In this episode of Wildlife by the Numbers, hosts Matt, Grant, and Randy explore methods for estimating wildlife abundance using both marked and unmarked techniques. They discuss distance sampling, removal sampling, N-mixture models, capture-mark-recapture, and spatial capture-recapture. The conversation emphasizes the importance of robust study design, detection probability, and population closure assumptions in ecological research.

Episode Quotes

“Marked simply means you have an animal like an ocelot that has spots… so you can identify the same individuals over time based on their coat pattern.”

“Distance sampling is a technique in which you take advantage of the fact that things are harder to see or detect at greater distances… and use that to estimate abundance.”

“Spatial capture-recapture incorporates where animals were observed and where traps were located… helping produce more precise estimates of abundance and spatial distribution.”

Cite this episode: https://doi.org/10.7944/usfws.wbtn.s02ep01

DOI Citation Formatter: https://citation.doi.org/

Episode music: Shapeshifter by Mr Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://freemusicarchive.org/music/mr-smith/studio-city/shapeshifter/