Is there a rule of thumb for sparse data?

[jackieguzy]

We have data we believe is too sparse to use with PRESENCE, even with various pooling tricks...(16 surveys of 168 traps and only 130 sightings).
Is there a paper or rule of thumb we can use that describes this problem? Normally I just play around and see if I get crazy estimates, or search this forum, but to save time, is there a general rule?

Thanks for your time,

Jackie

[darryl]

Play around and see if you get crazy/inconsistent estimates.

Are your 16 surveys all conducted within a single season? Are your 130 detections spread thinly over your 168 sites so if there's a detection at a site, there's usually only one, or there tends to be 3 or 4 detections if there's at least 1 at a site?

No real rule of thumb, but by considering how is your data sparse may indicate whether you have a low detectability or low occupancy issue. Low detectability is more problematic than low occupancy.

Darryl