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6 - Survey and census methods: population distribution and density

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Caroline Ross  and
Nigel Reeve
Edited by
Joanna M. Setchell  and
Deborah J. Curtis
Joanna M. Setchell
Affiliation:
University of Durham
Deborah J. Curtis
Affiliation:
Oxford Brookes University
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

A population study of a wild primate typically involves a considerable investment of time and resources (i.e. money, equipment, labour) and it is vital to ensure that such effort is well targeted. When designing your study, a key issue is whether your study objectives genuinely demand an absolute estimate of the population density from either a census (a total count) or a survey (in which density is estimated from statistically valid samples), or whether less information will suffice. Relative estimates of density using data from methods such as ‘catch per unit effort’ from trapping or systematic searching do not provide absolute densities but, as long as the sampling methods and other conditions are standardized, can allow reliable comparisons between locations and monitoring of population change over time. Population indices are based on indirect indicators that can be correlated with population density, such as the density of faeces or other characteristic signs. Such methods may be a more practical alternative to searching for secretive, hard-to-find animals.

In practice, no population survey or census is completely bias-free and many studies may find that a reliable relative population estimate or index is more achievable than a reliable absolute estimate of the population size (Bibby et al., 1992; Greenwood, 1996; Krebs, 1999). There is a trade-off between the depth of the data gathered and the number of replicate samples that can be obtained.

Type
Chapter
Information
Field and Laboratory Methods in Primatology
A Practical Guide
 , pp. 111 - 132
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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