Population Estimation Lab

Background
The ability of scientists to accurately estimate the total population of a target organism is fundamental to any
ecological study. Species and resource management is closely tied to population size counts performed in the
field. Because counting every individual in a population can be impractical and very difficult, field biologists
have developed a variety of techniques and mathematical formulas for estimating populations. Several of these
methods require counting a portion of the population while others involve successive captures of individuals.

Part 1
Mark and Recapture Method

One common population sampling technique is the mark-recapture. This technique involves capturing a
number of individuals in such a way as to identify them if recaptured, and then releasing them back into the
population. A subsequent capture is performed, and the ratio of marked to unmarked individuals is noted.
Typically, several recaptures are performed. Ultimately the total population of the target species is estimated on
the basis of this ratio.

Assumptions must be made for all types of population estimates, and it is a valuable exercise to think about
some of the assumptions required to ensure the validity of a given sampling method, as well as some of the
circumstances that might cause these assumptions not to be met (e.g., are individuals from outside the sampling
area likely to move into the area during the sampling period?). The following conditions were assumed to be
true in deriving the mathematical formula used to determine the mark-recapture population estimation. If the
following conditions do not apply to a particular population, the mark-recapture method will not provide a
reliable population estimate.

Assumptions:
The ratio of the actual population to the number of captured individuals is the same as the ratio of the number of
released, marked individuals to the number of recaptured, marked individuals. • Each individual in the
population has an equal and independent chance of being captured.
• Except for the effects of trapping, the population is not increasing or decreasing in size during the sampling
period.

Biologists conducting a population census will probably not have proof that these conditions are met. Field
biologists study situations carefully and learn all that they can about the target organisms to ensure that the
assumptions are reliably met. In situation in which the assumptions are in question, other methods must be
found for estimating populations, or less trust must be placed on the accuracy of the estimate.

During this section of the lab, you and your partners will use the mark-recapture method to estimate a
population. Whereas a fisheries biologist might use this method to estimate the population of largemouth bass
in a pond, you will be using the method to estimate the number of beads in a cup.

A simple formula for estimating a population using the mark-recapture technique is:

Where: N = Estimated Population Total

N= m s m = number of individuals marked from 1st capture t
s = number of individuals captured each round t=
number counted that were marked during the recapture
Procedure – Part 1
1. Count your green beads from the red cup – you should have 100 beads. If you have too many,
please place them into the bag in the front of the classroom. If you are missing green beads,
please take a few. If you have any BLACK beads, replace them with green beads.

2. The green beads represent the total population. Using your fingers, “capture” 40 individuals
(green beads) from the red cup.

3. Using the black marker, “mark” these 40 captured individuals by completely coloring them in
black. These beads will serve as the “marked” individuals.

4. Release the 40 marked individuals back into the population (the red cup).
5. Cover and shake the cup vigorously to redistribute the marked individuals throughout the
population.

6. Without looking into the cup, remove 20 beads, one at a time.

7. Count the number of marked individuals (black beads) captured and record this number in your
data table as “m”.

8. Replace the beads captured into the cup with the remaining population.

9. Shake up the cup to distribute the marked individuals among the population.

10. Without looking into the cup, remove 20 beads, one at a time. Count the beads and record this
number in your data table as “s”
1. Of these beads, count the number of “marked” beads, and record this number as “t”
2. Using these values and the “m” value, calculate “N” and record this as “N”

11. Return all of the “captured” beans to the population shake up the cup and repeat steps 9 and
10. You are to do this nine more times.

12. When your group has completed ten captures, average all of the population estimates (N)
together and enter this value in the data table.

Visual estimation: ______________

Part 1 - Mark and Recapture Method:
m =

Trial s t N
1
2
3
4
5
 6
7
8
9
10
Average N =

Actual N =

Percent error =

1. How would it be possible to decrease the percent error using this

technique?

LAB 7 Ecological techniques

You have been given a sheet of random letters, this sheet will represent a habitat with each letter representing a
different species you are asked to explore this environment and estimate the number of different species present.
to accomplish this task you will use slides
Take a slide and divide it in half using a wax pencil line, calculate the area of half the slide
Place the slide on the sheet of letters and align it parallel to a row of letters
You will make a note of all new letters found in your half slide and record
You will then double the area search i.e. search the whole slide now instead of half record only the new letters
found
You will the double the area again i.e add another slide, then record new letters again
You will then double the area again ie add two slides, then record new letters again
You will calculate the area of each quadrat used i.e area of half slide, whole slide, two slides and four slides.
Record your results in a table then draw a graph of area vs cumulative numbers

Area of quadrat Number of Cumulativ

used(i.e slide) new letters e numbers
found freqency
½ slide 9.4 cm2
Whole slide
18.8cm2

1.b Population distribution

Q E R Q W E L R I G F V I W H E B G N W X E R A B D
W E R U I V G B W E H N C V I G U N W E G V Z S I D
Q N A D H F L C V B M Q L A K T A B O N R T J Z H D
R M O C H V S E O F G H N W E O R T N R O I Y T G W
E G B T O I W G T V A E R I T V G E T E R T G W O E
R I T Z G W R B Y G W X R V U I T W X V W X N R V T
O E C V B F G F B B F J K F D K J D N V M C B M B V
F D J I V S O I G E R I T O U E Y O W B F D J B H S D
F L K J G L K J G R T Y H G H E J K F G D H L K J A N
D T U W Q Q J I S D T H M I Y U F N M H F S D G G S
A B T R R T N U M F 7 T Y I M F G A S D W E R