BAMC TELEMETRY COMPREHENSIVE TEST
BANK PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
RATIONALES
● Why is occupancy used over abundance? (5)
Answer: Cheaper, may be sufficient for goals, more efficient for rare and
widespread species, fewer assumptions, can study many species
simultaneously
●● Data from occupancy (3)
Answer: Habitat suitability, species distribution, index of abundance
●● Unoccupied habitat (2)
Answer: Failed detection, not actually present
●● Occupancy estimation (psi, 4)
Answer: Probability a species will occupy a given area, area determined
by researcher, need 2+ replicates per site, estimates psi and p
●● Psi vs p (2)
Answer: Probability a species occurs at a site, probability a species will
be detected given it occurs for a given survey
,●● Number of replicate surveys needed (3)
Answer: d=1-(1-p)^k, d is detection probability across a whole study
period with k replicates given it is present, round up
●● Probability rules (3)
Answer: Multiply for and, add for or, raise to x for occurs x times
●● Assumptions of occupancy surveys (3)
Answer: Occupancy status doesn't change during the survey, detection
probabilities among sites independent, occupancy and detection
probabilities are constant across sites accounting for covariates
●● Covariate (3)
Answer: Independent variable in a model that affects a dependent
variable, account for psi variation if they affect actual species presence,
account for p variation if they affect detection probability
●● Chiroptera (6)
Answer: Second most diverse mammalian order, only mammals that fly,
usually small, worldwide except Antarctica, low reproduction with long
lifespan, ecosystem services
●● Ecosystem services from bats (4)
Answer: Pest control, pollination, seed dispersal, fertilizer
, ●● Washington's bats (6)
Answer: 15 total species, all insectivores, desert bats, forest bats, Myotis
species, all echolocate
●● Desert bat
Answer: Pallid bay
●● Forest bat
Answer: Big brown bat
●● Myotis bat (2)
Answer: Keen's Myotis, endemic
●● Echolocation (7)
Answer: Usually inaudible to humans, larynx makes loud calls, echos
for navigation and feeding, distinct between genera, Myotis too similar
for species ID, ID by lowest frequency and call shape, not done by all
bats
●● Day roosts (3)
Answer: Bark of large living trees and snags, southern exposures and
forest edges for warmth, cavities provide maternity colony space
BANK PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
RATIONALES
● Why is occupancy used over abundance? (5)
Answer: Cheaper, may be sufficient for goals, more efficient for rare and
widespread species, fewer assumptions, can study many species
simultaneously
●● Data from occupancy (3)
Answer: Habitat suitability, species distribution, index of abundance
●● Unoccupied habitat (2)
Answer: Failed detection, not actually present
●● Occupancy estimation (psi, 4)
Answer: Probability a species will occupy a given area, area determined
by researcher, need 2+ replicates per site, estimates psi and p
●● Psi vs p (2)
Answer: Probability a species occurs at a site, probability a species will
be detected given it occurs for a given survey
,●● Number of replicate surveys needed (3)
Answer: d=1-(1-p)^k, d is detection probability across a whole study
period with k replicates given it is present, round up
●● Probability rules (3)
Answer: Multiply for and, add for or, raise to x for occurs x times
●● Assumptions of occupancy surveys (3)
Answer: Occupancy status doesn't change during the survey, detection
probabilities among sites independent, occupancy and detection
probabilities are constant across sites accounting for covariates
●● Covariate (3)
Answer: Independent variable in a model that affects a dependent
variable, account for psi variation if they affect actual species presence,
account for p variation if they affect detection probability
●● Chiroptera (6)
Answer: Second most diverse mammalian order, only mammals that fly,
usually small, worldwide except Antarctica, low reproduction with long
lifespan, ecosystem services
●● Ecosystem services from bats (4)
Answer: Pest control, pollination, seed dispersal, fertilizer
, ●● Washington's bats (6)
Answer: 15 total species, all insectivores, desert bats, forest bats, Myotis
species, all echolocate
●● Desert bat
Answer: Pallid bay
●● Forest bat
Answer: Big brown bat
●● Myotis bat (2)
Answer: Keen's Myotis, endemic
●● Echolocation (7)
Answer: Usually inaudible to humans, larynx makes loud calls, echos
for navigation and feeding, distinct between genera, Myotis too similar
for species ID, ID by lowest frequency and call shape, not done by all
bats
●● Day roosts (3)
Answer: Bark of large living trees and snags, southern exposures and
forest edges for warmth, cavities provide maternity colony space
