James Nichols, Ph.D.
Dr. Jim Nichols conducts research on animal population dynamics and management
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- B.S. Wake Forest University, Biology, 1971
- M.S. Louisiana State University, Wildlife Management, 1973
- Ph.D. Michigan State University, Wildlife Ecology, 1976
Professional Studies/Experience
- Adaptive management and assessment of habitat changes on migratory birds
- Development of models of mallard population dynamics for adaptive harvest management
- Development of methods to estimate parameters associated with animal population dynamics
- Statistical methods for species richness estimation
- Technical Assistance -Tiger Monitoring and Population Research
- Development of methods for estimating patch occupancy and patch-dynamic parameters from detection-nondetection survey data
- Development of methods to estimate species richness and community-dynamic parameters from species list data
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boardsScientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
- 2005 - U.S. Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Senior Professional)
- 2004 - U.S. Geological Survey Meritorious Service Award
- 2004 - IFAS Scholar Award, University of Florida
- 1998 - Promoted to Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
- 1991 - The George W. Snedecor Award of the American Statistical Association
- 1991 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Monograph
- 1984 - Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society, Outstanding Publication Award
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 409
The relationship between harvest and survival rates of mallards: A straightforward approach with partitioned data sets
We randomly partitioned mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) bandings and recoveries from each of a number of selected reference areas into 2 groups and estimated survival and harvest rates for each area and group. This procedure produced independent vectors of survival- and harvest-rate estimates, which were used to test the general hypothesis that mallard survival and harvest rates were inversely relate
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines
Estimating taxonomic diversity, extinction rates, and speciation rates from fossil data using capture-recapture models
Capture-recapture models can be used to estimate parameters of interest from paleobiological data when encouter probabilities are unknown and variable over time. These models also permit estimation of sampling variances and goodness-of-fit tests are available for assessing the fit of data to most models. The authors describe capture-recapture models which should be useful in paleobiological anal
Authors
J. D. Nichols, K. H. Pollock
Estimation methodology in contemporary small mammal capture-recapture studies
Estimators of population size and survival rate based on the Jolly-Seber capture-recapture model and the “enumeration method” are described. Enumeration estimators are shown to estimate complicated functions of capture and survival probabilities and, in the case of the population size estimator, population size. Frequently-listed reasons for preferring enumeration estimators are discussed and the
Authors
J. D. Nichols, K. H. Pollock
Afternoon closure of hunting and recovery rates of mallards banded in Minnesota
No abstract available.
Authors
R.E. Kirby, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Sample size estimates: A preliminary analysis of sample sizes required for mark-recovery and mark-resighting studies of manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida
No abstract available.
Authors
J.M. Packard, J. D. Nichols
Afternoon closure of hunting and recovery rates of mallards banded in Minnesota
Abstract has not been submitted
Authors
R.E. Kirby, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Of mice and mallards: tests of the compensatory mortality hypothesis in vertebrate populations
No abstract available.
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines
Additional comments on the assumption of homogenous survival rates in modern bird banding estimation models
We examined the problem of heterogeneous survival and recovery rates in bird banding estimation models. We suggest that positively correlated subgroup survival and recovery probabilities may result from winter banding operations and that this situation will produce positively biased survival rate estimates. The magnitude of the survival estimate bias depends on the proportion of the population in
Authors
J. D. Nichols, S.L. Stokes, J. E. Hines, M.J. Conroy
The relationship between harvest rates and survival rates of mallards: a straightforward approach with randomly-partitioned data sets
No abstract available.
