Introduction to Bayesian Methods in Ecology and Natural Resources

Bayesian analysis has undergone a remarkable transformation since the early 1990s. Widespread adoption of Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques has made the Bayesian paradigm the preferred alternative to classical statistical procedures for scientific inference. The Bayesian approach has a number of desirable qualities, three chief ones being: i) the mathematical procedure is always the same, allowing the analyst to concentrate on the scientific aspects of the problem; ii) historical information is readily used, when appropriate; and iii) hierarchical models are readily accommodated.

Despite the rapid advance of Bayesian inference in other disciplines, it has been slow to develop in ecology, wildlife biology, and natural resource management. The authors present modern Bayesian analysis in a format that is accessible to researchers in the forgoing fields. The book contains numerous worked examples and the requisite computer programs. The latter are easily modified to meet new situations. A primer on probability distributions is also included because these form the basis of Bayesian inference.

This book will be a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in Ecology and Natural Resource Management.