This book describes the sampling and statistical methods used most often by behavioral ecologists. We define behavioral ecology broadly to include behavior, ecology and such related disciplines as fisheries, wildlife, and environmental physiology. Most researchers in these areas have studied basic statistical methods, but frequently have trouble solving their design or analysis problems despite having taken these courses. The general reason for these problems is probably that introductory statistics courses are intended for workers in many fields, and each field presents a special, and to some extent unique, set of problems. A course tailored for behavioral ecologists would necessarily contain much material of little interest to students in other fields.

The statistical problems that seem to cause behavioral ecologists the most difficulty can be divided into several categories.

1. Some of the most difficult problems faced by behavioral ecologists attempting to design a study or analyze the resulting data fall between statistics – as it is usually taught – and biology. Examples include how to define the sampled and target populations, the nature and purpose of statistical analysis when samples are collected nonrandomly, and how to avoid pseudoreplication.

2. Some methods used frequently by behavioral ecologists are not covered in most introductory texts. Examples include survey sampling, capture–recapture, and distance sampling.

3. Certain concepts in statistics seem to need reinforcement even though they are well covered in many texts. Examples include the rationale of statistical tests, the meaning of confidence intervals, and the interpretation of regression coefficients.

4. Behavioral ecologists encounter special statistical problems in certain areas including index methods, detecting habitat ‘preferences’, and sampling behavior.

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