Authors
J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Breeding-ground habitat conditions and the survival of mallards
The relationship between habitat conditions in prairie breeding areas of North America and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) survival rates was investigated. Annual survival-rate estimates for mallards generally were higher during years of high May pond numbers and low mallards-per-pond ratios than during years of low pond numbers and high ratios. This tendency was most pronounced among males. These
Authors
J. D. Nichols, R.S. Pospahala, J. E. Hines
Regional population inferences for the American woodcock
Woodcock (Philohela minor) bandings and recoveries from 1967 to 1977 were analyzed from two large banding reference areas corresponding to existing Eastern and Central harvest units. We examined temporal, age-specific, sex-specific, and geographic variation in both survival and recovery rates, using recently developed stochastic models. Survival rate estimates for females were higher than those
Authors
T.J. Dwyer, J. D. Nichols
The Mayfield method of estimating nesting success: A model, estimators and simulation results
Using a nesting model proposed by Mayfield we show that the estimator he proposes is a maximum likelihood estimator (m.l.e.). M.l.e. theory allows us to calculate the asymptotic distribution of this estimator, and we propose an estimator of the asymptotic variance. Using these estimators we give approximate confidence intervals and tests of significance for daily survival. Monte Carlo simulatio
Authors
Gary L. Hensler, J. D. Nichols
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 409
The relationship between harvest and survival rates of mallards: A straightforward approach with partitioned data sets
We randomly partitioned mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) bandings and recoveries from each of a number of selected reference areas into 2 groups and estimated survival and harvest rates for each area and group. This procedure produced independent vectors of survival- and harvest-rate estimates, which were used to test the general hypothesis that mallard survival and harvest rates were inversely relate
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines
Estimating taxonomic diversity, extinction rates, and speciation rates from fossil data using capture-recapture models
Capture-recapture models can be used to estimate parameters of interest from paleobiological data when encouter probabilities are unknown and variable over time. These models also permit estimation of sampling variances and goodness-of-fit tests are available for assessing the fit of data to most models. The authors describe capture-recapture models which should be useful in paleobiological anal
Authors
J. D. Nichols, K. H. Pollock
Estimation methodology in contemporary small mammal capture-recapture studies
Estimators of population size and survival rate based on the Jolly-Seber capture-recapture model and the “enumeration method” are described. Enumeration estimators are shown to estimate complicated functions of capture and survival probabilities and, in the case of the population size estimator, population size. Frequently-listed reasons for preferring enumeration estimators are discussed and the
Authors
J. D. Nichols, K. H. Pollock
Afternoon closure of hunting and recovery rates of mallards banded in Minnesota
No abstract available.
Authors
R.E. Kirby, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Sample size estimates: A preliminary analysis of sample sizes required for mark-recovery and mark-resighting studies of manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida
No abstract available.
Authors
J.M. Packard, J. D. Nichols
Afternoon closure of hunting and recovery rates of mallards banded in Minnesota
Abstract has not been submitted
Authors
R.E. Kirby, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Of mice and mallards: tests of the compensatory mortality hypothesis in vertebrate populations
No abstract available.
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines
Additional comments on the assumption of homogenous survival rates in modern bird banding estimation models
We examined the problem of heterogeneous survival and recovery rates in bird banding estimation models. We suggest that positively correlated subgroup survival and recovery probabilities may result from winter banding operations and that this situation will produce positively biased survival rate estimates. The magnitude of the survival estimate bias depends on the proportion of the population in
Authors
J. D. Nichols, S.L. Stokes, J. E. Hines, M.J. Conroy
The relationship between harvest rates and survival rates of mallards: a straightforward approach with randomly-partitioned data sets
No abstract available.
Authors
J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols
Breeding-ground habitat conditions and the survival of mallards
The relationship between habitat conditions in prairie breeding areas of North America and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) survival rates was investigated. Annual survival-rate estimates for mallards generally were higher during years of high May pond numbers and low mallards-per-pond ratios than during years of low pond numbers and high ratios. This tendency was most pronounced among males. These
Authors
J. D. Nichols, R.S. Pospahala, J. E. Hines
Regional population inferences for the American woodcock
Woodcock (Philohela minor) bandings and recoveries from 1967 to 1977 were analyzed from two large banding reference areas corresponding to existing Eastern and Central harvest units. We examined temporal, age-specific, sex-specific, and geographic variation in both survival and recovery rates, using recently developed stochastic models. Survival rate estimates for females were higher than those
Authors
T.J. Dwyer, J. D. Nichols
The Mayfield method of estimating nesting success: A model, estimators and simulation results
Using a nesting model proposed by Mayfield we show that the estimator he proposes is a maximum likelihood estimator (m.l.e.). M.l.e. theory allows us to calculate the asymptotic distribution of this estimator, and we propose an estimator of the asymptotic variance. Using these estimators we give approximate confidence intervals and tests of significance for daily survival. Monte Carlo simulatio
Authors
Gary L. Hensler, J. D. Nichols