or other impacts. A wide range of analytical methods have been developed to account for imperfect detection, leading to improved inferences, although typically they require information to be collected in the field, which often leads to greater levels of survey effort.

In this talk Darryl shall briefly review key issues and commonly applied detection-centric approaches, highlight when detection-centric methods should be used, and offer practical advice on how to evaluate the benefits and costs associated with potential study designs.

Date: Tuesday 21 October 2025
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm (AWST)
Location: Online - An appointment will be sent out a day prior to the event.
Cost: Free for members and non-members.
Register: by Monday 20 October 2025